Don’t Grab the Socks: Waking Up to What Really Matters

A man walks into Macy’s and wins a 10-minute shopping spree.

The doors open, the countdown starts… and he takes off running.

But instead of heading for the jewelry or electronics, he wastes time and gets distracted picking things up along the way like grabbing socks, gum, and cheap T-shirts.

By the time his 10 minutes are up, he’s holding a basket full of nothing.

He could’ve left with treasures. Instead, he left with clutter.

This is based on a story told by Rabbi Benzion Klatzko, and I’ve never forgotten the punchline:

Life is your shopping spree. Are you chasing what matters… or just reacting to what’s in front of you?

The Silent Danger: Living on Autopilot

We all say we want to live intentionally.

But most of us are running. Fast. Through days, weeks, months, even years… on autopilot.

We wake up, check our phones, deal with tasks, handle what’s urgent.

We live in survival mode and call it productivity.

Maybe we plan a month or two ahead. If we’re really organized, we plan our year.

But here’s the scary truth:

You can build a beautiful life… and completely miss the point.

The Torah’s Definition of Wisdom

What does the Torah call wisdom?

“Chacham einav b’rosho” — A wise man’s eyes are in his head.

“Eizehu chacham? Ha’roeh et hanolad”. Who is wise? One who sees what is born of their actions.

Not just what’s happening now, but where it leads.

Wisdom means zooming out.

It means stepping outside your own life to ask:

What am I really building?
What’s this all leading to?
Am I aligned with my true mission… or just busy?

If today repeated every day for the next year, would I like where I ended up?

Autopilot Trap #1: Busy… But Not Building

When I first started this journey last August, I didn’t have a roadmap.

I was experimenting — figuring out what would resonate, what would help, what would stick.

I started blogging.
Then came the newsletter.
Then Parsha videos, Mashal Monday, Geula Corner.
4-Minute Gratitude. Habitachon.
Courses. Challenges. Content, content, content.

And Baruch Hashem , people responded.
They shared how much it helped them. They looked forward to it. They came back for more.

But then something hit me:

I could keep doing all of this, and still end the year in the exact same place.

If I only focus on creating and posting my regulars, I’ll be productive… but I won’t be progressing.

I’ll have helped people — which is real and meaningful.

But my mission isn’t just to help some people.
It’s to grow. To scale. To reach and uplift many more lives.

And that requires more than content — it requires clarity, vision, and strategic action.

It’s not enough to work hard.
You have to work aligned.

The daily and weekly content matters. But if I lose sight of my long-term goals… I’ll end up with 365 pieces of content and no real movement.

So now, every week, I ask:

Am I doing what’s urgent… or what moves the mission forward?

Because clarity doesn’t come from motion.
It comes from intention.

Autopilot Trap #2: Settling for “Almost There”

I see it all the time — people taking selfies on Har Habayit, smiling in front of the golden dome.

And there’s something inside me that stirs… a quiet voice saying, “This isn’t it. We’re not there yet.”

It’s incredible that after 2,000 years, we’ve made it this far.
That we can stand so close to the holiest place on Earth.
That we can daven within reach of the greatest kedusha.
That’s a gift — and we should never take it for granted.

But we also can’t get used to it.

We can’t convince ourselves that we’ve arrived… when the journey isn’t over.

Because the goal was never just to get close.

The goal is the Beit Hamikdash.

The Kotel is beautiful. Holy. Powerful.

But it’s not the destination.

We weren’t meant to settle for “almost there.”
We were meant to rebuild everything.

We’ve Mastered Survival. But Forgotten the Dream.

Throughout history, we’ve been exiled again and again.

And every time, we rebuild:

Shuls. Yeshivas. Mikvas. Communities.

We adapt. We thrive. We survive with strength.

But then… we get comfortable.

And here’s the danger:

In halacha, l’chatchila means the ideal: what we’re supposed to aim for.
Bedieved means after the fact, what we settle for when the ideal didn’t happen.

Spiritually, we’ve done the same thing.

We take our bedieved life, exile, separation, second-best…
And we start treating it like it’s l’chatchila. Like this was the goal all along.

And when the real l’chatchila finally shows up, geula, the true redemption…
We might not even recognize it.

What’s worse than missing the dream? Forgetting you ever had one.

Autopilot Trap #3: Hoping When We Should Be Planning

Recently, in New York City, a socialist antisemite won the Democratic primary for mayor.

Many Jews are shocked. People are launching counter-campaigns. Investigations. Appeals.

But they’re missing the real wake-up call:

Even if this guy loses — millions voted for him.

The culture has shifted.

The values are gone.

The city isn’t what it was, and it’s not going back.

And yet, so many people are still clinging to comfort.

Still hoping it’ll all blow over.

Still asleep.

It’s All the Same Pattern

Whether it’s your schedule, your spirituality, or your safety…

Autopilot living is the same trap everywhere.

We get caught in the day-to-day.
We settle for comfort.
We ignore the signs.

Until one day, Hashem sends us a wake-up call.

And then another.

But if we’re not looking, if we’re not ready… we miss them.

Or worse, we pretend we didn’t see.

The Wake-Up Tool: Bitachon

When you live with Bitachon, you stop reacting.

You stop panicking.

You stop clinging to false comfort.

You zoom out. You align. You build.

Bitachon keeps your feet grounded and your eyes forward.

It’s not just for emergencies. It’s a way of life.

“Bitachon isn’t just for breakdowns — it’s for builders.”

That’s why I created the 7 Days to Unshakable Bitachon course.

And here’s what one person said just days in:

“Thank you! I’m really enjoying and learning so much so far! I think this was the missing link for me — not knowing where and how to start.”

If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsure, or spiritually scattered…

This is your first step back to clarity.

Final Questions

Am I living with vision or just reacting?
Am I aligning my days with my destiny or just checking boxes?
Have I confused survival with success?
If Moshiach came tomorrow… would I even notice?

Because life is your shopping spree.

And every day, you’re running.

Just make sure you’re not grabbing socks while the diamonds wait in the back.

Take One Step Toward Real Clarity

Start your shift now:

🎁 Join the free 7 Days to Unshakable Bitachon Course
📲 Subscribe to Habitachon on WhatsApp
🔜 Coming soon (Join the Waitlist): Deep Dive Bitachon Experience — Torah tools for rewiring your clarity, calm, and connection

Don’t sleep through your purpose.
Don’t settle for comfort.
Build with faith. Live with vision. Wake up and start running toward what really matters.

Help Spread Torah:

Living the Dream