Sep 4, 2023 Back to Nature
Each year, while we look towards the future, we begin with Beresheet, with the beginning of time, when God created the universe and all the wonders that exist in it.
In today’s fast-paced world, when man is moving forward in unimaginable ways, I believe this concept of pausing and connecting with our true beginnings to a world untainted by the forces of man is more critical than ever.
This year, we were all astounded by the accessibility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the average person. This breakthrough has many positive uses and continues to show how man has the extraordinary ability to create and develop in this world at a level that could not even be dreamed of a century before. Conceptually, it further allows machines to do many things that were previously the domain of only human beings.
In contrast, my family and I traveled to the Safari in South Africa this past summer. While there, we woke up every morning before sunrise and went out with our guide to see the natural world’s beauty awakening. We saw the world in all its natural splendor with all the animals and vistas in a form as they were created before humans intervened and modernized the world. Although we were not at the level for our sleeping accommodations to be in their natural state, we could see and observe a world with animals living and thriving precisely as they were created to. The simplicity of this beauty and the deep connection my family gained through this experience is something I am confident we will all take with us forever.
The lesson I took from the safari is that as great as man is at creating tools to do and build more, there is no replacement for the natural world as God created it. Some things are best left untouched. Try as we may to replicate nature and man’s abilities; there is something unique about the natural abilities of man and using the God-given strengths that we have been blessed with. Our job as man in this world is to use our wisdom to utilize our abilities harmoniously with our beginnings. We want to expand and grow, but not in ways that clash with the world’s wonders. We must always remember that the deepest beauty is one that is authentic.
As we conclude this past year and plan for the coming year, I wish everyone a healthy and happy year, where we continue to tap into our natural strengths, never forgetting that the greatest things in life come from within us and what we make of it.