Build & Be Built
Do you know when people buy new water heaters? When the one they currently own breaks. You only buy a new one when suddenly your hot shower turns into the 2014 Ice Bucket challenge. And maybe it's just me, but i've personally never met a soul who is genuinely enthusiastic about having to purchase a new water heater.
Okay, yes, this might seem strange. But really, think about it. Water heaters aren't all that fun when it comes to homes. Nobody has ever walked into a showing and said, "Look honey, that's the AO Smith GDHE-75 tank. We must make an offer this instant!" In comparison, think about remodeling your kitchen with new cabinets and appliances, or extending your backyard patio to allow for more dinner party seating. You work with an architect, research trending design features - install all the most advanced light and speaker technology. Yes, it's hard work, but the enjoyment and satisfaction pay off when your guests arrive, and you bask in the glory of home renovation. Alternatively, water heaters aren't getting the new Apple iOS 14 upgrade. They heat water. You need hot water. That's it. You replace the one you have. They're expensive. Game over.
Because the reality is, while building, expanding, and remodeling can be enjoyable, maintenance is necessary. But they're merely two sides of the same coin. And while it's the case with most material items, the same notion can be extrapolated into the immaterial as well. You can even go so far as to say that when it comes to organizations, companies, families, and relationships, both building and maintenance are necessary. But, here's the catch. Not everyone is a builder, and not everyone is a maintainer.
Maintainers need equilibrium. They tend not to sink because they do such a fantastic job of keeping their head above water. They do as the word says, they "maintain." And I don't want to set up a false dichotomy of good and bad here. Because maintenance isn't comparable to inadequacy, they are, however, a different breed. Different talents than those I will refer to as the builders.
Now, these rowdy builders are a lot to take on. They're big, cumbersome projects like new hardwood floors. Or that pool house you've meant to do something with for ten years. Builders also eat more with their eyes than they could possibly consume. They're visionaries. Dreamers. They're trendy. Chic. They push the need forward, but they're also expensive. That's why we call them builders. It's also why your kitchen remodel went way over budget. Building is messy, but it's necessary. And the payoff is enormous.
And these two dynamic personalities figures - even in my oversimplification of them - in reality, both people live inside us. At one time or another. And to truly grow as Jews - our souls, our character - we should incorporate both mentalities. To oscillate back and forth. Remember, you can't remodel the kitchen without running hot water. We can't build without maintenance - without both upkeep and progress. We can all recall years of Yom Kippur resolutions that never panned out.
It's also why business and startups fail. Success requires having maintainers and builders, all working towards the same goal. As the famous poet Joseph Parry writes, "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold." Push the marker forward, but don't neglect the upkeep of what's not brand-new and in the forefront of our vision. Now, this model can be scaled both inward and outward. From the most minuscule of items to the creation of not just homes, but homelands. Israel is by far the best example of what it means to cultivate models of building and maintenance.
Picture how joyous it must have felt On May 14th, 1948, in Tel Aviv for all of Israel's founders - or as we refer to them - builders - to see their vision lifted to its fruition. The tears, the parades, and the most exquisite feelings of bliss and completion. Only to wake up and go back to work. Because once the building had ceased, then came maintenance—the not so miraculous side of growth. To maintain the state of Israel over the years has taken courage, but also perseverance. Consistency. Wars fought, trees planted, and everything in between. It takes lobbying, advocacy, and millions of dollars to send our youth to maintain their connection to this land. As the Zionist saying goes, "Livnot U'Lehibanot." "To build and be built." Or, as the American adage would pose, "If you build it, they will come." But the real question is, when you build it, who and how will you maintain it?
It's possible even to take on the Hebrew verb for building, formed by the root letters "bet (ב), nun (נ), and heh (ה)." This particular root is important because the word "banah," in this form, bears it's a literal resemblance to another word, "Banim (בנים)," meaning children. Children are the builders. They are the loud, boisterous, forward-thinking, novel-idea-having dreamers that push the limits of what's possible. They inspire us to imagine beyond the confined state of our adult thinking. Just the other day, I was told to "shush" by a 2-year-old because a dinosaur was quickly approaching from the other room. This means we as adults, some of us parents, grandparents, and extended family - we are the maintainers.
We do the nuanced pieces of maintenance that are not necessarily pleasant or shiny, but necessary for the growth of a partnership, family, or an entire nation. The model of maintenance and building is the dynamic literal and figurative symbiosis for yielding success. For anything. The hard part is determining who, how, and when we're building and maintaining. Remember, a new water heater will produce the same thing as the old one. Hot water. Nevertheless, we can't do without it.
As we enter 5781, we will all enter with lofty goals of what we can accomplish. But to be successful, it will take more than just high ideas. It'll take diligence in maintaining the small subtleties of our relationships, homes, countries, businesses, and religious institutions. Ones we often forget all about until we realize they're broken. Like the Navy, Admiral William H. McRaven reminds us, "If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right."
If we can't maintain, we will never build.