Sapir Maman, a teacher in Jerusalem, sent me a mazal tov blessing that she wrote to a friend, who is getting married at a not-so-young age:
“Mazal tov. I was wondering what to write – so many thoughts and feelings about your long journey, the many stops along the way, the waiting. I recalled the first sentence of Rashi in his comments on the parasha. Avraham avinu hears the command: 'Go forth... to the land that I will show you'. Rashi illuminates these words: 'Lech lecha: go for yourself, for your benefit, for your own good'. G-d does not tell Avraham where to go, how long it will take, or what will happen along the way. For all Avraham knows, G-d is asking him to embark on a long journey. It is a journey that all of us are still on today - facing and meeting challenges - into the unknown. But Rashi emphasizes a central point: everything that happens to us, all the ups and downs, are for our benefit and for our own good. We need only to find the benefit and the blessing in our seemingly endless trek. You have done this so well up until now. Wishing you every success as you continue on your journey.”
• Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
