A-Day

A-Minus: 4 hours

Today is the big day.  I woke up a few hours earlier than planned and I'm not about to fall back asleep.  I'm all packed and ready to go, not at all nervous or worried.

I suppose I'm totally free now.  I gave my keys back to work on Friday and have no further obligations to show up in the office.  I donated my car back to Chabad, and left the keys on Rabbi's chair, so I have no further responsibilities with insurance payments, driver's licenses, smog checks, or traffic laws.  On Saturday night, I checked my mail box for the last time and slid my apartment keys through the mail slot at the front office.  I have no rent to pay or apartment to maintian, no lease obligations.  I have a good bit of money saved up and could go anywhere and do anything I like, and I don't even have any keys to take with me.  There is no shortage of people who would love to be in my situation right now.

But from a Torah perspective, a Jew is defined not by his freedoms but by his obligations.  In that sense, one might think that I'm nobody.  But no matter where he is, a Jew always has his obligations to keep kosher, learn Torah, and behave properly.  In that sense, Hashem always gives us a rope to hold onto, so a person is always a somebody. 

As for me, right now I'm ready.  I've got my foot on the starting block, I can see the track ahead of me, I know what I've got to do, and I'm waiting for the gun to fire.  In the mean time, I have to go daven shacharit (morning prayers.)

See you on the other side!