The story goes of a traveler who comes to a fork on the road, unsure which path will take him to his destination. To his benefit, there was a signpost with clear arrows marking which city was in which direction. To his detriment though, the sign had been knocked down by a storm, and now seemed obsolete.
The traveler thought for a moment, then lifted the signpost with the arrow showing his city of origin pointing to the road he just traveled and smiled as it became clear to him where he needed to go.
Clarity is a cherished commodity as we make our way through life. They say hindsight is always 20/20. Except that it is foresight which we often so desperately seek.
Joseph, whose story continues in this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, knew more than anyone how tumultuous life can be, he had experienced extreme lows and soared to the greatest heights, yet, throughout it all, he maintained an inner calm, clarity of vision, and conviction, of where he was heading in life and what kind of person he wanted to be.
What was his secret sauce?! Pay attention to the names of his two sons born in Egypt. The first he named Menashe, expressing his attachment to his roots, where he's coming from. The second, he named Ephraim - expressing his confidence in his success and future. These themes were the two pillars that guided him in this uncharted turf. a strong connection to his past, and only then confidence in his future.
One of the greatest blessings in life is to have an inner sense of direction, with clarity of where you want to take your life, not merely following where it leads you. One sure way to achieve that is by planting yourself deeply into your past, your heritage. What were the Torah values your Bubbies and Zaidies found so empowering? As Jews, what values have we always stood for?
Know where you come from, so you can gain 20/20 vision of where you are heading!