I’m in New York this week joining 50,000 others for the 51st running of the New York City Marathon.
It’s my third time running this race.
When people hear this, they assume that I must love running.
This is not true. I don’t love running. I do, however, enjoy finishing a run. There is great satisfaction in achieving your goal, in having done something beneficial for your health and well-being, and in converting the extra calories burned to slices of chocolate chip banana bread that may be consumed.
Notwithstanding the excitement of the day and the support of the thousands of New Yorkers who come to cheer the runners on, much of the 26.2-mile experience is tiresome and tedious, not to mention both physically and mentally taxing, to say nothing of the exhaustion and blisters that come from the hours and hours of training. What helps tremendously is staying focused on the purpose, and I don’t mean reaching the finish line. Our family is running in memory of Henry Hantgan (z”l), Jacqueline’s father; my father-in-law; and Isa, Ariela, and Naomi’s grandfather, on behalf of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. We are running for a cure to spinal cord injury and to advance research that can improve the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. Whenever I lose focus, begin to tire, or—frankly—question the wisdom of putting my 53-year-old body through this again, I remind myself why we are doing this in the first place.
The Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, a code of Jewish law written by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried in the 19th century, begins by reminding the reader of the purpose of the mitzvot: to help us achieve our goal of being God’s partners in making the world a better place. To help us in this pursuit, Rabbi Ganzfried quotes the advice of the second-century sage Yehudah ben Teima who instructs us to “run like a deer (רָץ כַּצְּבִי)” to do God’s will (Pirkei Avot 5:20). Rabbi Ganzfried explains: “Your legs should run to do good things (שֶׁרַגְלֶיךָ לְטוֹב יָרוּצוּ).”
When we’re tired, when it’s too hot or too cold, when it’s not so much fun—perhaps especially then—may we stay focused on the goal, the purpose of our actions.
And then, with all our might, let us run to do good!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoshi
