Rabbi Weinberg's Elul Thought for the Day

Thursday August 27
Today is the seventh day of Elul!
This morning in shul we read the first aliya of Ki Tetze which begins with the words “Ki Tetze”,”When you go out.”  Those words reminded me that so much of what brings about change in life is movement.  When you go out then questions arise, challenges arise, opportunities arise.  We are creatures of habit that love inertia so until we move (mentally or physically) change is hard.   Research has shown that changing circumstances can actually disrupt bad habits.  It is, therefore, very apt that the Rambam in Hilchot Teshuva (2:2) writes that the chain reaction of Teshuva with all its subsequent steps (leaving the sin behind, having regret, admitting wrongdoing, and not doing it again etc…) is based on the pasuk from Yishayahu of "יעזוב רשע דרכו" , “a wicked person should leave his path” once again pointing to movement as a key factor in the process of change.  What path are you on?  Where will it lead you?  How will some movement spark you to think about things differently, see yourself differently, or act differently?