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Redeemed

This morning, I was fortunate to be part of a Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the son) ceremony in my family.
My brother and sister-in-law celebrated 30 days since the birth of their first-born son.

In Judaism, a Pidyon HaBen is actually somewhat rare, because non-first-born sons are disqualified, as are those with either parent being a Cohen (priestly line) or Levi (same line, one degree removed).

What is the ceremony (for those that have never heard this)?

I tried explaining it to an Irish/English (non-Jewish) colleague on my floor, with hilarious results.

Well, it’s the redemption of the first-born. Basically, the parents “buy back“ (redeem) their first-born son from the Cohen (priest) with a quantity of silver coins procured just for the occasion.

My colleague looked slightly dumbfounded and slightly amused.

He definitely learned something new, LOL.

So the ceremony was very interesting.

The Cohen explained the roots of it in our tradition and so on.

You can read more here, if you’re curious.

So, thank G-d, the boychik was redeemed.

We sat down for sumptuous meal and wine.

My wife’s aunt showed up as a surprise from Paris, as did the boy’s uncle.

It’s truly a huge blessing to celebrate redemption and fruitfulness and multiplication in a time as difficult and challenging as this one.

Much to think about.

And of course, redemption is very much in the news this weekend, with the first two batched of Israeli (and Thai) hostages released…

If you’ve been glued to the news out of Gaza like the rest of us, you’ve seen the reunions, the tears, the the answered prayers.

Thank G-d, we have some good news after 49 (now 50, almost 51) days of horrendous crimes against humanity, containing Hamas and forcing them back into Gaza, then mobilizing and fighting above and under ground, aerial and naval bombardment, with many of our brave soldiers cut down in the prime of youth on the battlefield.

The cease-fire is a rather expensive pause, if you will.

Hamas will doubtless use it to rearm, move personnel and weapons and develop more offensive plans.

We are FAR from done here, in other words.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the many valid arguments about how bad this cease-fire is, how it’s leading to more released terrorists in the streets of the West Bank and Gaza.

You’ve probably stayed sleepless waiting for more news, for pictures of the children and women returned to their families (that is, those that still have family remaining…)

There’s no question that Hamas is brazenly using our “soft underbelly” (our valuing life above all else, while they value death above all else) against us at every turn and opportunity.

We know it. They know it.

Just look at the palestinians returning home from prison.

Convicted stabbers, attempted murderers, Arab women and “children” (Arab terrorists below 18) who shot Jewish mothers in front of their children, who tried to detonate suicide bombs.

This is who they are.

Meanwhile, our hostages’ only crime was being Jewish and getting kidnapped by bloodthirsty, subhuman terrorists.

NO EQUIVALENCE, WHATSOEVER.

We grit our teeth and go through with the cease-fire and swap, even though we know how painful this is and that the risk of other hostages not coming home may grow higher after this.

It is our solemn duty to redeem our hostages. And so, we do everything we can just for that.

Thinking more broadly about redemption outside the realm of war and birth…

How many of us wait for years and years to “be redeemed?”

For someone to save us, to win the lottery, to get promoted, to get some prize or media feature, to be recognized?

Come on, seriously, think about it.

I’m guilty of this as much as the next guy, even though I also work like hell to create opportunity.

Many months and years have passed over the last 2 decades when all I could think about was…

How I hate this job.

How I hate my micromanaging boss.

How I can’t stand how slowly my business is growing.

How I can’t stand that I get mostly the wrong clients.

How hard is life.

How hard is my marriage.

How hard it is to lose so much sleep.

How hard it is to get long-term consulting clients.

How hard it is to be friends with someone who doesn’t get me or who exploits me.

Woe is me. Enough! Save me! Get me out of here!

I CAN’T ANYMORE!

Redemption comes after a certain point when suffering doesn’t just magically stop (but of course, G-d does give us plenty of grace, if we choose to only perceive it).

But most of all, redemption comes not when someone finally clicks “buy” or hires us or befriends us or finally recognized our genius (ha!).

Some measure may come when the love of our life marries us or when a new child is born to us.

But it’s quickly followed with more responsibilities and misaligned expectations, between the moments of genuine joy and happiness.

Maybe there’s a measure of redemption when despite massive odds, we publish a new book or get some industry award or get to some next level.

But that’s also fleeting, as our expectations level up and our lifestyles often change.

More stuff, higher spending, the works.

Maybe there’s some redemption in seeing yourself react differently (better, more effectively) when faced with the same challenge as in the past that gave us special trouble.

I saw a brilliant line in a Netflix movie we watched last Thursday night, Toscana.

As a movie, it’s charming and escapist, but little more.

But one line really got to me.

It’s when the mother of the brilliant, Danish celebrity chef, tells him after he again self-sabotages, this time publicly.

—

Important note:

As a volunteer, I spend lots of hours each time to produce this newsletter and the daily brief I work on (as a volunteer), so you can stay informed and inspired.

This is supported solely by awesome readers like YOU :)

Blessings for safety and peace and health to all our brave soldiers and civilians on the home front. We pray for their safe and quick return, along with the hostages, alive and well.

Y’all are doing an amazing job refilling my cup of joe. Keep it coming!

If you like what you’re reading here and want to buy us coffee (or 5), do so here.

Oh, and tell all your friends, too 🙂 

—

It goes something like, “None of us are inherently special. It’s how another person sees us that might make us feel special.”

In short, it could be how a mother sees her child, a wife sees her husband or vice versa, that makes someone go to great lengths and accomplish incredible feats.

We often hear about the mother who sacrificed everything for her son to become a great scientist, musician, artist, etc.

The Jewish Mother Syndrome is a real thing, but of course not limited to Jewish mothers.

I’ve been rather fortunate to benefit from this exact thing (thank you, Mom and thank you, my wife), aside from the fortune (and hard work) to have found how I can best create positive impact and through what capabilities and channels.

None of these things are a given. I know that this is my greatest blessing, the belief of my family in me, despite my sub-clinical ADD/ADHD, my unorthodox path, my love of writing and 7 careers, plus.

I don’t know if redemption is some sort of rare, one-time thing, in the end.

Redemption is something akin to the way the world renews every single moment.

If you are loved, if you are supported, if you are doing at lease some measure of what you love that helps people, if you have people who believe in you and support you (like many of you guys reading this, who support my writing).

That is perhaps the greatest measure of redemption - NOT external attention or recognition, but rather an internal sense that you are loved and appreciated.

As in, there would be people fighting like hell for you, if you were ever (G-d forbid) an actual hostage in need of redemption.

Being a hostage needn’t be to an external enemy, but often to our own wrong sense of who we are, where we’re meant to go and what we’re truly capable of.

And so, redemption need be neither messianic nor out of reach.

It could be something as big as a new job or contract.

But much more likely, it’s a smile from a stranger, a decision to exercise one morning after slacking off, an idea that pops into one’s head that activates one’s brain.

It could come from anywhere.

But most powerfully, it’s getting sick of one’s own shit and complaints and deciding firmly (and then following up on it) to move and get out of one’s poor position, whatever it may be.

Even if nothing works for months or years, as long as you’re moving and finding opportunity, your “luck surface area” will keep increasing.

Until something clicks.

I wish you the energy and swift kick in the ass to power your own redemption.

Prayer helps too, when you can do nothing else.

We continue to pray for the redemption of the hostages and the Jewish people, as a whole.

Things may look bleak on the surface, but massive changes for the good are brewing.

We are united and we will win.

Blessings to each of you and your families.