Eye on the Goal!2 min read

In this week’s parsha, Hashem reveals a very special name to Moshe, the divine name of redemption: Ekyeh Asher Ekyeh – “I Shall be As I Shall Be”. Although the tzaddikim offer many different explanations for this name, all of them are founded upon its future-tense orientation. On a simple level, the reference to the future (“I Shall Be”) seems very appropriate in this context of laying the groundwork for the cessation of current Egyptian atrocities and ultimate redemption of the Jewish nation from this lowly land. But the Kedushas Levi sees another message embedded in this cryptic phrase, a message whose relevance echoes for all time.

The Chassidic masters made the halachic requirement of recognizing Hashem in all one’s ways a focal point of their spiritual path. They stressed that even the most mundane areas of the human experience could become vessels for the divine presence if guided by holy intention. No matter how far removed from the spiritual realm an action may appear to be, if performed in the proper manner, it could reveal Hashem’s light to a degree even the most elevated angels could never match. The underlying factor necessary to affect this transformation is an eye for the tachlis, the ultimate purpose of creation.

A Jew lives life in a way that is deep. He sees this world not as an end unto itself, but as a means for a greater purpose – to create a dwelling place for the divine by aligning his life with ways of the Torah. Before taking any action, the Jew must think, “Will this bring me closer to Hashem, or further away?” He is constantly focused on the effects of his actions, not only in this world, but in all of the spiritual realms above.

The holy Berditchover teaches that this was Hashem’s message to the Jewish nation on the threshold of redemption: The way to live a life of true inner freedom founded upon a sense of meaning and purpose is to maintain a future-oriented focus in all of your ways. “Ekyeh Asher Ekyeh”, every action should be seen as a means, a link in the grand chain that culminates in the greatest possible end. If you are busy at the office trying to make a living, “Ekyeh”, let your intention be to put food on the table, “Asher Ekyeh”, so that you should be able to have the strength to serve Hashem. When we live with this expanded consciousness, we will be able to taste the sweetness of redemption in all of our ways.