My six-hour guarding shift at our base near the gates of Gaza was almost over, following a four-hour emergency standby. Just then, shortly before sundown on Friday afternoon, I got the call from my company commander. “They need someone to help tonight in Gaza. The convoy leaves in 10 minutes. Can you go?”

I had already showered and put on my clean uniform in honor of Shabbos. I was thinking through the Torah idea I planned to share in the base shul that night. But the army was sending crews every evening to install sophisticated security systems on the guard towers of forward outposts inside Gaza. These outposts, which can accommodate up to 100 soldiers, include tents, fortified positions, and mobile command centers. Because the roofs of the outposts are exposed to Hamas sniper fire from less than half a mile away, they only work under cover of darkness. Every night’s delay in getting the security sensors up there means another day our soldiers’ lives are endangered. So, I grabbed my helmet, borrowed a bulletproof vest, and ran to the mission commander’s warehouse to help load the truck. The commander, a weathered lieutenant colonel who’d been doing this since before I was born, looked me over, pointed to a large box, and barked: “Are you strong enough to lift this?”

Some years ago, while studying the Rambam’s introductory chapters to the Mishnaic tractate of Avos, I came across a paragraph that has shifted the course of my life. You might also find it interesting.

First, some context: The Rambam was explaining how the complete human being doesn’t renounce earthly pursuits, substituting soul for body, quashing self in favor of G-d. Instead, he uses his mind to manage every aspect of his material life and will, directing them toward wellness and wholeness. He notices the temptations to spin right or left but chooses instead to stick with the straight course.

What is the objective that people seek to achieve when they’re well and whole? Where are we headed in life when not looking only for physical pleasure? Sorry, but we’re not going to get into this yet. The spiritual journey doesn’t begin with metaphysics. It begins with becoming a person.