“All of a person’s journeys and all the traveling around that he must do a because of a blemish in his emunah, which is, in essence, idolatry.
“For if a person believed with perfect emunah that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is capable of supplying him with all his needs, he would not undertake a single journey. ” —Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (Kitzur Likutey Moharan, 40; Reb Nosson)
Why do we having a burning desire to travel? What are we looking for? Something that cannot be found where we are, obviously, even if we can’t define what that “something” is.
That something might be a feeling or an idea. It might be a dose of inspiration. It might be power or wealth, solace or succor.
Explorers
In Rebbe Nachman’s time, the New World had already been “discovered”, but people were still exploring, pushing West, East, North, and South, digging for gold and building the railways.
Last century, we flew with the birds, rocketed into space, and dove down into the depths of the oceans.
Today? We’re traveling around the world at the speed of light with technology. We’re traveling around the world thousands of times a day.
“Sometimes, through a person’s traveling, he rectifies or compensates for the “journey” or disturbance, so to speak, that he caused on high [with his incorrect actions]. Therefore, a person’s journeys atone for defects in his faith, and through these journeys he rectifies and mitigates Divine anger in the world, and brings forth Divine compassion on the world.” —Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (Kitzur Likutey Moharan, 40; Reb Nosson)
We’re busy chasing, repairing, and adjusting our emunah, our faith, whether or not we’re aware of it.
Pull over for awhile. Cultivate awareness.
