Creating Memories for Ourselves:
Many years ago, I found myself visiting a very liberal synagogue while on vacation in a remote part of the United States. In the hallway of the synagogue were historic artifacts placed respectfully in glass showcases. In one display was a pair of Tefillin. The tour guide of the synagogue explained that these leather straps and boxes were once used by Jews long ago in ancient times.
I did not laugh, nor was I amused. When Mitzvot are neglected and no longer observed, they will be regarded as relics of the past.
Outside the Orthodox community, Mitzvot are in trouble. It is a fallacy to equate the word orthodox with observant of Mitzvot. The recent language emanating from the leadership of Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Judaism all call for the observance of Mitzvot. How to perform a Mitzvah? and why to observe a Mitzvah? may vary from group to group. But the concept of Mitzvah as commandment or sacred deed, or that which sanctifies our lives is an essential component of living Judaism.
Take for example, contemporary efforts to stimulate observance of basic traditional patterns. An initiative conceived by Jewish communities in South Africa to encourage Jews from around the world who would normally not observe shabbat has inspired over 30 countries and 170 cities around the world to unite in making special efforts to stimulate Shabbat observance on the weekend of October 24-25. At Beth Emeth , we have created the following acronym - S-savor the shabbat, H- hallah to Havdalah, A -attend shul with a friend, B- be a host for Shabbat dinner and/or lunch, B - be a guest for Shabbat dinner and/or lunch, A - adopt a Shabbat mitzvah, T - technology free/unplug. Let us know how we can help you enrich your observance of Shabbat.
Take for example our annual participation in a North American initiative called Shabbat across North America, an effort to stimulate the celebration of Shabbat at the dinner or lunch table.
Take for example the World Wide Wrap, a program designed by the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, an initiative held on Super Bowl Sunday to take the tefilin out of the showcase and to stimulate the almost daily observance of donning tefilin.
Observing Jewish holidays is important. Observing lifecycle moments is important. Observing seasonal and occasional times is important. But today, it is the day to day Mitzvot which I wish to discuss with you. Today, I am conducting an appeal, not with a Terumah or Israel Bond card. I am making a Mitzvah appeal. There are 613 Mitzvot. Many require not to do something, like not committing murder. I am not talking about these Mitzvot. Many Mitzvot require us to help humanity, like clothing the naked and feeding the poor. I am not talking about these Mitzvot.
A traditional community like ours needs to define itself beyond conducting a traditional liturgy on Sabbaths and Holy Days. I reach out to you today to reclaim the traditional ritual oriented Mitzvot of Judaism. Why - you may ask? Because God actually commanded them? Because they have been with us for thousands of years? Because in some way they refine us and make us better people? Because they unite us with Jews through history and around the world? Take your pick!
When God revealed Torah at Mount Sinai, our people responded, "Naase V'Nishma - We will do and then from doing, we will come to understand." The famous Nike commercial says it more succinctly, "Just do it."
I want to tell you something about my father, of blessed memory. He grew up in a poor foster home in the Bronx with minimal Jewish education. He grew up doing Mitzvot but without a proper understanding of the Mitzvah and without a grasp of the Hebrew language. When he became a father to his four children, he pledged to provide us with a maximum Jewish education so that we could observe and understand Mitzvot with pride and confidence. What parent does not want to provide more for his/her children?
Many of us sitting in the sanctuary are comparable to my father. Here in Canada, many of us have provided our children with more than we received. We provided them with formal Jewish educations that we did not receive. Perhaps, some of us were running to stay alive during the horrific years of the shoah. Perhaps, some of us grew up in isolated Jewish areas in order to survive economically. I do not know anyone who does not want to plant memories for the next generation.
Today, however, I speak to you, the adults of our shul. For the most part, our children are having memories planted for them. Most of our children receive some type of formal Jewish education and learn the essential mitzvot of Judaism.
What about our Judaism? For us? What Jewish memories do we wish to create for ourselves. I have no doubt that we are good in remembering the past. That explains why so many of us attend yizkor. I have no doubt that we are good in providing future memories for our children. That is what an older generation does for the next generation. I implore to participate in my Mitzvah appeal campaign today. There is no tab card to fold. I ask you to make a personal commitment to add a traditional mitzvah to your lifestyle. You might even like it.
Mitzvah observance is not an all or nothing proposition. Every little bit counts. More is better than less. Mitzvah observance is like climbing a ladder. You do it one step at a time. Each step you take is an act of holiness. In the beginning of a poem written by the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, he writes:
"God is the steps that ascend to a place that no longer exists, or that doesn't yet exist; yet the steps are my faith; the steps are my disappointment.
Jacob our father knew this in his dream.
The angels only decorated the steps of the staircase.
A song of the steps is a song of praise to God who is the steps."
Be encouraged to take on a new Mitzvah in your life, or part of a Mitzvah. Be daring. Be bold. Take a step toward a Mitzvah you have never done or even considered before. You may be surprised how doing a mitzvah, even a little step of a mitzvah, will enrich your life.
I have watched mourners attend daily minyan to recite kaddish in memory of a loved one. That is a great mitzvah. I have watched some of these mourners who had never donned Tallit and Tefilin before. Now, many of them continue to do so even after their term for saying kaddish is over. I have watched mourners attend daily minyan who knew to don Tallit and Tefilin but who could barely read Hebrew, let alone, lead a weekday service. Many learned to lead during their term of kaddish and continue to do so even after their term for kaddish is over.
Imagine the kind of role model we would be in terms of Jewish continuity if we gathered our children and grandchildren not only for shabbat dinner, but brought them to shul regularly on shabbat morning. Imagine if after we returned home from shul that we paused from our regular daily pursuits to observe the rest of shabbat as well?
In classical Jewish thought, the positive mitzvot of shabbat are based on the words "Zachor- Remember the Sabbath Day," and the negative Mitzvot of Shabbat are based on the words, "Shamor - Safeguard the Sabbath Day."
Zachor, remember, is more than an abstract cognitive thing. Zachor means action and doing, like lighting the candles and reciting kiddush.
At last year's night of learning on the first night of Shavuot, Rabbi Weitzman taught that the two Biblical watchwords of Zachor and Shamor also had a contemporary meaning. Zachor, remember, means the shoah. Shamor, safeguard, means the State of Israel.
For many years, many Canadian Jews have created a memory of action for our children in regard to remembering the shoah. As parents and grandparents, many of us have enabled our children and grandchildren to visit various communities and sites in Eastern Europe under proper supervision. However, many of us who have sent our children on such programs have not ourselves ever witnessed these sites for the sake of our own memories.
Take me for example. I enabled one of my sons to visit Poland with the March of the Living, and my other son through Ramah-Israel. I am not alone in having not gone myself.
I invite you - A year from this November in 2015, we the adult community of our synagogue will have the opportunity create our own memories. Zachor - We will be in Poland for a week overlapping with the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Shamor - We will then spend a week celebrating Jewish life in Israel. On our journey as a group, we will observe shabbat, keep kashrut as a traditional community. You can bring your tallit and tefilin as well.
I started my remarks today by telling you about a pair of tefilin found in a synagogue showcase as a relic of our past. I conclude with a counter-story. Many years ago, the noted Israeli archaeologist, Yigal Yadin, was excavating sites on Masada. There, he discovered a pair of tefilin some 2000 years old. He remarked how wonderful it is to see the continuity of Mitzvot, noting that Jews continue to don tefilin some 2000 years later.
I dedicate my sermon today to the survivors of the shoah in our shul. You have shown the way. You didn't give up. You came to a new country and started from fresh. You nurtured a family. You pioneered a synagogue. You showed a commitment to rebuilding Jewish life. Through you and those born after you, may the continuing generations remember, safeguard, observe, learn and appreciate the wondrous mitzvot of the Jewish heritage.
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Senior Clergy
Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue
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