Going to college for four years, passing every course, but dropping out the day before graduation.
Making the down payment, receiving the bank loan, but losing the home by refusing to pay a fee at closing.
Buying a new car but not picking it up from the dealer.
Cleaning for Passover, preparing the seder, but not attending it.
Clearing your calendar, buying a ticket to Israel, coming up with a suitable itinerary, hiring a tour guide, but not going.
Writing a book, selling it to a publisher, receiving a nice advance, but neglecting to deliver the manuscript.
Going to the doctor, getting a prescription, picking it up, but not taking the medicine.
Winning the lottery, but not turning in the ticket to collect the winnings.
Finding your dream suit, getting it tailored so that it fits you just right, but giving it to Goodwill.
Planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for your child, seeing to it that he or she is trained, the guests are invited, the food is prepared, the rabbi is consulted, but staying home.
Buying a new smartphone, spending hours setting up your apps, colorizing your screen, devising your user name and passwords, but erasing the settings.
Suing someone who defamed you, hiring the right lawyer, gathering the evidence, pressing your friends to testify, but then presenting no evidence to make your case.
Convincing your doctor to make a house call, but not answering the door.
All of the above is like observing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but skipping Simchat Torah, which is the realization, the culmination.
Copyright © 2019 by the Intermountain Jewish News
