Baruch She’amar, a traditional morning prayer, praises God by saying “Baruch…kayam lanetzach.”  The phrase could be translated as “Bless the One…who rises to victory” or “…who endures for eternity.” The translations are not completely distinct; in long distance races, endurance makes victory possible. And perhaps there are some metaphorical long distance races in which endurance itself is victory.

ALEPH rabbinic students David Aladjem, Kellie Conley Scheer, and Heena Reiter suggest this is the nature of the spiritual quest. The goal is to accept change with awareness and an eye for spiritual and ethical growth. In this quest, endurance is victory. They write:

Would you run a race if there were no finish line? Didn’t our parents say, “Well, when you’re a grownup…” a few hundred times in our youth? When are we grow up? Will there ever be a final point in time when we have finished growing and we are “grown” up? Growing is evolving. It is running a race to which there is no finish line. We may walk through a few places catching our breath and try our hardest to spring through others, but stopping altogether to declare one’s self grown is giving up on ourselves.

We may never call ourselves fully “grown,” but sometimes we want to say we are tired. Tired of facing challenges, untangling personal lessons, taking responsibility for all our thoughts and feelings.

About this, the Ramak (Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, 1522-1570) speaks quite concretely. Torah scholars, i.e. spiritual seekers, need practical sustenance: food, sleep, and other people doing nice things for them.

In what ways do you need self-care? In what ways might caring for others be part of your own self-care?

In honour of Boston’s long distance runners, victims of terrorism, first responders, and continuing helpers.

Image: Boston Marathon 2013, washingtonpost.com.