Parshat Ki Tetzei: What's a mitzvah? What's our mission?

Rabbi Philip Weintraub

Congregation Agudas Israel

9/17/16

How do we unite a list of disparate laws?

How do we unite a group of disparate people?

The answer is simple: We work towards shared purpose.  We work towards shared mission.

In our Torah, the mission was reaching Israel and building a new community.  Whether discussing the treatment of criminals, how to fight fairly, conduct business ethically, uphold societal norms, take care of the environment or remember the evils of Amalek, the 74 mitzvot found in this parsha focus on: teaching the people Israel how to live in Israel, morally, ethically, responsibly.

The rabbis are nervous about giving reasons and justifications for mitzvot.  If we know a mitzvah’s reason and origin, we are more likely to justify it away if the circumstances seem different.  For example, if we were to say that the prohibition on pork was to prevent trichinosis, does it apply when we have reliable ovens that can cook food thoroughly.  As Conservative Jews, we do not discard mitzvot willy-nilly, we know that kashrut--or at least avoiding pork, is a sign of Jewish identity, a covenant with God, a daily reminder of holiness through our eating choices.  As such, we have no need to discard the law, simply because one of its original rationales no longer applies.

There are numerous works on the rationales of mitzvot--some quite inspiring.  We speak about mitzvot as pathways to God, as ways of bringing holiness into our lives, as organizing principles.  I think about Steve Jobs wearing the same black turtleneck and jeans every single day--taking away some unnecessary choices gives us more creative energies for the rest of our day.  Taking time to pray and meditate, to thank God for the gifts of our lives on a regular basis makes us feel better.  So why do we have such a hard time with being told what to do?  Why do we as Americans put up such a fight about organizing our lives and our calendars according to someone or something else--GOD?

Powerfully, when we work on mitzvot together, we quickly build a community.  As Gil Troy, a Mcgill Professor and historian has argued: While some may say schwer zu sein a yid, it’s hard to be a Jew, when those outside our community look in, they sometimes say Mah Tovu ohalecha Yaakov--how wonderful are your tents o Jacob!  The organzing principles of our faith are not about faith at all--they are about action.  They are about getting together and building a cemetery, a school, a synagogue, finding kosher food.  When we were together on these endeavors, we find that common purpose. (http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/no-it-is-not-that-hard-to-be-a-jew/#)

The challenge sometimes is what happens AFTER the building is done?  How do we keep working together?  The answer is simple--use our mitzvot as a guide.

The mitzvot in this parsha are not all about ritual.  They are not all about prayer.  They are about the details of living in a unified and cooperative society.  Ensuring justice, fairness, being decent people. One might argue many more of them are universal and not just for Jews!  As my colleague and friend, Rabbi Mark Greenspan said this week,

“I would suggest that while one doesn’t have to be Jewish to be a good person, one can't be a good Jew without being a good person. Goodness is the bottom line. Justice is the measure of being God fearing. Rituals mean nothing if they are not based on a solid foundation of compassion and goodness.”

What is unique about the Jewish tradition, something I bring up regularly is that the ritual and the interpersonal commandments are intertwined and interrelated.  We are not completely fulfilling our destiny as Jews if we ignore one or the other.  I love to remind us of the mitzvot ben adam l’havero, between individuals, because we need to know that we are already following most of the commandments.  Yet we cannot forget the mitzvot ben adam l’Makom, between humanity and God.  If we ignore the rituals all together, it does not make us half-Jewish, but we have lost an opportunity to connect.  Once again, I preach to the choir--you are all here--you are choosing to be part of and not apart from community.  By being here, you are demonstrating the importance of prayer and mitzvot in your lives!

Looking at various mission statements out there, the ones I like best return to recognizing the various combined goals of a synagogue.

• A house of prayer: aiding our members in a search for meaning in life, fulfilling the spiritual needs and longing of our Jewish community, providing a path that brings us closer to each other and to G-d;
• A house of study: supporting and fostering a community dedicated to Jewish knowledge, learning and living;
• A house of assembly: creating a welcoming home and sense of family for our members.
• An integral part of the foundation of K'lal Yisroel, the Jewish people, supporting Israel and all good causes with support, both financial and otherwise.

In short, the way we become a community is by choosing to make ourselves one--by working together to uphold the values of God, Torah and Israel, living the mitzvot both ritually and communally.

Elul day 4--Can I be joyful today?

Today is the 4th day of Elul.  In less than a month it will be Rosh Hashnah.  We blow shofar now to wake us up and remind us of the imminence of the Holy Day, but what about the most holy of days--the one that is NOW?

What if we recognized the holiness of TODAY?

 

What is special about today in your life?  

What are you thankful for?  

Who have you helped today?  

Who have you asked forgiveness from today?  

For whom have you prayed for healing today?  

With whom have you given or received a hug?

THIS is the day that God has made, let us celebrate and rejoice in it - “Zeh hayom asah Adonai, nagilah v'nismecha vo”

Right now I stand on the precipice with a loved one in surgery.  As I pray for healing, I look forward to hearing good news this evening, but where can I find joy RIGHT NOW?  

It’s time to relieve the babysitter and spend the afternoon with my almost four year old daughter after her first day back at school.  Today and everyday, I hope I am as grateful for the time to share with her!  Love to all.

Elul is here

Recently, we did a regular software update on our phones.  Like many of you, our lives are on them--photos, videos, music, contacts.  Like many of you, we never properly set up the icloud or google photos or had even backed them up to our computer.  This might not seem important, except that Rebecca had taken hundreds of photos of our new baby and they were ONLY located on the phone. My phone updated without a hitch, but you can guess what happened next to hers--the update failed--freezing her phone with seemingly no way to get the photos off.  I downloaded new software, tried all sorts of different things and failed at making appointments at apple stores--or reading the times correctly for opening.  Drove to Nanuet and arrived an hour before the store opened, then went on to Long Island and got to the mall 3 minutes after store opened and with 100 people already there!  Thankfully this story ends well, miraculously we were able to salvage the photos to a hard drive, erase her phone and update it once again.  The “genius” said we were really lucky, as usually when the phone gets there, it has to be wiped, nothing can be restored.  Our emotions had been through a whirlwind (and now we are printing a bunch of baby photos!)

The emotions involved--the potential loss and the hope crashing down and being restored--seem in some ways to be the emotions of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  The month of Elul we prepare ourselves, with daily psalms and even shofar blasts.  We wake up our souls and remember that we are not alone in the universe.  We are part of a larger entity--our synagogue, our Jewish community--connected to the Holy One.

While one might argue there is always time to change our ways, Elul, the Ten Days of Repentance really push us.  The shofar blasts us from our daily routine.  The psalms make us question the status of our faith, the ways we act.  Creating a sacred space to review and renew our relationships opens a window (or a door) to repair those that are fractured--even if they seem beyond repair.  Maybe you haven’t talked a sibling, a parent, a friend, a child because of something that has been forgotten?  Maybe this system update can allow you a blank slate to restore and refresh?  Maybe there are good reasons for that break THEN, but times have changed so that NOW, the photos and good memories can be restored, and the bad ones left behind? For some, it could be that simple and for others, it is not.  Some hurts cannot be forgiven--but for the ones that CAN, what are you waiting for?

At the synagogue level, this is a wonderful time to be a member of CAI.  Look at the calendar for all the new classes on “How to Jew”.  We will be learning and growing our liturgical, philosophical, historical, and relationship skills.  Don’t know “How to Jew”--you will soon!  Join us and be inspired by our sacred covenant and holy community!  All are welcome.

So back up your phones and your photos, back up your souls, restore, repent, and grow for 5777.  Join us for classes, for services, for the next wonderful year in your lives!  As always, I’m glad to meet for coffee, for lunch, for conversation sacred or sometimes profane (politics these days!), for the sacred and everyday moments in your lives.  I’m grateful for the five years I have spent getting to know you and look forward to our next adventures together.