What does it mean to be visionary?
In a basic sense, this means having a vision for one's life and pursuits; conceptualizing goals and objectives, considering future potential and focusing on a target for growth.
It means recognizing that “now” isn’t all there is.
Experiencing 'now' as disconnected from the future and its possibilities can be stale and aimless.
Experiencing 'now' as an important component of our life's mission – our vision - can breathe commitment, animation and hope into that reality.
Vision can bring optimism and direction; it can be the pro-active inspiration energizes us enough to bring our dreams to life.
At the same time, with the passage of time it can become more difficult for the realistic person to continue dreaming. Disappointments eventually take their toll on the human psyche. Which raises the question: When should one adjust one’s expectations and recognize that that dreams are……just dreams?
Never.
While we should always be acutely aware of reality, warts and all, we can never stop believing in – and working toward – a brighter future.
This weekend, we'll be commemorating Tisha B'av (the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av), the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. We fast on Tisha B'av, because it's the day that our Holy Temple, along with our entire Jewish Commonwealth, was destroyed thousands of years ago. It's a day when we pause to genuinely feel our localized and historic pan.
This year, the 9th day of Av falls on Shabbos. We don't fast on Shabbos, so the fast actually runs from Saturday night to Sunday Night.
Every year, the Shabbos prior to the fast is observed as a “Shabbat of Vision.”
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, an eighteenth century legendary Chassidic master, explained that on the Shabbat before our collective day of mourning, G-d shows us a Vision of the Future. We are shown a vision of a rebuilt Temple, a reconstituted Society and better world.
G-d equips us for the mourning by ensuring that hope – the Vision – never dies; this Shabbat exercise ensures that our sobering recognition of “now” doesn’t smother our hope for the future.
I can’t see this Divinely-granted vision with my physical eyes; but if G-d’s showing it to me, it must be resonating somewhere in my soul.
So this Shabbat, I’ll prepare for the ensuing fast by first searching myself to find G-d’s vision of a beautiful future.
Will you join me?