Oy vey.... whining and complaining

In this week's Torah portion, B'shallach, we read of the Israelites flight from Egypt. One of the things that stands out for me is the fact they complain incessantly about the heat, the walk, the lack of water, the taste of the water when they get it, the lack of food, the manna isn't good enough, on and on. We laughed about it in class, but at the heart of it, it wasn't so laughable. Sure, we as Jews have a bit of a stereotype when it comes to complaining, and there are some jokes I've heard that make fun of this facet of life. But why do we complain? Why aren't we grateful for whatever it is that is given to us?
We complain about our bodies, we complain about work, we complain about our spouses, or children, or parents, or friends. For some people who have made an art form out of it, nothing is ever right. Nothing is ever perfect, or lives up to our expectations of what it should be.
Judaism makes a big deal out of distinctions. There are many boundaries we don't cross, and many that we do. It seems to me that everything in life can't be holy, it can't be perfect, for we're not in Gan Eden anymore. So, can it be that the things we complain about are the things that haven't achieved holiness yet? Or we don't see its holiness because it's obscured by pain, or ego, or something else that clouds our vision?
Maybe the fact that my body aches when I wake up is just a fact of life in growing older. But at least I woke up (Modah ani l'fanecha). And I have another chance to make this world a better place. Our bodies are imperfect packages for our souls, but HaShem made them that way for a reason. It's a mystery to me, but that's ok.
The next time I complain, I'm also going to ask myself that whatever I'm complaining about might not have achieved its holy purpose, but eventually it will!
********************************

Righteousness

The Pirke Avot (Wisdom of the Fathers) is a book I turn to often in my life. The old sages had an excellent grasp of human nature, and how to rise above the all-too-human traits of jealousy, greed, anger, egotism, etc. The pithy, simple words of the rabbis' teachings are almost Zen-like. Each page is like reading the contents of a fortune cookie that advises you how to be a better person. Today, I bring you Judah ben Tema:
Be strong as a leopard,
light as an eagle,
swift as a deer,
and brave as a lion
when carrying out the tasks of righteousness. (Ch. 5, V:23)

When Ha Shem created us, S/He contained within us a piece of everything that had been created before us. So, we have the strength of the leopard, the lightness of the eagle, the swiftness of the deer, and the courage of the lion already within us, just waiting to be summoned for our use. What do each of those qualities mean to you as you carry out the tasks of righteousness today? How do they help you accomplish that goal?