On a Mission from God

from Wheels of Love   taken with my Iphone

 I remember the first time I ever heard the expression. It was 1980 and Elwood and Jake, after having a religious experience, said, “We are on a mission from God.” Like the Blues Brothers, I’ve been on that mission ever since. I thought about it all week long last week  while riding my bicycle on Wheels of Love to raise funds for Alyn Hospital, a pediatric and adolescent rehabilitation center in Jerusalem.

I always think of angels when I read Vayera – more angels appear in this Parsha than any other. The Hebrew word for angel, malach, means “messenger.” In the Torah, angels are spiritual beings sent by God to perform a specific mission, often one task per angel. Who knew that angels don’t multitask?! Each angel acts as an intermediary for God’s will, whether it’s delivering good news, providing protection or healing, or executing judgment.

Angels often appear in the form of human beings, so we are not even aware that there are often angels all around us. Rambam offers a useful insight into what it means to be angelic, noting in the Guide for the Perplexed, “Before the angels have accomplished their task they are called men, when they have accomplished it they are angels.” 2:6:4.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the ordinary-people-turned-angels that I met this week while doing the ride. I think of the Israeli Police in cars and on motorcycles who took off four days of work to be on the streets of the ride, blocking each and every intersection to keep us together and safe. Israeli drivers are notoriously rude and fast. I actually saw people get out of their cars to yell at them, because they were in a hurry and didn’t want to wait for the peloton to pass. Their mission was to keep us safe and protected and they did.

The staff of the ride, accomplished cyclists in their own right, included an Olympian, Rotem, who represented Israel in the Paris Olympics last summer, and Guy and Erez and so many others. Whether they were out in front guiding us or pushing up the rear – literally with a hand on our backs – their mission was to encourage, motivate, and inspire, and they never got tired.

Brenda and the volunteers provided snacks and music and fun at every pit stop. They shared words of encouragement along with some rugalach and babka if needed. Their mission was most important: to keep us hydrated, especially in 98-degree temperatures.

The bike mechanics who followed the ride fixed every flat tire and every chain that fell off and then tuned up the bikes when needed. Most importantly they remembered to plug in and charge the electric bikes at night, which in my estimation was their most important mission.

The incredible staff of Alyn Hospital shared with us their wisdom and passion. Most remarkably, the staff of the research and development team showcased the innovations and progress that they make in inventing tools and supplies that make life easier for the families and patients of the hospital. They are mission-driven every single day.

The Swift and the Bold, riders from Alyn: young and old who pushed themselves to ride the start and the finish. Seeing them on their bicycles of all types and styles was inspirational.

The angels who donated, hopefully nearly $3 million, to the mission of Alyn. I said from the outset that as a Chicago Reform Rabbi, I’m a lousy bike rider, especially on the hills, but a better fundraiser: You can still donate through the Alyn website.

I was so touched to see husbands and wives, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters riding together, lifting each other up and showing pride with each pedal stroke. What a treat to watch them share their mission as teammates and friends. I was amazed by the number of people from 10 different countries who have participated 5-10-15-20 and 25 years. This experience has created an extraordinary community.

Meir and Jon, who both endured traumatic and tragic losses, make it their mission every year to “Ride Through” the pain and the loss. Their path to life is indeed a mission for all of us to emulate.

By far the most remarkable angels were the children at the end of the ride who from their wheelchairs were able to hang a medal around our necks. They thanked us and told us that we were the heroes, but they are the true heroes.

In a footnote in Mishkan Tefillah, the prayer book of the Reform movement, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner writes on page 143, “And so we understand that ordinary people are messengers from the Most High. They go about their tasks in holy anonymity, often, even unknown to themselves. Yet, if they had not been there, if they had not said what they said or did what they did, it would not be the way it is now. We would not be the way we are now. Never forget that you, too, yourself may be a messenger.”

Thank you, Alyn Hospital. The four days I spent riding with Wheels of Love remind me that we can’t just stand around and watch passively as life goes by. We must run or ride to meet each moment with eagerness and joy just like Abraham did. The angels created by human actions carry the energies of humankind upwards into the highest spiritual realms possible. By giving of ourselves, MAYBE we can reach a little higher than the angels. After all, we are on a mission from God.