WORTH THE WAIT

"But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,

I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, 'You are my servant';
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."—Isaiah 41:810

How long are you willing to wait for something? The answer really depends on what we are waiting for, doesn't it? If it's lunch from a fast-food establishment, then ten minutes may be too long. If it's saving for a new home, we may be willing to wait several years. If it's news following a loved one's surgery, then waiting an hour seems like an eternity. If it's our career, we might be willing to wait a lifetime to achieve our ultimate goals.

But what about thousands of years? For us Jews, waiting has been woven into the very fabric of our history and our faith. The people of Israel waited for 400 years for a deliverer to rescue them from bondage in Egypt. They waited for nearly 100 years, exiled in a foreign land, before they were allowed to return to their beloved Jerusalem. And once again exiled and dispersed to "the ends of the earth," they waited nearly two millennia to return to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

How is such waiting possible? Why did we never give up hope that one day we would return to our homeland? I think part of the answer lies in the prophet Isaiah's words: "I have chosen you and have not rejected you… I am with you… I am your God." Not only are we a people who wait, we are a people of faith. We depend on and trust in God, who has promised that He has not rejected us and that He is with us always.

The same is true for all people of faith. We should not fear or grow weary of waiting because we know that God is with us. He has established a relationship with us, and He gives us assurance that He will strengthen and help us through whatever we are facing.

Are you waiting for something right now? Remember God's promise to you: "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

With prayers for shalom, peace,

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein