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Courage has many faces. It can mean saying no to compromise, or it can mean making a difficult compromise. It can entail dying a heroic death or living through terrible pain. It can mean fighting a good fight, or knowing when it is best for all to concede. But always courage involves facing our fears. Our patriarch Jacob of course is a splendid example of these multiple faces of courage.

On the surface it may appear that Jacob’s fear of his brother Esau’s retribution betrayed a lack of faith in God’s promise of protection, a promise that God reiterated when He commanded Jacob to return to Eretz Yisrael (Genesis 31:3). Rashi comments though, that a righteous man is never so sure of himself, and must be guarded against sin that might forfeit that protection. This is not a lack of faith, rather a sober approach toward balancing trust in the faithfulness of God, and an honest assessment of our own weaknesses. This is not so different than the Shaliach’s encouragement/admonition to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) Read more »

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It is noteworthy that this week’s portion, which is entitled, Chaye Sarah, the life of Sarah, actually chronicles the matriarch’s death and burial, and her husband’s contemplative mourning. It begins though with a one sentence retrospective of her life. “Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, twenty years, and seven years: the years of Sarah’s life.” (Breshit 23:1)

Rashi explains that the repetition of years divides Sarah’s life into three periods, each with its own uniqueness. At one hundred she was as sinless as a twenty-year-old, for until the age of twenty, a person does not suffer Heavenly punishment, and at twenty she still had the wholesome beauty of a seven year old, who does not use cosmetics and whose beauty is natural. Rashi’s creative exegesis points out that each latter stage of Sarah’s life was indelibly tied to each preceding period.

It should also be noted though that the conclusion of Sarah’s life would be equally tied to the life of Rebekah, who would succeed her as the matriarch of Abraham’s household and the wife of her only son Isaac. It has been said that which a caterpillar considers the end of life, the Master calls a butterfly. So it is with a righteous person and their progeny. Not one of us can view the full value of our lives, but time will measure our lives as they continue in the lives of those we touch.

This time of year one of my favorite movies to watch is Frank Capra’s delightful fantasy “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The protagonist of the movie George Bailey, weighed down by the trials of life wishes that he was never born. His wish is mysteriously granted by a challenged junior angel named Clarence who allows George to see how many lives would have been severely impoverished had he never existed. What he truly sees is the tremendous value of his life, a life well lived, and how it continues in perpetuity in the lives he loves. George mostly is allowed to see the small miracles that happen when souls touch in the passage of life. So did the souls of Rebecca and Isaac touch each other, and by no coincidence continue the life of Sarah. Read more »

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God is dead! Or so some would say, such as Richard Rubinstein the esteemed former professor of religion at University of Florida and Bridgeport University. As a leading cultural analyst, and a most prominent “Death of God” theologians this is Rubinstein’s response to the horrific atrocities of humankind against itself in the 20^th century, especially following the holocaust. God is dead! After all, in the wake of Auschwitz the highly valued norms of modern culture were deeply implicated in creating the backdrop to the mass murder. It is no small wonder then that when confronted by the sinister nature of human reason and the implosion of the modernist paradigm of moral progress, Rubinstein responded with the language, reasoning and rugged individualism that had ironically defined the failure of his generation. In his famous book After Auschwitz he states, “We learned in the crisis that we were totally and nakedly alone, that we could expect neither support nor succor from God nor from our fellow creatures.” Sadly, Rubinstein’s thoughts echo the philosophers of the 17^th century who after observing the decline of the church and crowns of Europe, found certitude in nothing but their own machinations, and in the declaration that the only hope, is to confess that here is no hope at all. For Rubinstein the covenant with Israel is an illusion and the only Messiah is death. Read more »

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…lo avarti mi’mitzvoteycha v’lo sha’chachti
“I have neither transgressed nor neglected any of your commandments” (Devarim 26:13).

This is the pledge that God commanded the children of Israel to declare every third year after removing their tithe from their premises and having given it to the Levites and the indigents in the Land. It was only after they had fully divested themselves of all portions of the crop that were to be donated that they could make this formal declaration and pray for God’s continued blessing upon the land and the people of Israel.

Why then the apparent redundancy in this statement? One who has not transgressed the commandments has obviously not neglected them. The S’fat Emet, a nineteenth century Chasidic rebbe and scholar, comments that sometimes we may perform a mitzvah only out of habit neglecting the reason behind it. While we may fulfill the commandment we might lack the proper kavanah, or intent. Therefore, we might expand this declaration to say, “ I have not performed any of the mitzvot mindlessly, perfunctorily, without feeling, or proper devotion.”

As the High Holy Days are approaching, we are to turn our intentions to the sins that we have committed over the past year. The shelichot (penitential prayers recited following the last Shabbat prior to Rosh Hashanah) ask us to examine our negative actions and our negative attitudes such as mendacity, frivolity, haughtiness and dozens of other words that we do not use in normal conversation. But the spirit of repentance during the Holy Days demands that we go beyond negative commands (the “Thou Shall Nots”) that we have transgressed, and requires us to consider the positive commands (the “Thou Shalls”) that we may have neglected. In other words our introspection should include not only sins of commission, but also sins of omission.

This I believe is why we are asked to declare that we have not only transgressed the command not to oppress the stranger, as the Egyptians did to us when we sojourned among them (vv. 5-8), but that we are not to neglect the plight and the needs of the stranger, the widow and the orphan (vv.12-13). In Judaism helping the needy, the helpless and the homeless is not merely a nice thing to do, but rather is considered a sacred obligation commanded in the Torah. Read more »

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A number of years ago, while taking a leisurely walk with my wife and in-laws, we happened upon a very understated and unpublicized public demonstration. We had been visiting a local park well known for its exceptionally groomed rose gardens and went for a walk down a path that led to a small shaded pond where we would sometimes go to relax and feed the ducks that abided there. This day the pond was crowded with about fifty participants launching small sailboats, and a number of spectators who like ourselves probably happened serendipitously upon the event. It was not immediately apparent what the significance of the boats was until a series of speeches were given which proclaimed the activity as a commemoration of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima by the U.S. military. I was immediately impressed by the passivity of the demonstration against war in general and nuclear proliferation specifically. My father though was visibly upset. Though he was not a hawkish type, his reaction was to the overly simplistic nature of the demonstration, which had failed to acknowledge the lives saved by the historic bombing. One of those lives saved might have in fact been his own, since he had just finished boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi at the time of the unprecedented military action. It did not escape me then or now that the horrific attack on Hiroshima may have ironically saved not only my father-in-law’s progeny but by extension mine as well. As is often and oddly and sadly the case, in order to fulfill a mandate of compassion it is necessary to take drastic measures in dealing with the present injustices that exist in the world. Read more »

Do you like to make choices?  Whether you do or not, it seems as though for each of us there is a never-ending stream of options that place demands upon our time and threaten the normal and easy flow of our lives. With the blessings of the information age, come even more options, more choices and a still greater demand upon our lives.

Some options are necessary and demand our immediate attention.  We get hungry and eating becomes a necessary option.  We are worn out and sleeping is our best option.

Most options though, are postponable, and we respond in kind.  It would be nice to wash the car, change the oil, and tune the engine on a regular basis. But if push comes to shove, the car will run a long way with mud on the hood, dirt in the crankcase, a miss in the engine, and even wear on the tires.  It is obvious, though, that even postponable options demand their due.  We can put our taxes off for a time, yet doing them on April 16th could be a bad choice.

Some options are undoubtedly bad, and yet we argue that we are propelled into them beyond our control.  The alarm goes off earlier than we expect so we shut it off and go back to sleep.  We might wake up late and let everyone know we are a tad grouchy.  We might speed to work and once we arrive, make promises predicated upon only the most perfect of conditions in order to quiet the incessant demands of clients, customers, coworkers or employers.  All along excusing our behavior as necessary.

Of course good options can create as large a threat to our time.  I love to read and there are extensive choices of books.  Amazon is always offering a great sale, special discounts and free delivery for a “limited time” (I think this means my lifetime.).  Unfortunately I find that I am the one with limited time and a limited budget.  Life seems to offer abundantly good options, yet limited resources with which to take advantage. Therefore even a good choice can be a bad choice if made at the wrong time.

New technology and the information super highway, produce expanding choices in a heartbeat.  Unfortunately expanding options often lead to deceptive options.  A shiny new car hides the promise of a large payment book.  “You deserve a break today” seems to suggest other than marginal food in a Styrofoam box; or… how about the concepts of  “free love” or “retirement with nothing to do”. Madison Avenue and pop-culture assure that our choices are not always what they appear to be.

Every option motivates us. Our choices are neither passive nor neutral.  They persuade us to respond. We live under pressure to conform, to perform, to create, and to commit.  We are inundated by choices.  So…how do we spell relief?

P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-E-S?

Many of us have tried a sequential approach.  You know … God 1^st, Family 2^nd, Congregation 3^rd, Work 4^th, Country 5^th, … clean the hall closet 6457^th. If only that which demands our time and attention fit so neatly in hermetically sealed categories then such a linear approach to life might work.

Let’s try again. How do you spell relief?

S-H-E-M-A!

Hashem gives us a short system of principles (Deut. 6:4-9) by which we can attempt to apply His commandments and sort out His highest values and top priorities.  Within the Jewish liturgical system this portion has come to be known as the Sh’ma and the V’ahavta, but for mnemonic purposes I would like to refer to it as the 4D portion. Not only because it will help us to explore the height, width, depth and timeliness of life’s demands, but more importantly it affords us a helpful alliteration to remember. In the Sh’ma and V’ahavta Moses reveals the foundational Doctrine, Duty, Discipline, and Demonstration by which all of life’s demands might be ordered.

Doctrine  v.4

Most often in modern parlance, doctrine or dogma is thought of negatively. It is often conceived of as a set of inflexible rules that are used by institutions to manipulate, control, and dominate those who are not free thinkers. In fact doctrine has been used historically by some groups to just that end. But it need not be so. The Shema is the foundational doctrine of Judaism and it simply expresses the essential nature of G-d and his relationship to us. “Hear O Israel, HaShem is God, HaShem alone.” Succinctly put, God is everywhere – G-d is here. A good friend of mine likes to say that when Hashem is on the throne, then we do not have to bear the weight of the world on our shoulders.” If you think you have time for no other prayer, say one Shema before bed and upon waking up. This simple prescription will change how you order your life, guaranteed!

Duty v.5

If the foundational prescription for a disordered life is recognition of Hashem’s love and protection over us, then the second dose is acceptance of the fundamental duty to love Him in return.  We are instructed to do so with “all of your heart, with all of your soul and with all of your might.”

• The heart (lev) is the seat of our emotions. But in biblical Hebrew it is also understood as the place of our minds or intellect. We cannot be disengaged objectors in life, rather as we feel so we think, and as we think so we do. To truly love God, others and ourselves requires a committed engagement of our mind and hearts.
• The soul (nefesh) represents our holistic being. Even more than our emotions and our intellect, our soul is our mysterious life force, which cannot be measured or studied. The soul is the fullness of humanity that comes upon mankind when God breathes life into His creation. Our love of God should include a willingness to offer our lives back to God.
• Might (m’od) is not constituted solely by physical strength or military might, rather by all of our entire physicality, that which is innate and that which is acquired alike.  This would include our physical sustenance, all of which should be acknowledged as coming from our benevolent creator. The Wisdom of Ben Sirach, comments on this  “ Love him who made you with all your strength, and do not forsake his ministers.” (7:30-31)

According to Rabbinical tradition, the patriarchs loved God in this way – Abraham with the fullness of his emotions and his intellect, Isaac by willingly offering up his very life, and Jacob by pledging all that he possessed back to God by the banks of the Jabbok River. Certainly there is no better example of this full-orbed love of the father than in the life of Yeshua.

Discipline v.6-7

If our fundamental duty is to respond to God’s love in kind, then we should develop disciplines to infuse our lives and the lives of our children with the love of God and a love for God.  Here we are taught to impress these ideas upon our children and ourselves.  So often we wish to compartmentalize our lives, separating our religious convictions from our everyday lives. Ask yourself throughout the day, “How am I doing?” Remember neither your money, nor your time, nor even your thoughts belong solely to you! Are you wasting your time on the trivial? Are your choices serving Hashem and others, or merely satisfying your animal nature?  Who is watching and what do they see, a spiritual giant or an emotional midget?

For this reason the sage’s first determination in Mishnah Berachot is that we should repeat the Shema in the evening preferably before midnight, and in the morning during the first quarter of the day (Ber.1: 1-2). I would throw in a few midday doses. It’s not traditional but surely you will not OD! Truly our words concretize our priorities.

Demonstration  v.8-9

If our words can influence what we do, then certainly what we do influences what we become. According to the famous poet W. H. Auden, “Human beings are by nature actors, who cannot become something until they have pretended to be it. They are therefore to be divided, not into the hypocritical and the sincere, but the sane, who know they are acting; and the mad who do not.” I believe that is why we are given so much ritual instruction in Torah. The human body and soul has an incredible memory. Give the nefesh good patterns and it will stay on that path. Just think how many hours Kobe Bryant spent in the gym shooting jumpers before he became KOBE.

We are instructed to “Bind them (the teachings) as a sign on your hand and as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Tzitit and mezuzot are like the string on the finger of Judaism. They are reminders to ourselves of what our highest priorities should be. The t’fillin are bound to the left arm and are worn next to the heart. The yare also worn between our eyes which are the “gateway to the soul”. Figuratively they should remind us to love HaShem with all our heart, soul and might. It should also serve as a reminder that all that we put our head and our hands to should be dedicated to our God. While the t’fillin are acts of personal commitment, the mezuzah is a public declaration of commitment. Once it is placed on the doorpost the world knows who we are and whom we serve. Yet, it is also the gateway to our homes, to the most private and often secretive sanctum of our lives. So we commit to endeavor to make all of our life, public and private dedicated to HaShem. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of life, these outward demonstrations can be welcome interruptions that hopefully serve to reorient our priorities and encourage us to restructure our lives.

I believe that if we diligently practice the 4D’s then the love of Hashem and our love for Him will naturally order our priorities, rather than the demands of our lives ordering them. Perfect love makes us complete, but practice makes perfect.