Do you ever feel hopeless? Perhaps you made a huge mistake and can’t find a way to fix it? Or you keep failing in a certain area and wonder if there’s any way to get up out of the rut you find yourself in?
Guilt is a healthy emotion that can encourage us to reflect and repair. However, if it is felt too strongly, then we lose the resolve to find the way back up.
In this week’s parashah, Hashem instructs the Jewish people to create “cities of refuge” for those who accidentally killed a person. These cities were inhabited by the Levites, the teachers of the people. Even before we have settled the land, Hashem tells us that even though we will fail and make mistakes, there is always a way back in.
In these cities, a person was given a chance to reflect and grow. The Levites would model lives of kindness and respect for human life, and this would help them to learn better ways and build a new path for themselves.
