Channeling Our Divine Gifts

In 2015, my closest friend from college – a brilliant chemist who’d been published in scientific journals and recruited straight from graduation to a prestigious position at the CDC – became an observant Jew almost overnight. His scientific mind had always matched his spiritual curiosity, but this dramatic shift in his life’s direction caught me completely off guard. But I valued our friendship and continued to visit him and talk about his new spiritual path.

During our conversations, he shared Jewish ideas that both intrigued and challenged me. The story of Abraham, my Hebrew namesake, who stood against the world fighting for truth, resonated deeply – especially as I had begun developing my own relationship with God.

Before he left to study Torah in Israel, he invited me to experience a Shabbat with him. Though his religious observance puzzled me, I accepted his invitation. That Shabbat opened my eyes to something new – 25 hours without technology, without work, without distractions.¹

Six months later, in the midst of the painful end of a tumultuous relationship, I found myself drawn back to that experience of peace and disconnection. I decided to go to synagogue for Friday night services for the first time since my Bar Mitzvah, 13 years ago.

The First Step

Our timing couldn’t have been worse – my parents and I arrived just as they were locking the doors. But as we drove home that night, something prompted me to play an English recording of the weekly Torah portion:

“And Moses assembled all the Children of Israel and said to them… ‘Take from yourselves gifts to God, everyone whose heart is inspired, and bring them as a gift to God, gold, silver…’ And everyone whose heart was inspired came and brought God’s offerings for the work of the Tabernacle… and the artisans said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing more than what is needed!’… Moses thereupon proclaimed: ‘Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts for the Mishkan!’ So the people were restrained from bringing” (Excerpts from Parshas Vayakhel).

Amidst a Torah portion full of technical building details, I found inspiration in these passages: “Look at the passion with which the Jewish people gave to build a House for God!” I exclaimed. “They were overwhelmed with such a desire to connect to Him that their giving overflowed to the point where they had to be restrained from giving more!”

That night, I took my first step toward Jewish observance – turning off my phone for Shabbat.

From Desecration to Destiny

Over the next year, my life changed rapidly. Only weeks after that first Shabbat, I traveled to Israel, where I began to see the value in my religion for the first time. I redirected the energy I’d been investing into meditation, yoga, and other spiritual and personal growth practices into Judaism. I began keeping Shabbat, wrapping tefillin daily, and eating Kosher.

A year later, while driving back from a work project, I turned on a recording of the Torah portion to prepare for Shabbat. A familiar story unfolded – Moses invites the nation to bring gifts for the Tabernacle, their hearts fill with inspiration, their generosity overflows. I pulled over and wept tears of joy. The anniversary of my first step towards Jewish observance! In just one year, my life had turned around completely. I had been chasing after a life empty of real meaning. Now my life brimmed with eternal purpose, connected to the vast and beautiful heritage of Judaism – happier, more satisfied, and more inspired than ever before.

Then, an even deeper idea hit me. Just last week, in Parshat Ki Tisa, the Jewish people also brought gifts… Gifts of a far more sinister nature. Whereas in this week’s Torah portion, they brought their gold for the construction of God’s home – the Tabernacle – in last week’s portion they channeled that same gold towards the construction of the Golden Calf. The identical passion, zeal, and resources, yet a completely different focus and outcome.

The gifts of this week’s Torah portion didn’t just represent the Jewish nation’s outpouring of generosity. They represented their complete about-face of priorities and values. Instead of using their wealth for idolatry, they were using it to fulfill God’s will and build His Holy Sanctuary.

My own journey reflected a similar transformation. Whereas before I had used my passion and drive for self-actualization in the pursuit of meaningless pleasure and unfulfilling endeavors, now I was directing that energy at becoming the man God made me to be.

Redirecting Our Resources

The power to transform our natural tendencies, I would learn, is a fundamental principle of Jewish thought. The Talmud² states: “One who was born under the influence of Mars will be one who spills blood. Rav Ashi said: He will be either a blood letter, or a thief, or a kosher slaughterer of animals, or a circumciser.” This excerpt shows us that the same trait – spilling blood – can either lead to holy service or destruction. The raw material stays constant; the difference lies in how we channel it.

This wisdom extends far beyond its ancient context. We’ve all been given a unique blend of spiritual, emotional, and physical resources. The entrepreneur’s relentless drive can either build or destroy. The artist’s sensitivity can either create beauty or sink into despair. The leader’s charisma can either uplift or manipulate.³ We have the free will to use these gifts as we choose – to build a Tabernacle to house the Divine, or to construct a golden calf to serve nothing but ourselves. In the words of Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, “Everything can be used for its purpose or the opposite.”

This Shabbat, take a moment to examine your own “gold” – those qualities and resources you possess in abundance. Ask yourself: Am I using them to build something meaningful? What small shift in intention could redirect their power toward greater purpose?⁴

May we all be successful in actualizing our highest potential and using everything we’ve been given to serve the ultimate purpose!

Shabbat Shalom!
Avraham

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Share Foundations in Jewish Spirituality

1. I walked away most impacted by the warmth of complete strangers who welcomed me into their homes, served delicious meals, and engaged in meaningful conversation.
2. Shabbos 156A
3. Ironically, the greatest resource we’ve been given is one we often don’t recognize as a resource at all. The most essential resource of all is time. How we allocate that resource is a manifestation of the “God” we worship. Think about it for a moment – where do you invest your time? Are you worshipping financial success? Social approval? A fantasy sports league? Selfish gratification? Or are you serving something higher? None of us are perfect, but we can all stand to make small changes to improve our lives – to make our time sacred. For me, the first step towards sanctifying my time was to turn off my phone for Shabbas. That one small act led to many more, and with each action, my life became more filled with meaning and holiness. Today, I live a life I am sincerely proud of. Not always, but mostly.
4. In Atomic Habits, the authoritative book on successful habit creation/bad habit elimination, James Clear suggests building 2 minute habits in order to minimize inner resistance and maximize follow through. Which 2 minutes could you shift towards building a life more in line with your values? What 2 minute habit would you build towards achieving that aim?

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