I am so happy to see you all here today. With the holidays upon us-Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow night, it is inspiring to remember that what makes a synagogue successful or blessed is not what happens on those days, but every other day, every other Shabbat of the year.
In the Torah reading today we read:
Deuteronomy 30:1111 Surely, this Instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. 12 It is not in the heavens, that you should say, "Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?" 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?" 14 No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to observe it.
One of the most famous stories in the Talmud includes this line, “The Torah is not in heaven.” Without getting into the specifics of that story, I think the verse is a powerful one. What does it mean that the Torah is not in heaven? Without knowing too much about Martin Luther, I would imagine that this line was inspiring for him. When he nailed his 95 theses against the door of his Catholic Church, he was saying that the Bible should not be limited to the clergy, but should be known and read and lived by all. In that way, he expected that the Jews would agree with him, and his anti-Semitism came when they said, “No, we’re perfectly happy as Jews!”
Stepping away from a history lesson, the parsha is a reminder that we all have the capability of understanding and living Torah. Rabbis are helpful. I am helpful, but I cannot live your Jewish life for you. Of course, saying that today is preaching to the choir. You chose to be here on an average, ordinary Shabbat, albeit one which immediately precedes Rosh Hashanah.
Yet to me, the average, ordinary Shabbat is the most holy time of year. More holy than Rosh Hashanah, more holy than Yom Kippur. The average Shabbat is a time when we can pause from our week. It is a time when we can celebrate our time together, when we can celebrate the blessings of Gd in our lives. Having Shabbat meals, having Kiddush in shul, schmoozing, reading, talking, laughing. These are the gifts of Shabbat. They are not in heaven. They are right here.
Yes, Shabbat has rules and regulations. So does everything else in life. When you get married; when you live in a family; when you live in a community; you have rights and responsibilities. When creating a partnership or a company, different people have different jobs and requirements. For those jobs and efforts, they also receive rewards--whether through a paycheck or a whispered “I love you.” Many Jews today have difficulty with being obligated to do things. Some days, I do, too. Yet at the end of the day, at the end of the week, when Shabbat comes, I am thankful for the time to unwind--once I finish services. I am thankful for the time to be with you, to be with Rebecca and Levee, and have no other place I need to be, nothing else I need to do. That is the greatest gift of Shabbat.
Could I have Shabbat if I used my computer all day? Maybe? I don’t know. I know the temptation to look at one email is very great. And then to respond? And then to write another? And then suddenly three hours later I realize I’m working and not thanking Gd and not resting and not talking and not taking a Shabbat nap. Today we live in a world that is very similar to that of our parents and grandparents and yet, very different. For them, even if they took work home, it was much clearer when they were working and when they were not. With iphones and droids and blackberries, no matter where we go we can work. We are more productive than ever before, but we need a true break more than ever before. We need to power down, shut off and breathe without the buzzing and ringing and pinging and beeping. On Labor Day, we visited my uncle at his “cabin” in the woods. I noticed for the first time that there was just a hint of a cell signal. Apparently Verizon put up a new tower. I cannot tell you how unhappy that makes me. It was beautiful to go somewhere and know you are unreachable. I guess next time I’ll just have to leave the phone in the car.
In short, the restrictions of Shabbat are a blessing, too. They, too are a gift of Shabbat!
Torah reading quote from: http://www.jtsa.edu/PreBuilt/ParashahArchives/jpstext/nitzavim.shtml
Thanks to the Jewish Publication Society and the Jewish Theological Seminary for sharing.
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