Combining Body & Spirit & On To The Next Challenge

For the second year in a row, we had a group of MKT members take part in the Boulder City Turkey trot. A couple of us bumped up to the 12k Race this year from the 5k race last year. It was a sunny but cool day and everyone in the group was successful. There was a great sense of camaraderie and friendship that helped us all push through to the finish line.

This week’s Torah portion, Parshat Toldot opens with the story of the births of Rebecca and Isaac’s twins, Esau and Jacob. The text says that “when the boys grew up Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp. Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game, but Rebecca favored Isaac.”

There are many commentaries on this very passage and most focus on the misguided favoritism that each of the parents show to the children. But as I was thinking about lessons I learned from forcing myself to train for the 12k, I thought about the description of the twins. Esau is described as a hunter, and outdoorsman, and the athlete. Jacob is described as the homebody, the couch potato, and the more cerebral of the two. Perhaps together they represent the ideal individual, one who focuses on the health of both the mind and body. Our tradition has always emphasized a balance of the two. We have an obligation to study Torah and educate ourselves and our children. At the same time we have an obligation to maintain healthy lifestyles to protect our bodies.

In that vein, our small group has already set sights on our next goal and we would love to have as many MKT members join us to grow the group. On Sunday February 26 we will be running in the Las Vegas Hot Chocolate 15k/5k.

Some of us will be doing the 5k and some the 15k. If you are interested you can register directly at www.hotchocolate15k.com, but don’t forget to let us know you will be there. As we get closer to the day of the run, we will set a place for us to all meet that morning. If you would like to have a training partner to prepare for the run, let us know and we can help you find someone.

Shabbat Shalom