I wish I could feel it. I wish it was more alive for me. I wish I was more connected. So many of us identify with these painful thoughts. Some feel this way about Judaism as a whole, while others struggle in particular areas of their avodah. Life in 2026 is overwhelming. Pressures and distractions pull at us from every corner. Often, just checking off the Judaism to-do list takes so much energy, we don’t feel we have any left to be “inspired” about it. We think vibrant connection needs to come from outside ourselves. That it’s a gift some lofty people build for themselves, and other lucky people are somehow blessed to tap into. We’d love to be hit with the same magical uplift, somehow. The truth, though? It doesn’t work that way. As Rav Elazar ben Durdaya famously stated, “Ein hadavar taluy elah bi.” Whether or not we experience a vibrant, energized Judaism is completely up to us. Based on the famous words “Im ein ani li mi li” in Pirkei Avos (“If I’m not for myself, who will be for me?”), Rabbeinu Yonah concludes: we can’t rely on outside inspiration to nourish our spiritual connection. We need to build it for ourselves, from the inside. This isn’t about psyching ourselves up. Or faking excitement we don’t feel. It’s about plugging into an inspiration circuit that already exists, right under our noses. And that’s the circuit we’ve been exploring over the past several weeks. The circuit called da’as. “Bishvili nivra ha’olam.” “The world was created for me.” Everything in the world around us, everything we experience, everything in Torah – Hashem placed it all there to send messages of inspiration and growth directly to us. You. Me. Each of us as individuals. That’s the key to genuinely vibrant spiritual connection. Constant contact with Hashem through the mediums of life and Torah. When we live a life of da’as, when we open ourselves up to exploring the endless insights around us, our spiritual life becomes vibrant. And so does life in general. We’re constantly experiencing newness. Constantly learning. Constantly seeing opportunities. That’s connection. How do we approach Torah with da’as? By realizing that every story, every personality, every line in Torah is speaking directly to us as individuals. Reflecting some sort of message or insight that can direct our growth. There’s an element of the Avos, of Moshe Rabbeinu, of Aharon Hakohein, inside us. And also elements of Lavan, Esav, Pharaoh and Amalek. The Torah isn’t just telling us about them. It’s reflecting our own challenges through them – and handing us tools to overcome and thrive. When he would review the parshah of Nimrod, a man defined by his rebellion against Hashem, Rav Wolbe used to ask himself, “Where is the rebellion of Nimrod in me?” Where am I struggling with this, and how can I work on it? These parsha “stories” aren’t just educational, or even inspirational. They’re opportunities to reconnect to spiritually dormant parts of ourselves, and actualize them. And life? How do we approach life with da’as? Again, by plugging ourselves in to the messages and insights. By realizing every experience we go through, every sight we see and feeling we feel, are personal letters from Hashem. Letters we can open up, explore, and act on. Outside inspiration is wonderful. It’s something we can and should pursue. But vibrancy and happiness in Judaism can also come from the inside out. You don’t need to take my word for it. Let’s all try it out. Let’s plug into this da’as system – this fount of inspiration and connection already flowing all around us. So vibrant, connected Judaism can become our steady reality. All the best! ============================================================ Copyright © 2026 Avodah Alive, all rights reserved. Hope you enjoy! Our mailing address is: Avodah Alive 1555 Stuart St. Denver, CO 80204 ** Add us to your address book (https://ytcdenver.us19.list-manage.com/vcard?u=a1f3548bd8e304669ba35bd91&id=d1d621b261) Enjoyed this email? Forward it to friends and family! Click ** here (https://ytcdenver.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a1f3548bd8e304669ba35bd91&id=f5d8942d12&e=b754bac92f) to sign up for the weekly avodah emails. This email was sent to *|EMAIL|* (mailto:*|EMAIL|*) why did I get this? (*|ABOUT_LIST|*) unsubscribe from this list (*|UNSUB|*) update subscription preferences (*|UPDATE_PROFILE|*) *|LIST_ADDRESSLINE_TEXT|*