Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
My congregation recently dedicated a new Torah and many thoughts ran through my mind during this commemoration. We all know that when a synagogue is formed the prominent aspect of its importance is the Torah. For without the Torah the building or location is just that – a building and location. Sometimes we lose sight of the significance and concentrate on the magnificent structure we call the synagogue.
And so I asked the question: “Why the celebration of a new Torah? Why do we revere this symbol of reverence and history? Why have so many perished in defense of its message?”
These are complex questions and I tried to answer them as simply as possible; as I understand the value of Torah in the life of the Jewish People.
First and foremost-Torah represents continuity. We cannot have a present or a future without experiencing a past. We cannot imagine who we are if we don’t know where we came from. We cannot truly relate to the meaning of life without regard to our origin.
Then there is heritage-Torah gives us a sense of commitment. We cannot appreciate life if we don’t have an understanding of how we got here. We cannot refer to tradition if we don’t know what that tradition is.
Those are the things we cannot do. What about the things we can do and sometimes neglect? There are times we concentrate on the negative without really appreciating that these negatives all form a positive respect for law and justice and mercy and forgiveness and connection.
By revering Torah we are expressing our respect for the written word. We are acknowledging the importance of words in our relationship with one another and with God. We are displaying an admiration for learning because we understand that knowledge is the foundation in achieving our potential. After all, the world as we know it was formed with words-“And God said….”
So dedicating a Torah means the acceptance of maintaining those ties that we regard as Holy and insightful and revealing. Sometimes we take these concepts for granted and we lose sight of our responsibility of caring for the “Book.” We forget, at times, the importance of our journey from the introduction given to us by Abraham to the advent of the re-birth of the State of Israel.
Five thousand years of history have taught us that we are a people of survival. Empires and civilizations have vanished but the People of Israel lives. It is surely no accident. We are a people of resilience, a people who, even though we go through doubts and fears, can walk the walk and talk the talk of the sanctity of life and the sacrifices necessary to protect that life and even enhance it.
Unimaginable things have happened on this journey. We have witnessed pogroms, Diaspora, attempted annihilation, humiliation, genocide. And we have lived to see another day.
Imaginable things have happened to us as well. We have contributed to humankind more than any other people, not because we are better or smarter but because we trust in the goodness of the spirit and the freedom to express that goodness. We appreciate the beauty of life and are motivated to enhance that life and somehow make it better for all. Not just for us but for all of God’s children.
King David wrote is Psalm 30, at the dedication of the House of David: “….Thou didst turn for me my mourning into dancing; Thou didst loose my sackcloth, and gird me with gladness; So that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.”
King David was trying to explain the insecurity of human existence. The afflictions we endure are outweighed by the favors shown us by God. “His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime.”
Dedicating a Torah we are affirming our optimism that all can be right. Even God describes such optimism when after each day of creation He declares: “And it was good.”
Even though evil exists we need to believe that the goodness within us makes the actuality of evil more bearable. Our allegiance to dignity and mercy enable us to cope with all the bad that surrounds us. The Psalmist helps us understand that thou “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Hope is the special ingredient that allows us to reach for the brightness of tomorrow.
There is a celebration upon completing the reading of the Torah each year and it is followed by beginning again because as Solomon ibn Gabirol wrote: “People are only wise when they are searching for wisdom; when they feel they have achieved it completely, they are fools.” That is why we read over and over again the portions of the Torah. We gain new insight each and every time we read the same sentence or the same chapter.
People always marvel at our determination, our stick-to-itiveness and I politely tell them that we have endured because of two things: 1 - We can laugh at our adversity and misfortune. Because we understand that only through laughter can we maintain our sanity. 2 – We carry with us, wherever we go or are sent, the very “Book” that explains to us the value of life and the purpose for our being.
We dedicate a Torah because of all these things and more. Not all of us adhere to every thing that is written. Not all of us understand all that is written. But we know that the words are there. Some rejoice in its message. Some die for its content without ever knowing the true meaning of their sacrifice.
But we continue to dedicate Torahs and we know that without Torah we are not ensuring continuity and without Torah there is no Israel.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thanksgiving
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
In Midrash Rabbah it is written that Rabbi Aibo said: “When the Angels objected to the creation of man, God replied: ‘And of what use are all of the good things I have created unless people are there to enjoy them?’ “
Perhaps that is what Thanksgiving is all about. It is not only the good things that we realize for ourselves through the efforts of our labor, but also to understand that God gave us the ability to discover these treasures.
Thanksgiving enables us to comprehend the true meaning of life: To be thankful for all the harvests of our days. God is where God should be-in our hearts and minds, in our deeds and actions, in our relationships and understanding of each other.
Thanksgiving should help us realize that we are responsible for one another and that there can be no true jubilation without this moral standard. We are responsible to others for our actions and the consequences of those actions. We are responsible to God for those things that relate to our spiritual well-being. We are responsible to ourselves for purpose and meaning in our lives.
Our lives are so tenuous, our existence indeed fragile, and the gift of life so temporary that we should take the time to celebrate, rejoice, and give thanks. “And of what use are all of the good things I have created unless people are there to enjoy them.” God tells us to marvel in His creation, to take advantage of the very essence of life’s wonderment. The very act of creation was and is the gift of a lifetime.
We have so much to be grateful for. We get up each morning and see all that is before us. We watch a bird fly and are astounded that it can soar into the unknown. We walk on the grass and are amazed that as seasons change so does nature. Children teach us about the cycle of time: They crawl, they walk, the make sounds, they talk, they grow and eventually wither and then we witness birth all over again. We lose a loved one but are comforted with the wonder of eternalness.
Thanksgiving is also a time to be thankful for our country and all that it represents to us and the world around us. America represents all that is good in the human spirit. We are a people devoted to the exploration of the imagination. We treasure benevolence and practice it every waking moment. But we also know that we have failings because we are human, created in the image of God to be Godlike, but with fallibilities. We can offend, but we can also forgive; we at times are lonely but understand that love can erase that feeling of emptiness; we can be foolish but blend it with a modicum of discretion; we experience grief but temper it with understanding. We can be all these things and also realize that the journey of life is filled with all this and more because God invited us to participate in His gift of life - not the Angels, but us.
And Thanksgiving gives us the ability to be grateful for the men and women who serve this country with the same zeal of generations past. They serve on distant shores and here at home because they know that the price of liberty is vigilance and preparedness.
Families will gather together on this American holiday to feast on turkey, enjoy stories of yesterday’s celebrations and make wishes for the dreams of tomorrow. We will reflect and finally come to the realization that the insignificant things that drag us down are not important if we are to survive as a nation. And we should never forget how fortunate we are as Americans.
This is what Thanksgiving is all about: God gave us the wonderfulness of life, the magic of day and night, the capacity to hope for a brighter tomorrow. And He did all this, not for the Angels, but for us.
In Midrash Rabbah it is written that Rabbi Aibo said: “When the Angels objected to the creation of man, God replied: ‘And of what use are all of the good things I have created unless people are there to enjoy them?’ “
Perhaps that is what Thanksgiving is all about. It is not only the good things that we realize for ourselves through the efforts of our labor, but also to understand that God gave us the ability to discover these treasures.
Thanksgiving enables us to comprehend the true meaning of life: To be thankful for all the harvests of our days. God is where God should be-in our hearts and minds, in our deeds and actions, in our relationships and understanding of each other.
Thanksgiving should help us realize that we are responsible for one another and that there can be no true jubilation without this moral standard. We are responsible to others for our actions and the consequences of those actions. We are responsible to God for those things that relate to our spiritual well-being. We are responsible to ourselves for purpose and meaning in our lives.
Our lives are so tenuous, our existence indeed fragile, and the gift of life so temporary that we should take the time to celebrate, rejoice, and give thanks. “And of what use are all of the good things I have created unless people are there to enjoy them.” God tells us to marvel in His creation, to take advantage of the very essence of life’s wonderment. The very act of creation was and is the gift of a lifetime.
We have so much to be grateful for. We get up each morning and see all that is before us. We watch a bird fly and are astounded that it can soar into the unknown. We walk on the grass and are amazed that as seasons change so does nature. Children teach us about the cycle of time: They crawl, they walk, the make sounds, they talk, they grow and eventually wither and then we witness birth all over again. We lose a loved one but are comforted with the wonder of eternalness.
Thanksgiving is also a time to be thankful for our country and all that it represents to us and the world around us. America represents all that is good in the human spirit. We are a people devoted to the exploration of the imagination. We treasure benevolence and practice it every waking moment. But we also know that we have failings because we are human, created in the image of God to be Godlike, but with fallibilities. We can offend, but we can also forgive; we at times are lonely but understand that love can erase that feeling of emptiness; we can be foolish but blend it with a modicum of discretion; we experience grief but temper it with understanding. We can be all these things and also realize that the journey of life is filled with all this and more because God invited us to participate in His gift of life - not the Angels, but us.
And Thanksgiving gives us the ability to be grateful for the men and women who serve this country with the same zeal of generations past. They serve on distant shores and here at home because they know that the price of liberty is vigilance and preparedness.
Families will gather together on this American holiday to feast on turkey, enjoy stories of yesterday’s celebrations and make wishes for the dreams of tomorrow. We will reflect and finally come to the realization that the insignificant things that drag us down are not important if we are to survive as a nation. And we should never forget how fortunate we are as Americans.
This is what Thanksgiving is all about: God gave us the wonderfulness of life, the magic of day and night, the capacity to hope for a brighter tomorrow. And He did all this, not for the Angels, but for us.
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