I've been thinking a lot about swimming lately. Not because of the Olympics, but because a friend of mine is teaching me to swim all over again from the beginning! She is trained in Total Immersion swimming, which is light-years from the swim instruction I suffered through as a child.
You may be surprised to hear that our ancient sages thought about swimming, too. The Talmud - an amazing repository of teachings, stories, and folk wisdom - tells us: The rabbis used to say that it is every parent's obligation to teach their children Torah, a trade, and some say how to swim too.
I am curious what you think of this list. Of all the possible things in life that could have been included, how is it that these three things are the ones mentioned?
Here is what I think: By saying "Torah," the ancient rabbis meant that if you learn how to access the wisdom of Torah, you will be able to handle whatever comes your way in life. (I believe this.) Then the rabbis said "a trade" to emphasize their down-to-earth, practical perspective as well. There are numerous teachings in our tradition about the importance of earning a livelihood. (I believe this too.)
And then there is swimming. At the peshat (basic) level, the sages were probably advocating physical preparedness for life's dangers. But here is what I have learned so far from my friend: Swimming can be about relaxing, breathing deeply, keeping your eyes open, being mindful, trusting, and letting go.
As we enter this holiday season of introspection, learning to swim could be a useful metaphor for the spiritual work we need to do. May we all learn to float a bit more gracefully through life in the coming year. Blessings to you all for a joyful New Year. L'Shanah tovah.
You may be surprised to hear that our ancient sages thought about swimming, too. The Talmud - an amazing repository of teachings, stories, and folk wisdom - tells us: The rabbis used to say that it is every parent's obligation to teach their children Torah, a trade, and some say how to swim too.
I am curious what you think of this list. Of all the possible things in life that could have been included, how is it that these three things are the ones mentioned?
Here is what I think: By saying "Torah," the ancient rabbis meant that if you learn how to access the wisdom of Torah, you will be able to handle whatever comes your way in life. (I believe this.) Then the rabbis said "a trade" to emphasize their down-to-earth, practical perspective as well. There are numerous teachings in our tradition about the importance of earning a livelihood. (I believe this too.)
And then there is swimming. At the peshat (basic) level, the sages were probably advocating physical preparedness for life's dangers. But here is what I have learned so far from my friend: Swimming can be about relaxing, breathing deeply, keeping your eyes open, being mindful, trusting, and letting go.
As we enter this holiday season of introspection, learning to swim could be a useful metaphor for the spiritual work we need to do. May we all learn to float a bit more gracefully through life in the coming year. Blessings to you all for a joyful New Year. L'Shanah tovah.