In my first blog, I mentioned how I was super apprehensive as to how I would fly home by myself. A few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it really isn’t too bad. In fact, it actually felt really nice to be independent and navigate the airport on my own instead of just following other people. I had to fly on my own because I was going home early, for my brother’s Bar Mitzvah.

My father drove me home from the airport. It felt so funny to come home to a house that I only saw once before. For the first few days, I kept on staring it over, trying to etch every detail of it into my mind. Thank G-d, I am very happy with it.

A lot of family came in for the Bar Mitzvah, and it felt so frustrating when they would ask me where something was, and I would have to respond that I hadn’t the slightest idea, but could try to look for it. Imagine not knowing your own house!

Now, around two weeks later, I know where where most things are, B”H, and it feels much more like home. It made me appreciate what I know about Judaism and inspired me to learn more. A house is a foundation. Judaism is a foundation. Imagine not knowing your religion! Of course, Judaism is much more than a house and you can never fully “know” Judaism. The more you learn, the more you discover you don’t know. About the Torah it is explained in Pirkei Avot (5:22): “Ben Bag Bag used to say, ‘Turn it, and turn it, for everything is in it…'”

How time appropriate this is! When we, the Jews, were slaves in Egypt, we had no Torah to guide us. On Pesach, G-d freed us and led us on a journey in the desert to Har Sinai, where he gave us the Torah, on Shavuos. It is interesting to note that we didn’t have much choice in the matter. G-d held a mountain over our heads and asked us if we would accept the Torah, whereupon we replied “We will do and we will listen,” probably partly out of fear for our lives. On Purim, which has just passed, we as a nation fully accepted the Torah on our own.

After Pesach, I will be going back to NY, to a new home (again), because our dorm is moving over break. It will be my third house this year! While houses and material possessions are just temporary, the Torah is eternal. How lucky I am that no matter what changes in my life, Torah is stable and unchanging. The same Torah we have now has been studied for generations and generations. And why is that so? Because the Torah is made up of G-d’s holy words. Thank you G-d, for giving us something so special; a stable foundation to guide us and keep us going.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable and uplifting Pesach!