As we begin the High Holy Days season, I want to discuss one of the most challenging mitzvot of the 613 commandments. Some of you might be feeling that attending shul on Rosh Hashanah is high on the list. Others might imagine that the most difficult mitzvah is martyrdom- giving one’s life to affirm the religious integrity of our faith in God. Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai taught that the mitzvah of honouring one’s parents – particularly as they become physically or mentally infirm - is the hardest.
Perhaps reflecting his own experience, Elie Wiesel cites the Vilna Gaon who taught that the commandments ‘Do not steal,’ ‘do not kill,’ are easy, but the hardest mitzvah is to face the difficulties of life and still rejoice in your holidays (v’samahta behagekha). This year, with yom tov coming so soon after a summer of disruptions, diseases and deaths for families in our community, I share some of that feeling.
I believe that the most challenging mitzvah is one shared by many great faiths, one which seems so simple, a mitzvah for everyone. Rabbi Aqiva taught: The most comprehensive teaching of the Torah is “Love your neighbour as yourself. I am the eternal (ve’ahavta le’re’akha kamokha, anee H)”.
As I think of this mitzvah, I recall the words from 1738 with which Rabbi Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto introduced his ethical essay Mesillat Yesharim:
I have written this work not to teach people what they do not know, but to remind them of what they already know and is evident to them… But just as these things are well-known and their truths obvious, so too is forgetfulness in relation to them.
Why is this mitzvah such a challenge? First, unlike so many other commandments, this one requires self-awareness as well as awareness of others. Secondly, so many other mitzvot are dependent upon this mitzvah. Finally, it is easy to affirm the ideal, but it is very difficult to put it into practice. Today, I want to analyze this mitzvah, relate it to certain classical and contemporary issues, and set forth a program of action and analysis that may help you through the year ahead.
V’ahavta – You shall love- stems from a recognition that “Life is so difficult, how can we be anything but kind?” (Sylvia Boorstein). You never really know where you are going, so the shofar calls us to awaken and pay attention on our daily journeys. We are called to be more mindful of ourselves, more aware and concerned for others, and more alert to the larger world in which we live.
V’ahavta calls upon us to refine the qualities of our hearts so that we understand that we did not begin alone; we started life because of the gift of others. As we go through life, we depend on the many kindnesses of others. If we see the world through the lenses of gratitude and humility, we recognize that we have responsibilities to others. We are called upon to reach out and to act with hesed.
For the first time since arriving in Canada, Josette and I travelled to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. One of the reasons that I enjoyed the production of “Harvey” so much is that the main character, Elwood P. Dowd, sees more than what others perceive. “Some people are blind. That is often brought to my attention.” Not only does Elwood see an invisible six foot tall white rabbit, he also sees the pain and the dreams that others have. And he responds with simple love.
The medieval guide, Sefer Hahinukh (Mitzvah 243) teaches:
Many commandments are related to this one. Thus one who loves “a neighbour” will not steal; nor be unfaithful, nor defraud or insult another, nor trespass upon another’s property, nor cause the other damage. The fulfillment of many other commandments is dependent upon the fulfillment of this one.
Over time, v’ahavta is enhanced by specificity and “becomes more robust and concrete, its expectations clarified and enlarged” (Lenn Goodman).
In 19th century Jewish Lithuania, Rabbi Yisrael Salanter initiated a moral revival movement known as Mussar. He taught that intellectual study was insufficient for the development of virtue. The human being, so easily distracted, often with conflicted emotions and desires, cannot easily change bad moral habits. Character education required more than study. Rabbi Salanter and his disciples drew upon centuries of wisdom and practice to develop a range of practices to help a person to bring mussar, discipline, to our appetites and emotions.
They particularly stressed the mitzvah of “loving one’s neighbour”, bearing the burden of others, so that we might develop fine souls. When asked what one should be focusing on during the Days of Awe, Rabbi Salanter responded that so many people come to synagogue during these days, one must be exceedingly careful in finding one's seat, lest you step on someone's toes. For us, I would suggest that as we enter and leave our places of prayer, we should do so with respect for others. As we sit with others, those who usually enjoy perfume should be aware that others may not.
Your neighbour- Re’akha calls on us to think about “who is our neighbour”? While our classical sources usually frame this mitzvah as applying within our own community, over time we have become more inclusive. I believe that it begins with our people, but that the horizon of our religious aspirations extends to include all people.
In our time, this is somewhat complex. As Jews and Canadians we cannot ignore the dangers that Islamic Jihadists pose to us and Western society. The murderous psychiatrist at Fort Hood, the underwear bomber, the terrorists in London, the Times Square car bomber and our Canadian “home grown” were not just "extremists" or "radicals". They were Islamist Jihadists and they meant what they said - they want to destroy Israel and Western civilization.
At the same time, I have encouraged and will continue to advocate and develop dialogue projects with mosques and imams. We want to - we must – find ways to understand each other and to get along in this country and elsewhere. Many of you are aware of the proposal to construct an Islamic community centre in Manhattan, two blocks away from what is referred to as Ground Zero. The Imam involved has a history of engagement with the Jewish community and is among the Muslim leaders that we can identify as a spiritual ally.
Yesterday, Imam Feisal Rauf wrote:
we envision shared space for community activities… There will be separate prayer spaces for Muslims, Christians, Jews, and men and women of other faiths. The center will also include a multi-faith memorial dedicated to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks…. We will seek the support of the families of victims of 9/11, and the support of our vibrant neighborhood, as we … plan for the community center. Our objective has always been to make this a center for unification and healing.
This proposed project is not a symbol of the hatred of al-Qaeda agents who claimed to be acting in the name of Islam. It is a symbol that moderate Muslims have a place in the fabric of American and Canadian society. At the same time, we must hold the Imam to his word and carefully monitor the sources of funding for this centre.
Kamokhah- As yourself- An example: While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a restaurant for lunch. After their meal, they resumed their trip. The elderly woman had left her glasses on the table and didn't miss them until they had been driving for about forty minutes. To add to the aggravation, they had to travel more to find a place to turn around, to return to the restaurant to retrieve the glasses. On the way back, the husband became the classic grouch. He complained and scolded his wife relentlessly. He wouldn't let up. To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car, the husband yelled to her, "While you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card."
The Sefer Hahinukh tells us that this mitzvah
follows the principle that one should treat another person in the way one would treat oneself. That is, protect the other person’s property, prevent him or her from being harmed, speak well of the other, respect her, and do not glorify yourself at her expense.
“As yourself” also implies that self-respect is a key to our care and concern for others. To give love, one must be filled with love, so that it spills over and enters others. That requires cultivation, so that we might fulfill this mitzvah. Respecting ourselves means that we have a place at the table. Respecting others means we should not exceed our space, nor act as if we are the ones that always require attention.
One of the most important thinkers of modern times is Emmanuel Levinas, a Lithuanian-born Jew who, following the Holocaust became the leading Jewish intellectual in France. Levinas’ thought makes personal ethical responsibility to others the starting point for philosophy and the primary focus of human identity. Instead of "I think, therefore I am" -- the phrase which launched modern philosophy -- Levinas, from deep within the Jewish tradition, sees the response of Avraham to God, hinnenee, here I am, as the ethical "I", the cornerstone of what it means to be human.
Writing after the murder of so many of his own family, Levinas argues that for us, post Holocaust we feel the absence of God, yet we do have a trace of the Divine available to us. He notes the words of the 13 attributes of divine compassion that we shall recite so many times during these Days of Awe. In the context of the Torah, they are proclaimed at a time when Moshe is not directly allowed to see the Presence of God; only the “back may be perceived”. In Levinas’ words, God gives us a trace of the Presence. Levinas says that in our time God is revealed to us the visage, the face of the Other. To be commanded means to recognize and respond to the Other and to the ethical responsibility that calls out to us. We come to God not by the Divine proclamation of the attributes of compassion, but through our living by those attributes. Because “The I always has one responsibility more than all the others”, “you shall love your neighbour” always precedes “as yourself” even without waiting for reciprocity.
Anee H’- I am the Eternal A mystical tradition associated with Rabbi Yitzhaq Luria directs Jews to begin morning prayers with these words: “I take upon myself the mitzvah of loving my neighbour, as is written: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself; I am the Eternal’.” Why begin words of prayer to God by first reminding ourselves about other human beings? The philosopher Lenn Goodman suggests that our “ethical commitments are deepened, broadened, and intensified by our understanding of God's love [and] our knowledge and love of God are enriched and given effect by our moral character and ethical practices.”
He uses the example of chimneying, a climbing technique. Facing a defile, a mountain cleft, you boost yourself up on one side, thrust off the rock face and then get to a higher place on the other side of the crevice. You then push off the other side to go further up on the first side. The ethical pushes off the theological and the theological chimneys up from the ethical so that we gradually gain a better view of God and of what is right.
Brandon, a member of our congregation with a young wife and two children, had a bone marrow transplant earlier this year. Someone he did not know gave him the possibility of life. I promised Brandon that I would encourage people to go beyond their usual borders to consider embracing the mitzvah of v’ahavta lere’akha – loving your neighbour- as it pertains to registering as a possible donor and much more.
There are amazing things that people in our community do to fulfill the mitzvah of V’ahavta le’re’akha kamokha. As I meet people, I am humbled by the many mitzvah heroes we have in our congregation. They don’t talk about what they do. They just do it. They are extraordinary ordinary people.
We have members who provide hospice support, visit the sick, and attend to people in skilled nursing facilities. There are people here who read for the blind, bring food to the elderly and spend time with the housebound. There are those who tutor Somali children and mentor new immigrants. Some feed the hungry at our Out of the Cold project and others listen to the lonely. There are members who regularly donate blood or blood components. Some of our young people have volunteered for Magen David Adom in Israel or helped native populations in Africa or Asia. We have members who have taught English, brought dental care or supported soldiers in Israel. Many of you have brought leadership skills to community organizations or to interfaith outreach efforts.
There are those among us who help to lead or maintain a minyan in a shivah home and others who take care of the meals. Men’s Club members help to lead Shabbat services at Sunnybrook; our Sisterhood ensures that brides have proper facilities for their weddings. Some of you have brought wedding dresses to Israel; others have made sure that Israeli soldiers have shlukers to keep them hydrated. On our annual Mitzvah Day young people make sandwiches for the homeless and bring used athletic equipment for distribution to those not so blessed with multiple hockey sticks. We have bnei mitzvah who have set up mitzvah projects in Israel and one who brought pencils to Africa. I wish I could list all the many mitzvot. We should be proud of all these and many other efforts.
I am asking you to add to these mitzvot participating in and offering financial support for our congregation. As a community, we do some amazing things to help people. Your involvement- in whatever way you can- helps us to make a difference in the lives of real people- some members of Beth Tzedec and others way beyond the borders of our synagogue. When we are called, we show up to help smaller synagogues and significant community ventures. Your financial assistance underwrites memberships, scholarships, and program participation for those without sufficient funds. Your donations enable us to bring the Young Emissaries to enhance Israel awareness and to offer educational programs to the entire community. We do a lot and do it well. Please add your efforts to ours - yosifu hayyil el hayyil – add your strength to our strength- for generations past and generations yet to be.
Alan Moranis, a Vancouver-based filmmaker and anthropologist, has written about the path of Mussar in his book, Everyday Holiness.
Everyone of us is assigned to master something in our lives. You have already been given your assignment and you have already encountered it, though you may not be aware that what faces you is a curriculum, that this is the central task of your life.... Your curriculum shows up most clearly in issues that repeatedly challenge you.... You probably can identify one or two of these patterns without much effort, in a string of soured or even broken relationships, in financial dreams that are never realized, in fulfillment that is forever elusive. But... you may not have realized that there is a curriculum embedded within this personal history. [As you] become familiar with [it and work on it] ... you will suffer less. Then you will cause less suffering for others. Then you will make the contribution to the world that is your unique and highest potential.
The Mussar process calls upon us to focus on one middah, one personal quality, at a time, tailored to your own character. Tikkun hamiddot - improvement of the moral virtues – calls on us to identify the particular middah that we need to work on: love or compassion, generosity or humility, reverence or faith, strength or patience. For example, when we hear something we don’t like, we clam up, clench up, and constrict our minds. Yet there might be something in what we were told that is important. To get past our natural blocks, we have to train ourselves to be open and listening, humble and forgiving.
I suggest that you identify one moral quality to work on and stay with it throughout Rosh Hashanah - maybe through the whole year - thinking about how it plays out in your life and what you might do to improve the way you usually handle this soul-trait. For example, find a verse or sentence in our prayers that is meaningful to you and spend your time here reflecting on how it applies to you. Focus on the middah in relation to someone you care about. Neuro-psychologists say that neurons that fire together wire together. If we repeatedly experience and stimulate certain ways of thinking, our brains begin to define those neural paths. If we work on the soul-traits that we constantly confront, we can give our lives better direction.
Soul traits, personal virtues, are not easily acquired. Moral development requires constant labour—ongoing introspection and continual efforts to improve one’s character traits. The “aha” moments of spiritual insight and moral development only come after years of hard work.
From working on one middah, we proceed to another. Gradually, over many years, we find that we are engaged in tikkun hanefesh, the improvement of our entire being. Do you remember the old cartoons that would finish with the words “The End”. What was true for those films is not true for the soul. The soul’s journey will continue as long as you live. “There is no end to the subject” (Luzzato). There are always new challenges. As one Mussar teacher observed, the trees and grass are always growing. Why can’t we be growing?
If we are able to move beyond ourselves, we see an even larger canvass requiring improvement. The world in which we live is so fractured and fragmented. We are called upon to participate in tikkun ha’olam - engaging in the political and social activities that can make a difference for others. As Reb Simhah Zissel, one of the major teachers of Mussar, observed: we must examine our actions and the consequences of our activities “to be sure that they are politically constructive, for the social and political structure can sustain or shatter the world”.
“The human was not created whole. A person was created to actualize his wholeness. ... One must toil [throughout life] to realize her wholeness....” (Maharal of Prague). Even as we age, even as we approach death, there will always be more to do to actualize our potential. In the course of a life, we each work on our soul curriculum. Some do so consciously and others simply bump around the subject.
Remember the person who came before Hillel and said to him, “I will convert if you teach me the entire Torah in one great principle (al regel ahat). Hillel told him, “Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to the Other. This is the entire Torah. The rest is its explanation. Go and study.” Find your life curriculum. Go and study.
Everyday Holiness, Alan Moranis. Trumpeter, 2008.
Climbing Jacob’s Ladder: One Man’s Journey to Rediscover a Jewish Spiritual Tradition, Alan Moranis. Trumpeter, 2007.
A Responsible Life: The Spiritual Path of Mussar, Ira F. Stone. Aviv Press, 2006.
“The American Jewish Revival of Musar,” Geoffrey Claussen. The Hedgehog Review 12.3 (Summer 2010). http://www.iasc-culture.org/publications_article_2010_Summer_claussen.php
Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself: A Jewish Perspective, Lenn Goodman. Oxford, 2008.
The Jewish Moral Virtues, Eugene Borowitz and Frances Schwartz. Jewish Publication Society, 1999.
