Welcome to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel, the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa, based in Mason City. Each week we offer up some thoughts about the weekly Torah Portion that we hope will help you and your family become more aware of how the words there impact our life today. Let's get started.
This week we read Parsha Re'eh (Hebrew for "see") the first word in Deut. 11:26 - 16:17 and one of the most famous lines about blessings and curses: "See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing that you will hearken to the commandments of Hashem, your G-d that I command you today."
What Moses is telling us in this parsha (portion) is that the commandments are a matter of choice. After all, G-d has given humans the ability to choose. Here we have a choice of whether or not to accept the Torah in totality and reap the blessings that come from living a righteous life or to turn our backs on this "roadmap" and suffer a disconnected life.
It's pretty clear that there is no "middle ground". If we follow the Torah we will be granted a blessed life and if we choose not to abide by these commandments our lives will be cursed.
Ouch!
For those of us who look at these words and think they are pretty harsh let's consider what is going on.
If we understand that life is either purposeful and meaningful or not, then we can understand that a life of meaning is a blessed life. And a life without meaning is a life devoid of satisfaction and purpose with a sense that nothing makes a difference. What could be a greater curse than that?
If we understand that it is G-d who created the world, sustains it and supervises it that realization gives life intrinsic meaning. One can always create a sense of meaning in a diversion -- acquiring wealth, following baseball or even in something as noble as helping others. However, unless there is a G-d and there are absolute responsibilities and values, then there is no inherent meaning to life. It can gnaws at one's psyche.
Long ago I was the Chaplain of the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. It was a wonderful time getting to travel the United States and other nations on behalf of hundreds of thousands of young men and women who were doing great things in their communities.
When I read this parsha I am reminded of the first line in the Jaycee Creed: "We believe that faith in G-d gives meaning and purpose to human life..."
There and in this Torah reading we are being told something very important. We have the choice to accept or reject. But, in accepting the direction that G-d offers us our lives can not only be a blessing to ourselves...but, and perhaps more importantly, to others.
May you have a blessed Shabbat!