Until the world becomes Gan Yisrael

I was driving around town today, rushing to camp to deliver some food for the counselors. I was speeding around the roundabout in the beautiful part of town, I felt like I was back in Kalkaska.

In camp you feel that the FARBRENGEN’s the A frame are all there is in this world. The camp songs keep playing on your emotions like the violinist playing his violin.

From the lake to the sports fields to the grand sing, all you see is holiness. The world does not exist, YI’CHU’DAH ILAH.

Now years later, I am somewhat settled, living in a town that is often intimidating, I wish I could relive that feeling, if only I can be in camp all year,

In the SICHA that the Rebbe edited for the 22 of Shvat 1990, (which is one of my favorite SICHOS) the Rebbe quotes the Mishnah that discusses the DI'TZAT HA'AR'VA'YIM the shield that the Arabs would use for war games. The Rebbe explains the spiritual meaning of this law. In the right frame of mind the war against the challenges of this world is only a game. You recognize that the opposing forces aren’t really a threat. They are here as a prop to bring out the best in you, and to cause pleasure to the spectator of the war game, to Hashem.

If you want to see through the battle, if you want to see that it is only a game, get back into camp, put yourself in the A frame and sing “On that day we will laugh on that day we will sing”...

Or as we used to sing “Until the world becomes Gan Yisrael”