WONDROUS THING: Engage (don't separate)

I grew up in Los Angeles. Whenever I would fly, I would invariably see some famous actor or actress at the airport.  Well, that’s about to end. LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) is building a special terminal exclusively for celebrities - and anyone else willing to pay an extra $1,500-$1,800 per person, per trip! Benefits will include exclusive lounges, separate security - and most of all - a convenient way to avoid coming in contact with the huddled masses. You can read the whole story here. Reading this article made me think about a classic passage in the Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a): “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi once asked the Prophet Elijah ‘When will the Messiah come?’  ‘Ask him yourself,’ replied the Elijah. ‘The Messiah is at the gates of Rome, sitting among the poor, the sick and wretched binding up their wounds.’” I can certainly understand a celebrity’s need for privacy, but I think it is interesting that there is no “private gate” for the Messiah. The Talmud tells us that his place is in the middle of the world - messy as it is - because that is where he can do the most good. And us?  Which way do we lean in life when it comes to the tzures we see all around us – avoid or engage? And how do we find the right balance? # P.S.: Want to receive these posts in your inbox? Email me here to sign up!