Torah Thoughts

LOOKING UP

On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The entire world was mesmerized, watching as humans set foot on the moon. Fifty years later, it is worth reflecting on this incredible moment.

In observing Apollo 11 footage, Jason Gay wrote in the Wall Street Journal that people are looking up: at the spacecraft and at computer monitors. Their heads are tilted upwards toward the blue Florida sky, both at the launch and in anticipation of the parachuting return of the command module Columbia. There is a sense of awe – no one had seen this before.

Mr. Gay laments that most people today spend their time looking down, namely at their smart phones. He wrote, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve witnessed people sitting at an event, missing real-life human action before them because their faces are buried in a phone. They are there, but they are not present, because they are virtually somewhere else.” (WSJ.com, 7/14/19) 

In 2019 we are hyper-connected, yet many feel lonely. In this new year, let’s look up more often. Let’s pay more attention to loved ones and to friends. Let’s take every interaction as an opportunity to connect and to acknowledge our blessings. Finally, let’s be grateful for the world God created for us, including the stars.

Shalom,
Rabbi Pont