The Gift You Were Born to Give
Anyone with familiarity with Jewish communities knows that capital campaigns are par for the course. The first Jewish fund-raising drive in history is when Moses asks the people to contribute to the Tabernacle, the portable synagogue accompanying the Jews throughout the desert and even when they first entered Israel. Moses didn’t ask for a specific amount, rather that people should give whatever their heart urges them to give. But there’s more. In addition to the material costs, people were asked for their help to actually be part of the building project. Artisans for all types of trades were needed. People were asked to give of themselves whatever their heart urged to them to. People who could weave, sew, cook, construct, haul, and so many other tasks. Each person did what they enjoyed doing.
One of the greatest Jewish works on self-realization and mindfulness was written in Arabic in Spain over 1000 years ago; it’s called Chovos HaLevavos. He explains that the Almighty implants into each species of animal the physical means and aptitude to obtain a particular food and the appetite for it. Tigers are quick and have sharp teeth, falcons use their claws—even while in flight—to catch their prey, and so too with all animals. Cows desire grass, cats crave mice, robins want worms; each has a specific appetite for a certain kind of food. These natural instincts direct the animal toward what it needs for its sustenance. (Sha’ar Bitachon 3)
So, too, with humans. In order to help us earn a living, G-d has given each of us an inclination toward a particular type of work. Some people like to work with their hands, others are numbers people, some pilots will tell you they have wanted to be a cockpit since they were children. My son in law in an actuary; he deals with math formulas all day long. I can’t imagine a worse punishment, but he loves it. Some people are naturally handy or have a good sense of direction, others are people focused—they are connectors and communicators. G-d gifted these natural skills and the preference for a specific profession so that people can support themselves and, also, that the world will have doctors, dentists, plumbers, truck drivers, electricians, cooks, and everything else needed for our existence.
This idea shows the kindness and wisdom of G-d. Squeamish people don’t have to become doctors and people who hate to argue don’t have to become litigation attorneys. We are individuals with different proclivities, and that’s how humans have created villages and cities for thousands of years. Each person should pursue what he or she is drawn toward.
When G-d instructed Moses to ask the people for assistance with the Tabernacle, he asked that everyone should do that about which they were enthusiastic. Everyone was needed; constructions workers, shleppers, weavers, farmers, tailors, woodcutters, goldsmiths, and much more. The beauty is that it encompassed diverse areas of human enterprise. The Tabernacle, the most important structure until King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, was able to be a labor of love for all laborers.
Each of us has something that we love and are passionate about. We discover it by listening to our inner voice (i.e. heart). When we do the things that motivate us, we bring meaning not only to us but also the people in our lives.
What a wonderful world G-d has created. Each of us has a contribution to make; we just need to listen to ourselves to find it.
Good Shabbos