Have you had the experience of not being able to find stuff? My wife frequently give me the sage advice to look where I last put it. My problem, of course is that I don't remember where that was. This brings us to the root problem of losing things: ignorance. No, I don't mean lack of information, I mean ignoring where something is meant to go, ignore-ance. Not paying attention to where we put something down, and thus not being able to find it when we need it.
This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetze, talks about losing things, finding things, and ignoring things. “You shall not watch your brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and ignore them; you shall return them, bring them again to your brother.” The Torah continues: “And with every lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost, and you have found, shall you do likewise; you will not be able to ignore.” (Deut. 22:1-3)
These verses convey a subliminal transformation. The Torah begins with our reality – “You ignore.” This is our default state of unawareness. What is the solution? Shall we meditate? No! The Torah now conveys a command – “You shall return them.” We must force ourselves out of our daze, and pay attention. Then you do the right action and return that which was lost. When we develop this habit of forcing ourselves to be awake, and performing the right action – then the verse concludes, “You will not be able to ignore.” You will arrive at a state of awareness.
We are now in the month of Elul, a month of introspection and self-improvement. Through our life, we may ignore the truth of who we are. And this ignoring leads to “losing ourself.” The way forward is through the “command”. Proper action leads to proper living which leads to self-transformation. Too often we wait for the right mood to do the right thing. This is the state of being lost. Stage one – ignoring. Stage 2, force yourself, command and commit to a Mitzvah. Stage 3, do the Mitzvah (especially when you are not in the mood). This is the path to finding your purpose, finding yourself. Stage 4: You cannot ignore. Self-transformation.
(Based on Alshich, thanks to Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein)