When the Pilgrims first came to the shores of Massachusetts, their ability to adapt to the new land, foods and more ensured their survival. Much like the first Jews to return to the land of Israel, adaptability was key to their survival. And much like those first American and Israeli pilgrims, we are now pilgrims as well. Albeit many of us have not moved to new continents, we just as assuredly are in unfamiliar terrain.
Social distancing, Zoom, food delivery services, protests, elections and much more have dramatically changed the landscape in which we find ourselves. In fact, much more has been uncovered during the past year than perhaps in the past 100 combined.
As a city, we are discovering new neighbors and people who live near us and those that are dear to us. As a community, we are rethinking how we unite and how we connect in myriad ways we never thought of. As a religion, we are rethinking what role it plays in our lives and how to stay connected. As a race of people, we are being forced to examine how we treat one another, how we treat the “other” and that perhaps, there should not be the “other.”
If we are going to give thanks this holiday season of Thanksgiving, of Channukah, and of any other special days that deserve commemoration, what we should give thanks for is our adaptability. While good health, good friends, and deep love are always gifts to be thankful for, it is our adaptability to new situations, even those that seem like a crisis, are inevitably going to be the traits that help sustain us through hardships of one sort or another. Some may argue that resilience is a better trait than adaptability; but, I would argue to the contrary. Resilience is the ability to bounce back. Do we really want to go back to the way things were pre-Covid?
I leave you with this question to discuss at your Thanksgiving meal: Do we want to be resilient and be able to get back to the way things were? Or do we want to be adaptable and be able to move forward in this new landscape we find ourselves in?
If we reflect back to previous civilizations, we look to see what is left of them…the Greeks left us with buildings, the Romans left us with buildings, and even the ancient Egyptians left us with buildings. These structures remain where they are today and while once they served the inhabitants of those empires, today they are but ruins and reminders of days long gone. The Jewish people have but a wall and we have the Torah. The Torah is not a tool of resilience but a tool of adaptability. A gift given to us to take with us and guide us within any new landscape we find ourselves in. So I ask again, which gift would you rather have? I am thankful this year for the gift of adaptability.