GUT YUNTIF - SHANA TOV

WHAT WAS ABRAHAM THINKING?  HE JUST SENT AWAY HIS OLDER SON AND NOW GOD TELLS HIM TO OFFER UP HIS REMAINING SON?  THE TORAH CONSIDERS THIS A TEST - A TEST OF WHAT EXACTLY?  OF ABRAHAM'S FAITH?  OF ABRAHAM'S TRUST?  OF ABRAHAM'S SANITY?  CAN YOU IMAGINE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH ANY OF US WOULD OFFER UP A CHILD WITHOUT AN ARGUMENT?  EVEN IF WE BELIEVED IT WAS THE VOICE OF GOD? 

BUT ABRAHAM DOES WHAT HE THINKS GOD WANTS HIM TO DO.  IN FACT, HE GETS UP EARLY IN THE MORNING TO GET STARTED - NO HESITATION, NO RESERVATIONS.  EVEN ISAAC NOTICES THE UNUSUAL NATURE OF THIS JOURNEY.  DAD, HE ASKS, HERE'S THE WOOD AND THE FIRE, BUT WHERE IS THE LAMB FOR AN OFFERING?  ABRAHAM CRYPTICALLY REPLIES, GOD WILL PROVIDE HIMSELF A LAMB, MY SON.  ISAAC GOES ALONG BECAUSE HE TRUSTS HIS FATHER.  WHAT IS ABRAHAM THINKING? 

MANY EXPLANATIONS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED TO EXPLAIN ABRAHAM'S ACTION.  BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND COUNTLESS SERMONS DELIVERED.  THE SIMPLEST ANSWER - PERHAPS THE MOST OBVIOUS ANSWER - ABRAHAM FELT COMMANDED BY GOD.  SINCE EVERYTHING ELSE GOD HAS ASKED OF HIM HAS WORKED OUT OK, THEN SURELY THIS REQUEST WILL WORK OUT OK ALSO.  AND IN THE END IT DOES WORK OUT.  ISAAC IS SPARED AND A RAM IS OFFERED UP INSTEAD.  AND THE END OF THE STORY SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT THIS IS WHAT GOD PLANNED ALL ALONG. 

IF WE BELIEVE THAT GOD IS COMMANDING, OR DEMANDING OR EVEN JUST EXPECTING SOMETHING OF US - DARE WE REFUSE TO RESPOND?  BUT WE ARE NOT ABRAHAMS - WE ARE NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF US.  AND THIS IS THE CENTRAL PROBLEM OF JUDAISM TODAY.  WE ARE PROUD TO BE JEWS, WE EVEN OBSERVE MANY JEWISH PRACTICES AND CUSTOMS, BUT WE DO NOT FEEL COMMANDED BY GOD.  AT LEAST MOST JEWS DO NOT BELIEVE THAT.  AND MANY OF HAVE OUR DOUBTS ABOUT THE SANITY OF JEWS WHO DO FEEL COMMANDED BY GOD. 

BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM.  IF THE RITUALS AND PRACTICES OF JUDAISM ARE JUST CUSTOMS, IF WE DO NOT FEEL LIKE OBSERVING THEM, OR IF IT IS NOT CONVENIENT OR COMPATIBLE WITH OUR LIFESTYLE, WELL, WE JUST DON'T DO THEM.  THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO ACCEPT THAT THE ESSENCE OF JUDAISM AND JEWISH LIFE IS MITZVAH - A SENSE OF OBLIGATION OR DUTY. 

WE KNOW THAT MITZVAH IS THE BASIS OF JUDAISM.  LOOK AT THE BERACHOT WE SAY - HOLIDAY AND SHABBAT CANDLES - ASHER KIDSHANU B'MITZVOTAV V'TZIVANU - WHO HAD MADE US HOLY THROUGH HIS MITZVOT AND COMMANDED OR ORDAINED THAT ... FILL IN THE BLANK.  LIGHT CANDLES, PUT UP A MEZUZAH, WEAR A TALIT, PUT ON TEFILIN, CIRCUMCISE OUR SONS, STUDY TORAH, ETC. ETC. ETC.   EVERY OBSERVANCE OF JUDAISM IS BASED ON THIS NOTION OF MITZVAH.  IT IS SOMETHING GOD WANTS US TO DO!  THEY ARE NOT FOLKWAYS.  THEY ARE NOT 'NORMS'.  THEY ARE NOT 'THE JEWISH WAY OF LIFE'.  AND THEY ARE NOT 'GOOD DEEDS'. THEY ARE MITZVOT - ACTS ORDAINED BY GOD. 

SO HOW DO WE - MODERN JEWS - CONSERVATIVE JEWS - MAINTAIN OR ACQUIRE AGAIN THIS SENSE OF MITZVAH ABOUT JUDAISM AND JEWISH LIFE?  WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS THE PREVENT OR MAKE DIFFICULT OUR ACCEPTANCE OF MITZVOT AS THE BASIS OF JUDAISM AND JEWISH LIFE?

THERE ARE A FEW I WANT TO DISCUSS THIS MORNING.  THE FIRST IS THAT THE NOTION OF MITZVAH RUNS COUNTER TO AMERICAN/WESTERN CULTURE.  WE WANT TO BE GOOD AMERICANS, CAN WE BE GOOD JEWS AT THE SAME TIME? THE SECOND BARRIER IS CONNECTED TO THE FIRST WE KNOW MORE ABOUT AMERICAN/WESTERN CULTURE THAN MOST OF US KNOW ABOUT JUDAISM.  AND FINALLY, THE PROBLEM OF INERTIA - WE ARE COMFORTABLE WHERE WE ARE NOW - WE NEED A AWAY TO OVERCOME THAT, A WAY TO GET MOVING.

NOW I AM NOT ANTI AMERICAN CULTURE.  I APPRECIATE THE GREAT FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY THAT AMERICA PROVIDES FOR SO MANY, INCLUDING US JEWS!  BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT AMERICAN CULTURE TODAY ESPOUSES THE PHILOSOPHY OF INDIVIDUALISM.  IN FACT, UNFETTERED INDIVIDUALISM.  EACH OF US IS FREE TO CHOOSE A PATH IN LIFE AND MAINTAIN IT.  THIS IS GOOD FOR AMERICA AND HAS BENEFITS FOR US.  WE CAN CHOOSE OUR PROFESSION OR OCCUPATION, WE CAN CHOOSE OUR PLACE TO LIVE, WE CAN CHOOSE OUR SPOUSE, AND NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO QUESTION THAT CHOICE.  CERTAINLY NOT THE GOVERNMENT OR OTHER AMERICANS.  BUT THIS PHILOSOPHY OF UNFETTERED INDIVIDUALISM CONFLICTS WITH THE NOTION OF MITZVAH.  IT ENCOURAGES US TO SHUN OBLIGATIONS OUTSIDE OURSELVES.  IT REGARDS RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION WITH SUSPICION.  FOR EXAMPLE, WHY WOULD WE EAT KOSHER IF WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TO? 

AMERICAN FREEDOM CUTS THE OTHER WAY ALSO.  IF WE CHOOSE TO LIVE OUR LIVES ACCORDING TO RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES, WE ARE FREE TO DO THAT ALSO.  AND NEITHER THE GOVERNMENT NOR MOST AMERICANS ARE GOING TO OBJECT.  AMERICA ALSO ALLOWS US TO BE AS JEWISH AS WE WANT. 

DID YOU KNOW THAT 40% OF AMERICAN ADULTS TODAY OBSERVE A RELIGION DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE PRACTICED IN THEIR FAMILY OF ORIGIN?  THIS MEANS WE, TOO, CAN BE MORE JEWISH OR LESS JEWISH AND AMERICAN CULTURE REALLY DOESN'T CARE. 

ONCE UPON A TIME, WE THOUGHT THAT BEING TOO JEWISH, PARTICULARLY IN PUBLIC, WOULD NOT BE GOOD FOR US.  TODAY, IT TURNS OUT, IT SOMETIMES IS VERY GOOD FOR US TO BE JEWISH.

SO IF AMERICAN CULTURE CAN GO EITHER WAY - LET'S CHOOSE MITZVAH.  LET'S CHOOSE TO BE MORE JEWISH.

BUT MOST OF US PROBABLY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF MITZVAH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS CHOICE.  AS I SAID EARLIER, WE KNOW MORE ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE THAN WE DO ABOUT JUDIASM.  WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, PROPERLY, TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.  AND WE MAY NOT BE WELL ENOUGH INFORMED ABOUT JUDAISM TO ACCEPT THE NOTION OF MITZVAH.  SO, WE NEED TO STUDY.  NOT JUDAISM IS GENERAL, MITZVOT IN SPECIFIC.  WE KNOW THAT THE MITZVOT ARE ALL BASED IN THE TORAH.  AND WE READ THE TORAH ON SHABBAT EVERY WEEK.  SO BEGINNING THIS YEAR, I WILL SPEAK ABOUT A MITZVAH FOUND IN THE TORAH AS WE ENCOUNTER IT IN THE WEEKLY PARASHAH.  OBVIOUSLY THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR SERMONS IS JUST A BEGINNING.   I HOPE THAT MANY OF OUR ONGOING CHAVUROT WILL ALSO CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON MITZVOT IN SOME WAY SO THE OTHER OPTIONS FOR STUDY ARE AVAILABLE.

BUT THERE IS STILL THE PROBLEM OF INERTIA.  HOW DO WE OVERCOME OUR TENDENCY TO REMAIN IN OUR COMFORT ZONE? 

A PERSONAL STORY.  MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I WAS RAISED IN THE REFORM MOVEMENT AND ORDAINED AT THE REFORM SEMINARY.  WHILE I WAS IN SCHOOL, I WAS VERY ACTIVE IN YOUTH WORK.  IN THE POST 1967 JEWISH WORLD, YOUNG REFORM JEWS BEGAN TO EXPLORE JEWISH TRADITION.  IT BECAME THE CUSTOM FOR MANY BOYS TO WEAR A KIPPAH AT WEEKEND EVENTS.  ONE EVENING ONE OF THE YOUTH ASKED ME IF A WORE A KIPPAH ALL THE TIME.  HE WAS THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT.  AT THE TIME, I DID NOT.  I TOLD HIM THAT AND HE ASKED MY WHY.  I DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER.  SO, I BEGAN MY OWN EXPERIMENT.  I STARTED WEARING A KIPPAH ALL THE TIME!  IT FELT STRANGE AT FIRST, BUT I SLOWLY GOT USED TO IT.  I HAVE BEEN WEARING A KIPPAH EVER SINCE, IT WILL BE FORTY YEARS THIS YEAR. 

I SHARE THIS WITH YOU AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO OVERCOME INERTIA.  TAKE A LITTLE STEP, LITERALLY, TRY IT ON FOR SIZE.  SEE HOW IT FITS FOR YOU.

IF YOU ALREADY KEEP KOSHER AT HOME, TRY KEEPING KOSHER OUTSIDE - NOT ALL THE WAY - MAYBE JUST STOP EATING THE FORBIDDEN FOODS.  IF YOU ATTEND SHABBAT SERVICES REGULARLY, MAKE A COMMITMENT TO ATTENDING WEEKDAY SERVICES ONCE A WEEK.  IF YOU ARE NOT KEEPING KOSHER AT HOME, YET, ASSUMING YOU ARE NOT EATING FORBIDDEN FOODS, START BY NOT SERVING MEAT AND DAIRY AT THE SAME TIME. 

IN THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT, WE CALL THIS GRADUALISM.  WE ACCEPT ALL OF THE MITZVOT IN PRINCIPLE AND WE GROW IN OUR OBSERVANCE ONE MITZVAH AT A TIME. 

ABRAHAM WAS ABLE TO CARRY OUT THE UNTHINKABLE BECAUSE HE ACCEPTED GOD'S DIRECTIVE AS A MITZVAH - A GOD ORDAINED ACT.  WE WILL NEVER BE CHALLENGED AS ABRAHAM WAS.  BUT FROM HIM WE LEARN THE MEANING OF MITZVAH.  WE LEARN THE EMPOWERING NATURE OF MITZVAH.  AND WE LEARN THAT FOLLOWING MITZVOT, ULTIMATELY, TAKES US OUT OF HARM'S WAY.  IF WE WANT JUDIASM TO CONTINUE IN AMERICAN CULTURE, WE NEED TO REACQUIRE THE SENSE OF MITZVAH ABOUT JEWISH LIFE.  TOGETHER, LET US LEARN IN ORDER TO PRACTICE.  TOGETHER, LET US DISCOVER HOW MITZVAH, IN GENERAL, AND MITZVOT IN PARTICULAR CAN HELP LEAD RICHER, MORE MEANINGFUL LIVES AS AMERICANS, AS HUMAN BEINGS AND AS JEWS.  AMEN.