What Will Matter Tomorrow?

We live in interesting times, and sometimes we become so immersed in what is happening that we lose sight of who we are and what really matters. We get caught up in elections, analyzing the results, debating who the real winners and losers are, and speculating about what the outcomes portend for the future. People need things to talk about, subjects to fill the empty spaces in their lives, and they become absorbed in the latest news development, the latest hock, controversy, or scandal. Before long, they can become so consumed by the events and distractions of the moment that they forget who we are, where we come from, and what we stand for.

Elections consume enormous amounts of attention. There are campaigns, personalities, predictions, victories, disappointments, maneuvering, and endless analysis. In Eretz Yisroel, the political debate touches the very foundations of Jewish life, the future of the country, and the relationship between the Torah world and the broader society. In America, as well, elections can become all-consuming, with people passionately debating the direction of the country and what the results will mean for the future.

That lesson is reflected in the life of Avrohom Avinu. Following the passing of Sorah Imeinu, Avrohom does not remain absorbed in the past, dwelling only on the life they shared and all they had accomplished together. After arranging for Sorah’s burial in the Me’oras Hamachpeilah, he turned his attention to the future and sent Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchok.

Avrohom understood that what he and Sorah had begun had to be carried forward, nurtured, and strengthened by those who would follow them. Their responsibility was not merely to live lives of greatness, but to establish a legacy that would endure.

That remains our responsibility as a people. Our mission extends beyond any particular administration, election, or political contest. Governments come and go, political fortunes rise and fall, and the issues dominating the headlines today will give way to the controversies of tomorrow, but the obligations of Klal Yisroel remain. We must be mindful of the values, traditions, faith, and commitments we are transmitting to our children, and of the kind of world we are preparing them to inherit.

The posuk states, “Vayihiyu chayei Sorah,” and Rashi cites the familiar words of Chazal, “Kulon shovin letovah — All her years were equally good.” Sorah lived through upheaval, uncertainty, displacement, and enormous personal challenges. She left her birthplace and family, wandered from place to place, endured years of waiting, and experienced trials that would have overwhelmed most people. Yet her life was not defined by the turmoil surrounding her. Her identity and sense of purpose came from her relationship with Hashem, her emunah, her kedusha, the good she did, and her many accomplishments.

Sorah did not allow the circumstances of the moment to obscure the larger purpose of her life. She remained steadfast in her mission, and the years of her life were woven into one continuous tapestry of faith and devotion to Hashem. The world around her changed, circumstances shifted, and challenges arose, but her inner compass remained fixed.

That is a message we need today. We can follow the news, care about elections, debate political developments, and worry about the future of America and Eretz Yisroel. We can recognize that the decisions made by those in positions of power have consequences for our families, our communities, and our people. But we cannot allow the stream of information, speculation, and controversy to displace the things that give our lives meaning.

We cannot become so preoccupied with what is happening around us that we forget what is happening within us, what we are responsible for, and what Hashem expects of us. The study of Torah and our dedication to mitzvos are the constants of life and should be the constants of our lives.