A Yid should always know, no matter where he’s led, that he has a Divine mission to perform right there

In chassidic thought, the concept of Ushpizin — ushering guests into our succah — reflects Am Yisrael’s wanderings in foreign lands. Our travails as guests in galus are an intrinsic piece of Hashem’s Master Plan; part of our mission as a nation — to gather the Divine sparks throughout the world, in preparation for the coming Geulah.

The Baal Shem Tov is also connected to the Ushpizin of Avraham. He used to say that a Yid should always know, no matter where he’s led, that he has a Divine mission to perform right there.

Lech Lecha. Go forth… into the unknown. Bear My Name over the shifting sands of the Levante; offer shelter to the strangers who cross your path, let humanity feel My love. One day, you will be the father of multitudes who share that sense of purpose.

My father battled cancer for close to 11 years, and my sister and I accompanied him to too many chemotherapy sessions to count. Check in. Wait for bloodwork. Wait for results. Wait for the chemo packs. Wait for the hook-up. Wait for the medicine to do its work… lots of waiting.

But unlike most patients who were glued to their chairs, scanning the ceiling, and riffling through newspapers, my father was a man on a mission. A smile. A kind word. A joke... The medical staff soon considered him their ally.