"Sin" makes us squirm. The word itself makes people uncomfortable. Perhaps that is why we hear - and say- the word so infrequently. If someone uses the word "sin" in general conversation the reaction is either to label them a "fundamentalist Bible thumper" or smirk.
While sin may be forgiven (the good part) it is by definition wrong, it is evil (the hard part). It is difficult to get comfortable with such dichotomies.
Most folks would rather dismiss evil as "misplaced " or "misguided" or plain bad judgment. That is why we will often hear people like Hitler described as "sick." When someone is sick there is a cure. It is in a sense, forgivable because there is a remedy. Sometimes it can be made better by drugs or psychotherapy. Evil, on the other hand, implicitly holds that there are no mitigating circumstances or meaningful excuses.
We have developed a certain sophistication which allows us to avoid calling anything sinful.
I have heard that Eskimos have many different words for snow; as many as seventy, I have been told. Makes sense. If snow is such an integral part of their lives they have to recognize what different sorts of snow mean and how it can be used.
In English there are not many words for sin (transgression is one that Jews often use. It sounds cleaner, somehow, doesn't it?) The lack of synonyms for sin points to our discomfort with the word and idea. In Hebrew there are several words for sin. One means a conscious sin. Another denotes an unwitting sin. And yet another is a sin where we tried to do the right thing but it came out wrong. There are more.
Way back in the beginning of time, there is a portrayal of sin, poised and ready to sink its teeth into the flesh of humanity (take a look at Genesis 4:7). In Judaism there is no such thing as "original sin;" there is only the potential to cause evil. In no other life form that we know is there that potential. There is no morality in nature, only in people. So we learn from his passage that sin does not exist until it is realized by a person.
The Parasha, Ki Tissa, correlates God's commands (mitzvot) with the possibility of rejecting them. "Oh, this people have sinned. They have sinned a great sin." (32:32). These are Moses' words as he asked for forgiveness for the evil committed by the Israelites.
Let's be clear: God establishes categories of good (mitzvot) and evil (sin). Ignoring the mitzvot is wrong and leads to sin. Humanity has always had a hard time admitting that, because the zeitgeist of every era pushes us to make excuses for sin with any number of sophisticated psychological devices.
In the Talmud, Rav Sheshet occasionally fasted for his sins. After he completed his self-imposed fast he would pray, "Master of all words, when the Holy Temple existed and we sinned we used to bring a korban (sacrifice). Its flesh and blood would be our forgiveness. Now we have no Temple. It lies in ashes. We have no korban to bring to You. So, may it be Your will that my flesh and blood which has resisted food be a korban before You."
What Rav Sheshet understood was that we become better people when we acknowledge and own the pain, suffering and evil we have introduced to the world. Only then can we rise above it.
The finest people I have met in my life are the ones who take their actions seriously and feel personal pain when they have sinned. These are the people I choose to be around for they continue to strive for goodness and wholeness.
I once asked a group of children in Hebrew School if it was legal to drive at 56 miles per hour. They were unanimous in their response, "Yes." I went on to tell them while they might not be ticketed for driving one mile an hour over the speed limit, the police still have the right to issue a ticket for breaking the law. Children learn at an early age to excuse bad behavior through rationalization rather than taking personal responsibility. I know where they got it from.
Inasmuch as we believe there is goodness we must also believe in its opposite.
Reb Menachem Mendel said, "To fear punishment is nothing. What we must fear is sin."
Showing posts with label Forgive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgive. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Friday, March 11, 2016
Vayikra
In the week’s Torah reading, called Vayikra, there is an
oddity. The word Vayikra is written with
a tiny aleph as the last letter. It is
actually written that way in the holy Torah.
Why? Without the
aleph the word Vayikra become Vayikar, changing the meaning from “And He
called….” to “And he was dear…”
Perhaps it could indicate two meanings at once. God “called” to Moses and spoke to him the
next words. At the same, time, it is
implicit that Moses was very “dear” to God.
Why would there be a need to state both?
Maybe God always holds us very dear when He calls to us….even when we
are oblivious to the call. This is a
powerful idea because with other people we want them to respond to us for we
connect with them. It is not so with
God. He reaches out even when we do not
reciprocate.
Could this be the lesson we are being taught? That God wants us to always think the best of
one another. When someone does not
acknowledge our efforts or our presence we become offended and want to strike
back at them. Yet, we know the truth:
there are times when a person is so self-absorbed they do not see what is
happening around them. Other times they
are nursing a wound, which may have nothing to do with us. And by our misinterpretation of their action
we can destroy this relationship.
It is a mitzvah to forgive and judge people kindly. May we do so.
With all the comments made, especially with which we do not agree, may kindness
prevail over bitterness.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Eikev: God and Us
Conciliation is a powerful theme that cuts through this time of year. Is it not remarkable that after an exile of nearly twenty centuries we are still here? All other nations that we read about in the Torah and history books have been reduced to historical footnotes. We alone remain.
~
In the Torah reading there are references to our missteps and intentional violations of God’s will. In every instance there is a punishment , or at least a withdrawal of the Lord’s favor, in response to what was done. Yet the Talmud makes it very clear that when God’s name is called by a minyan, He answers. Such prayer is an invitation for the Holy to join us. His Presence reacts to us. 1 God wants us to respond to the Call. He yearns for our answer but we always have a choice as to how we respond.
~
Eikev is usually translated as - because. It is an unusual use of the word. Rashi tells us that it means heel. Like the patriarch of long ago - Yakov - Eikev also has as its root, heel. What Rashi seems to be saying is that all the laws that God gave to us, whether from the lowly heel or to highest heights of heaven, are equally important before the One.
The Sassover Rebbe expanded this idea when he said that with every step of our heel we need to be cognizant of doing the Will of the Lord, God. We must be ever mindful of whether what we are saying or doing God would approve.
~
Manna was food from heaven. The parasha tells us that the manna was a test, though. How would manna be a test?
We know that the manna was the daily sustenance of the people. It appeared every day and nourished the Israelites as they traipsed through the desert. How could the manna possibly be a test?
The Maggid of Mezritch provides illumination. The Maggid reveals that people have two spiritual obstacles. The first is when they do not have enough. People will then worry about where the bread of tomorrow will come from. Some are strong in faith that it will come. Others grow impatient and become negative-minded. There is another kind of test though; a test of affluence. For many, when they have everything that they need, they grow haughty, feel superior and then take their gifts for granted. This was the test for the Israelites. With their daily manna would they remain grateful or become possessive and selfish?
Which is more difficult? To be thankful in years of plenty or grateful in the lean years?
~
The Torah tells us to circumcise our hearts. What does this mean? Like a flesh circumcision it will not be easy. Doing what we perceive to be in our best interest is often selfish and egotistical. It serves our needs, often to the detriment of others. For example, demeaning another person down may make us feel superior. Saying bad things however, degrades us more than them. Another example is hurting, stealing from another person or business and justifying by saying they deserved it. This kind of excuse-making is a mask for evil. It also corrupts us.
Circumcising the heart means always asking whether what we are about to do is a genuflecting before the altar of the ego or doing what God wants. It is a radical redirecting of the way we are taught to think. Circumcising the heart is not easy. It is self-critical living. Yet, the greatest benefit is the freedom from the ultimate slavery, obeisance to oneself.
~
Often we are told in Torah and in this parasha, to Fear the Lord. The Baal Shem Tov reinterpreted this verse to mean that it is God who fears. How is it possible that God will fear anything? The Master of All has any fear?
The Baal Shem reminds us that a parent teaches a child proper conduct, rules of behavior, ways of conversing and interaction. Then when the education is complete the parent sends the child out into the world. The parent does not just let go of the offspring. They worry. They spend sleepless nights agonizing if they will fare well. Will they remember all the lessons they were taught? Will the recollect all the accumulated and imparted wisdom? Or will they forget the lessons?
That, says the Baal Shem, is the fear of the Lord. He has given us instructions, commandments, advice and lessons to equip us to face the world. Now, the Celestial One worries: Will My children remember what I have taught them?
Berachot 6a
Haftara Insight:
This is the second reading of Consolation in the aftermath of Destruction. The question is raised; Is it possible to forget your beloved? Would a mother not remember her offspring? Is it possible that the God of the ancient ones would dismiss His children?
The rhetorical question requires no response. Nonetheless, Isaiah reassures the nation of Israel that the love of the Almighty is eternal. With soothing language, the prophet buoys a despondent people
A Matter of Law:
On Bread: Whenever consuming more than a bite-ful of bread we are commanded to thank, bless God for that gift. Inasmuch as it is a mitzvah to thank God before eating it is an earlier biblical injunction to bless what we have already eaten. In other words, while saying grace before and after meals are both mitzvot, the blessing after meals is the only explicit Torah law of the two.
~
In the Torah reading there are references to our missteps and intentional violations of God’s will. In every instance there is a punishment , or at least a withdrawal of the Lord’s favor, in response to what was done. Yet the Talmud makes it very clear that when God’s name is called by a minyan, He answers. Such prayer is an invitation for the Holy to join us. His Presence reacts to us. 1 God wants us to respond to the Call. He yearns for our answer but we always have a choice as to how we respond.
~
Eikev is usually translated as - because. It is an unusual use of the word. Rashi tells us that it means heel. Like the patriarch of long ago - Yakov - Eikev also has as its root, heel. What Rashi seems to be saying is that all the laws that God gave to us, whether from the lowly heel or to highest heights of heaven, are equally important before the One.
The Sassover Rebbe expanded this idea when he said that with every step of our heel we need to be cognizant of doing the Will of the Lord, God. We must be ever mindful of whether what we are saying or doing God would approve.
~
Manna was food from heaven. The parasha tells us that the manna was a test, though. How would manna be a test?
We know that the manna was the daily sustenance of the people. It appeared every day and nourished the Israelites as they traipsed through the desert. How could the manna possibly be a test?
The Maggid of Mezritch provides illumination. The Maggid reveals that people have two spiritual obstacles. The first is when they do not have enough. People will then worry about where the bread of tomorrow will come from. Some are strong in faith that it will come. Others grow impatient and become negative-minded. There is another kind of test though; a test of affluence. For many, when they have everything that they need, they grow haughty, feel superior and then take their gifts for granted. This was the test for the Israelites. With their daily manna would they remain grateful or become possessive and selfish?
Which is more difficult? To be thankful in years of plenty or grateful in the lean years?
~
The Torah tells us to circumcise our hearts. What does this mean? Like a flesh circumcision it will not be easy. Doing what we perceive to be in our best interest is often selfish and egotistical. It serves our needs, often to the detriment of others. For example, demeaning another person down may make us feel superior. Saying bad things however, degrades us more than them. Another example is hurting, stealing from another person or business and justifying by saying they deserved it. This kind of excuse-making is a mask for evil. It also corrupts us.
Circumcising the heart means always asking whether what we are about to do is a genuflecting before the altar of the ego or doing what God wants. It is a radical redirecting of the way we are taught to think. Circumcising the heart is not easy. It is self-critical living. Yet, the greatest benefit is the freedom from the ultimate slavery, obeisance to oneself.
~
Often we are told in Torah and in this parasha, to Fear the Lord. The Baal Shem Tov reinterpreted this verse to mean that it is God who fears. How is it possible that God will fear anything? The Master of All has any fear?
The Baal Shem reminds us that a parent teaches a child proper conduct, rules of behavior, ways of conversing and interaction. Then when the education is complete the parent sends the child out into the world. The parent does not just let go of the offspring. They worry. They spend sleepless nights agonizing if they will fare well. Will they remember all the lessons they were taught? Will the recollect all the accumulated and imparted wisdom? Or will they forget the lessons?
That, says the Baal Shem, is the fear of the Lord. He has given us instructions, commandments, advice and lessons to equip us to face the world. Now, the Celestial One worries: Will My children remember what I have taught them?
Berachot 6a
Haftara Insight:
This is the second reading of Consolation in the aftermath of Destruction. The question is raised; Is it possible to forget your beloved? Would a mother not remember her offspring? Is it possible that the God of the ancient ones would dismiss His children?
The rhetorical question requires no response. Nonetheless, Isaiah reassures the nation of Israel that the love of the Almighty is eternal. With soothing language, the prophet buoys a despondent people
A Matter of Law:
On Bread: Whenever consuming more than a bite-ful of bread we are commanded to thank, bless God for that gift. Inasmuch as it is a mitzvah to thank God before eating it is an earlier biblical injunction to bless what we have already eaten. In other words, while saying grace before and after meals are both mitzvot, the blessing after meals is the only explicit Torah law of the two.
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