As many of you know, I am the mother of Joey (3.5) and Ezra (1). Joe and I are deep in what social media refers to as “the trenches” of parenthood. Sleepless nights, potty training, diapers, first steps, baby proofing, and of course epic toddler meltdowns are part of our daily routine, as our personal lives are spent in sheer survival mode. I know many of you have been there, but after a long day of survival mode, I often have to stop and remind myself that this wonderful, albeit challenging season of my life (ages 0-4), is short – A mere pitstop in the roadmap of my parenting life. In this week’s double Torah portion, Matot Massei, we have arrived at the last chapter of B’midbar. The Israelites are located on the edge of the Jordan River, about to cross into the land of Israel, and we are given a long and very detailed travel itinerary of their decades spent wandering in the desert. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history.