The Legacy We Leave

How do we want to be remembered? During our lifetimes too few of us use this simple question as our guiding principal in life. But the fact is each day, each moment, our legacy is being etched before our eyes. What we say, how we act, the way we live our lives gets imprinted on the minds of our loved ones, our friends and our colleagues.

The beauty of life is that most of us have a choice about how we will be remembered. We can take actions today that will set the tone for how our lives are recollected long after we are gone.

This week’s Torah portion is Parshat Korach. Korach and his band of two hundred and fifty rebels made a choice to challenge Moses’ and Aaron’s authority. By doing so they also challenged God’s authority. In the end they are punished severely. Instead of putting their talent and time toward building the Israelite community and ensuring its future, they chose to rebel and attempted to destroy the foundation of the Torah. Their legacy is one of anger and defeat instead of joy and victory. They are remembered even to this day as the group that was mired in jealousy and hate. While Moses and Aaron are remembered as true leaders and lovers of peace.

I have been thinking a lot about this notion of legacy as Midbar Kodesh embarks on a project to solidify our future by creating an endowment fund. In a few weeks we will unveil our project called Life and Legacy. It will give members of the synagogue the opportunity to include MKT in our future estate planning.

For the past two decades Midbar Kodesh has been part of your family. We have been there for joyous occasions, and for mournful ones. We have prayed together, laughed together and cried together. We have studied and learned. We want to make sure MKT is here ten more decades and more. We have the chance to answer that question, how do we want to be remembered? One of the ways we can be remembered is as sustainers of the congregation that we have created.

What will be your legacy to Midbar Kodesh Temple?