A Soulful Journey

The Lord said to Moses: Ascend to Me on the mountain, and be there  (Exodus 24:12): Why the double command that appears to be redundant, both to  ascend , and to  be  on the mountaintop? The Kotzker taught that "one who ascends to the top stands on the mountain, although that climber's head might be in another place. The essential thing is not the ascent, but to be there, and only there." - Kotzker Rebbe Be there.  Wherever you are.

“I look upon religion as a mountain upon which men are climbing towards the peak to God.  My concern is that every man shall find a road, and as long as he is in ascent I am not going to quarrel with him about who has the right road.  Let the ascent be the test.” - Rabbi Barnett Brickner

“Do not climb up to My altar by steps.” - Exodus 20:23 Rabbi Isaac Meir of Gur interprets:   Two blind people wishes to reach a rooftop, and tried to figure out how to do it.   One of them got himself a ladder and the other got himself a long plank to serve as an inclined ramp.   Each of them ascended.   But the difference between the two of them was this.   The one who climbed on the ladder [the rungs of which recall the steps proscribe din the verse] knew at each step exactly how much higher he was, and exactly how many steps he still had to ascend.   But the one who ascended by the ramp – as long as he was not at the rooftop, he had no idea where he was situated and just how high he was…   Similarly here: “Do not climb up to My altar by steps” – that is, do not look around, just continue to do good works and to engage in the service of God.”   Quoted by   Rabbi Daniel Greyher