As Shabbat ended on Saturday night, I went outside to check for three stars. For a few minutes, I was able to appreciate the bright slender moon, the lovely and clear cobalt-blue darkening sky, and I was able to watch as the stars appeared on the expanse one at a time. In this world of electronics and eternal hurry, we still rely on natural signals to know what time Shabbat ends.

Here is my attempt at “crunchy granola”. I’m as yekkish as they come most of the time…

Which is not to say that I don’t love nature, and is not to say that I don’t appreciate a spiritual moment. It is to say that I prefer the structures provided for me by traditional liturgy and traditional praxis.

So… A journey. This summer will be a journey. Maybe I should say tefillat haderekh before I go. Am I really worried about scary things interfering with my journey? Well, no. Although I do pray that God will keep the ticks, scary animals, and biting bugs as far away from me as possible.

Instead of the traditional tefillat haderekh, I pray for open-mindedness. I pray for guidance to allow my teaching to actualize the potential in my students. I pray for success of my own and my fellows’ endeavors.