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Rediscovering Wonder: Devarim 5770
Journey into the Soul of the Weekly Torah Portion
The Book of Deuteronomy: A 10 Part Journey
We rely heavily on the rational mind
to navigate the journey of life.
But intelligence alone can breed complacency,
unless we perceive and appreciate the transcendent.
In Deuteronomy, the final book of the Torah,
Moshe imparts lessons about the power of striving,
which emerges when the rational self humbles itself
and makes room for the presence of the Infinite.
Devarim: Lost and Found in Translation Have you ever travelled to a foreign country where you did not understand the language, and could not even decipher the alphabet? Can you imagine what it would be like to live full-time in a place where you were completely illiterate? How would you get the things that you needed in life, both material and spiritual, without having access to the words that indicate them? The title of the last of the five books of Moses, and this week’s parsha, Devarim, means Things, the most generalized word in the English language to denote stuff of any and every kind. In the holy and perfect language of Hebrew, devarim, or things in general, comes from the same root, dvr, the word that indicates speech, which are sounds that have been shaped into words and sentences that people can understand and use. Thus, for the Torah to be a useful blueprint for our use of the things that G-d creates, the Torah must be communicated in words that everyone can understand. In this week’s Torah Studies class we will learn about Moshe’s decision to occupy the very end of his life with translating the Torah into the seventy primary languages of mankind. But as we all know, things do get “lost in translation”, and we will see the importance of not only learning Torah in our native languages, but also of learning it in the original language of Hebrew as well, in order to “find in the original” G-d’s deeper Will and Wisdom for each of us as individuals, and for mankind as a whole.
Va'etchanan: Bridging the Gap between Things and Ideas Can you describe the beauty of a sunset to someone who is blind, or convey the emotional impact of music to someone who is deaf? Is it possible to touch a concept with your hands, or to move a table with your mind? Is there a scale that you can use to weigh an idea or to measure the depth of a concept? The answer to each of these questions is “no”, because the physical and the spiritual, the world of things and the world of ideas, are made up of different properties with definite borders between them. Nevertheless, the world that we access with our senses and the world that we access with our reason are both crucial means of accessing the one place in which we all live-- the place that we call “the real world”, the world that we are meant to perfect with both our actions and our ideas. In this week’s Torah Studies class we will examine the difference between these two spheres through a study of two mitzvoth that appear in this week’s parsha: The audible mitzvah of “Shema Yisrael”, and the soundless mitzvah of studying the words of Torah. We will show how and why the finite sensory perceptions and limited actions of a physical body --rather than the contemplation of infinite ideas within an infinite Torah by a spiritual mind-- have the capacity to create the deepest changes in our world.
Eikev: The First Step is Forgiveness Have you ever wanted to be forgiven by someone you had harmed, but you just could not bring yourself to face them? Can admitting your mistakes, making amends for your actions, and asking for forgiveness ever be an easy thing for you, or for anyone to do? Going beyond one regretted act, or one hurt person, have you ever wanted to completely turn your life around, and stop hurting others and yourself once and for all? Going beyond people, have you ever wanted to be forgiven by HaShem so that you could make a completely new start in your life? How hard is that forgiveness to obtain? In this week’s Torah Studies class we’ll be focusing on the key concepts of human repentance and Divine forgiveness. We’ll focus on HaShem’s role as Divine Judge, and contrast the differences between Divine Justice and forgiveness, and human justice and forgiveness. We will see that Divine forgiveness comes so very easily, but once we are forgiven, the real work has just begun.
Re'eh: Living in the Present vs. Anticipating the Future Is it better to buy something that you want right now, or save your money to buy something even better, or possibly even more necessary, in the future? Is it wise for an investor to sacrifice certain short term gains for more uncertain but possibly greater long term rewards? What are the consequences of always sacrificing for the future, but never living in the moment? What are the consequences of always living in the moment and never planning for the future? In this week’s Torah Studies class we’ll be examining these important questions from a number of contrasting perspectives in our tradition-- from the different focuses that appear within the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds, to the contrasting perspectives of two of the earliest classic translators of the Torah--Onkelos and Yonaton. We’ll see how a wisely managed life always takes both the present as well as the future into account, and that both perspectives must be maintained with equal vigor, however paradoxical and difficult that sometimes may be.
Shoftim: The Fruits of our Spiritual Labor What is it about trees that we all find so alluring? When you were a child did you like to climb them? Have you ever relaxed by just sitting in their shade, or have you ever enjoyed gazing at their foliage, in spring, summer or fall? Did you ever pick the fruit of a tree and eat it right then and there? What is the source of human fascination with trees? In this week’s Torah Studies class we’ll be focusing on trees as a metaphor for human existence and spirituality. Near the conclusion this week’s parsha, Shoftim, the Torah provides the laws of battle. One law states that when we besiege a city, we are forbidden to cut down its fruit trees. The Torah then informs us of the obscure reason: “for a man is a tree of the field”. To find out exactly what this means, we will be introduced to the four kingdoms of life: inanimate, plant, animal, and speaking (human). We will then examine how these categories not only exist in the physical world, but also have a presence in the “inner world,” within each of us. We then will zero in on the vegetative principle in general and on trees in particular, and see how trees present as extraordinary metaphor for the widest range of elements in our spiritual selves.
Ki Teitzei: Does G-d Practice what He Preaches? Don’t you just hate it when people don’t “walk their talk”? What do you think of a parent who sets rules for their children that they themselves break with abandon? Or a legislator who creates a law that he has no intention of obeying? Or a judge who breaks the same laws that he punishes others for not following? Practicing what you preach is a universally recognized virtue, but does that virtue apply to the Ultimate parent, legislator and judge: G-d Himself? Can it be said that HaShem ought to be obligated to demonstrate the same virtues, and follow the same laws, so to speak, that he has established for His creation? In this week’s Torah Studies class we’ll be examining a key principle of Jewish theology: The notion that G-d in fact obligates Himself to follow the same laws and moral principles that He has established for the Jewish people. We will focus on one halacha in particular that appears in this week’s parsha: The obligation of an employer to pay his employee’s wages in a timely fashion. We will see how it is possible for Hashem to obey the law of timely payment, when His ultimate “payment” to us for our Torah and mitzvoth will only be made in the World to Come.
Ki Tavo/Chai Elul: Everything is a Blessing in Disguise What are the most important qualities in a great teacher? Does he merely provide information in a more pleasing and effective way than the average teacher does? Or does a great teacher do something more than teach us about things and ideas? To most of us, a great teacher has the ability to bring out the best from within ourselves. They open our eyes and our minds so that we ourselves can see life in a deeper and truer way than would ever could have without the teacher’s help. This week, on the eighteenth day of Elul, we celebrate the birthday of two of greatest teachers who have ever lived: The Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe. In our Torah Studies class we’ll focus on a core lesson that they continue to teach each of us today: The idea that absolutely everything that exists, and everything that happens within existence is a creation of HaShem, who is perfectly and completely good. And, they taught, it therefore follows that even the most painful experiences in life are deeply hidden manifestations of HaShem’s infinite kindness.
Nitzavim-Vayeilech/Rosh Hashanah: Reaching Upward, Inward and Outward Which do you think is most important: Reaching upward to serve HaShem, reaching outward to help your fellow man, or reaching inward to know and nurture your authentic self? And consider this: Could you imagine any person doing any one of these things sincerely and effectively without doing the other two as well? In this week’s Torah studies class we will be learning about how to best prepare for the High Holiday of Rosh HaShana by connecting some ideas presented of this week’s parsha, Nitzavim-Vayeilech, with the three foundational pillars of Judaism: Torah study, Divine worship, and acts of kindness. We will highlight the crucial role that our Divine service plays in our revealing infinite Divinity within the finite creation. And we will emphasize HaShem’s attribute of malchut, or kingship in order to demonstrate what each of us will accomplish when on Rosh HaShana we proclaim His sovereignty over us as individuals and as His nation.
Haazinu/Yom Kippur: Unveiling the Essential Oneness of Life Just what is it that makes Yom Kippur such a profoundly different day? While we do certain things differently on Yom Kippur than most other days of the year, are there any aspects to the day that are completely unique to it? Have you ever felt and experienced the power of Yom Kippur itself? In today’s Torah Studies class we will explore the themes of atonement and repentance in general, and how they interact in a very special way on Yom Kippur in particular. We first will delve into the differences between various types of teshuvah and see what they accomplish in terms of rectifying and then erasing a person’s transgressions. We then will focus on the atonement of Yom Kippur and clarify how it relates to the teshuvah of Yom Kippur. Finally, we will turn our attention to the prayer that is unique to Yom Kippur – “Ne’ilah”, and find how the closing portion of this prayer reflects the themes expressed above, and provides us with inspiration and direction in bringing the message of Yom Kippur into our lives on every other day of the year.
Vezot Habracha/Sukkot: Experiencing the Joy of Jewish Unity What does it mean to you to experience real joy? Is joy something that you would prefer to experience alone, or do you feel the need to be in the presence of others whenever you experience real joy? In this week’s Torah Studies lesson we will examine Tishrei’s month of holidays through the prism of Jewish unity. First we will analyze the legal and mystical ramifications of the differences in Jewish unity that are reflected in the main aspects of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Next, we will continue the discussion by exploring the advantage of SimchatTorah over Shemini Atzeres. Finally, we will delve into the connection between the parshah of Vezot HaBracha with a special emphasis on Sukkot in general and Simchat Torah in particular. We hope to show that there is no greater happiness than experiencing Sukkot with our family, our friends, and our fellow Jews.
