Join us for our next service on September 2, 2006
(9 Elul 5766)
We will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Newmark Hall.
Our service will be led by Mollie Wine.
The Torah Portion for the Sabbath is:
"Parashat Ki Teitzei"
It's going to be a fun and festive afternoon from 10 am to 2 pm.
The entire community is invited, members and non-members alike.
Here are some of the highlights:
- There will be Israeli dancing at noon led by our own Robin Winston.
- Rabbi August will do a teaching at 1 pm.
- Cantor Greenfeld will lead singing.
- Docent tours will highlight the stain-glass windows.
- The Gift store will be open.
- There are raffle prizes.
- Especially for children: Dan the Man gymnastics, Moon Bounce, Arts and Crafts, Basketball, Sand Art, Treasure Hunt and Storytelling.
A BBQ lunch and snacks will be served. There is no charge for this event. Activities will take place in the air-conditioned social hall.
My friend announced she was off to Hawaii and I was surprised she could afford to go when her job paid a minimal salary. She told me, "I saved my pennies". I know that I often tell a cashier to "keep the pennies", as if the penny is so insignificant, it does not matter. My friend on the other hand, saved hers, and went on a dream vacation!
There is a teaching I have heard for years from my wise aunt, that asserts, "It is the nickel and dime items that have the most value in life." The Torah portion, Eikev, agrees with this sentiment with its opening sentence. In Hebrew the first few words say, "V'hayah eikev tishmeun", literally translated as, "And if you listen and obey these rules and observe them", the Lord will be faithful to you. Our problem is the word "eikev" which is unusual and only appears five times in the Torah!
The medieval commentator, Rashi, translates the word Eikev using another meaning. The word is spelled the same but pronounced "Akeiv", which means "heel of a foot." Rashi continues and explains, "If you will observe the Mitzvot that are ordinarily trampled on by the heel of your foot, then God's blessings will follow."
What Mitzvot, commandments, do we tend to ignore? The Pennies! The small, insignificant acts that we forget about, or are too lazy or apathetic to observe. The big Mitzvot, like fasting on Yom Kippur we all observe, but how many non-orthodox Jews find meaning fasting on Tisha B'Av? In addition to ritual Mitzvot, how many small, "insignificant" acts do we trample on with our heel? The simple acts of calling a sick friend, writing a thank you note, or sending Tzedakah, make a big difference and are too often overlooked.
There is a sweet story about a Rabbi who visited a wealthy man who contributed to his Yeshivah, but was not the least bit interested in Judaism. When the Rabbi asked the man why, he explained that he was a rebellious teen-ager and was not accepted into a famous Yeshivah. After failing the entrance exams, it was too late to travel home and unexpectedly, the head rabbi invited the young man to sleep in his house. Even though he failed the exams, he was treated like an important guest and later, in the middle of the night, he remembers the rabbi came into his room and said, "it's too cold in here, what shall I do?" The rabbi took off his own jacket and tucked him in. "That jacket still gives me warmth today," the wealthy man said, and is why I continue to give Tzedakah to the Yeshivah. It is the small things that merit the blessings. It is the "Heel" commandments, the acts we forget about, that can change lives and brings holiness into our world.
I am writing this column while the war with Hezbollah is raging and I remember how optimistic I was years ago in 1993 during the beginning of the Oslo Accords. Though flawed and imperfect, the first year had small but profound results. Arab and Israeli people were shopping in each other's stores and were saying hello. A small act like a civilized greeting was an opening to recognizing one another as human beings. Perhaps, over time, in spite of the leaders who espouse terrorist politics, tolerance could have replaced the vicious hatred.
This is the message of Eikev. It is the way we walk, the way we find balance and place our feet that give meaning in our lives. May we remember the Morning Prayer, "Hameichin mitzadei gaver" and thank God for making firm each person's steps, and may we be blessed to walk in humility, health and in peace.
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