Honoring The Mandate of Eden - Genesis 2012

Jewish tradition fundamentally views human beings as the crown jewel of all creation.  As we read this week in Parashat Bereishit, God separated human beings from animals by giving us the ability not just to reason, and speak, but also to dream and imagine. From the dawn of civilization, we have possessed the power to create art to express our dreams, theories to test our minds and philosophies to challenge our souls. As our civilization and technology progressed, our imagination and artistic ability have kept pace.

Abraham Joshua Heschel, a philosopher and civil rights advocate, believed deeply in the ability and power of humanity to affect change in our world. However, he writes: “Our concern is not how to worship in the catacombs, but how to remain human in the skyscrapers.”  Heschel asserts that science may enable humankind to reach new heights, even to reach the moon, but these advances also run the risk of alienating us from others and from ourselves.

The daily headlines from around the globe of unbridled hatred, murder, greed, and abused trust from communal leaders give the impression that our world is unraveling, knot by knot. We, as human beings, may have come quite far in the field of science, but human civilization, it can be argued, has lagged behind in the realm of spiritual and ethical development.

How can it be that we have become so advanced technologically, yet remain cavemen in a quest for ethical fire?

The challenges facing contemporary society are not new. From the moment God invests Adam and Eve with their mandate to rule over the natural world, we learn that humanity’s moral and ethical trajectory is uncertain.

In Genesis 1:26 “God says: ‘Na’aseh Adam Betzalmaynu Keedmootaynu V’yirdu … Al Ha’aretz,’ “Let’s make man in the divine image ...  And humanity (“V’yirdu”) will rule over the earth and all wildlife.”  The potential for temptation and internal conflicts of interests are intimated in the directive itself, in the very word indicating the command for leadership, namely “V’yirdu”. Every Hebrew word has a three letter root, yet this fascinating word, “V’yirdu” could be derived from two different sources, either Resh, Daled, Hay, which means to dominate, or Yod, Resh, Daled, which means to go down.

This puzzling textual anomaly catches the eye of Rashi, our greatest Torah scholar.  He comments: “If mankind is worthy, then he will dominate over the beasts. If humanity is not worthy, then they will sink lower than the beasts, and the animal kingdom will rule over them.” Rashi’s insightfully shows how this one word reveals the slippery slope on which humanity finds itself not only in Gan Eden, but throughout time.

In light of these enormous, timeless challenges, what can we do today to fulfill God’s mandate for humankind?

There is no one magic solution to the questions we pose today.  In the book, There Is No Messiah … And You’re It, Rabbi Robert N. Levine contends that “The real world is a messy, complicated place, where there are many hard questions, no easy answers, and lots of work to do.  But inside all of us is the capacity to live up to the potential given to us as human beings created in God’s image.”

Embracing a life imbued with kedusha is the first step. Kedusha, in my opinion, means more than just being "holy"; it challenges us to transcend our instincts. “Kedushim Teheeyoo!”  The Torah implores us to be more than we are; to think beyond our needs; to care about the poor, the orphan, and the widow; and even to love our neighbor across the street as much as the stranger we have never met. Kedusha enables us to honor the mandate of Eden.

By striving for kedusha, we imagine a world where honesty, integrity, justice, and freedom can take root and blossom. By living a life of kedusha, we create meaning in our lives and those around us. Ultimately, kedusha links us to Gan Eden and represents the key to humanity's returning there one day.

Shabbat Shalom!

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

One of the special rituals of Sukkot is "Ushpizin", which means "guests" in Aramaic, when we welcome the spirit of our ancestors to the Sukkah. We invite Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David to join us, along with, in my opinion, their spouses and families. 

One interpretation for this ritual is that by ritually inviting our spiritual heroes to the Sukkah, we will be more motivated to invite flesh and blood guests to celebrate with us. The ritual creates momentum in our lives.

This year United Synagogue invited 100 "Lone Soldiers" to the Sukkah at the Fuchsberg Center in Jerusalem. Unlike Israeli-born soldiers, Lone Soldiers, most of whom have made aliyah, have no family in Israel to visit or rely on during their military service.

Thanks to the generosity of Jack and Ana Berger of Chicago, over 100 of Israel's Lone Soldiers enjoyed delicious Sukkot meals together. Two weeks earlier, over 100 Lone Soldiers shared Rosh Hashanah meals that were generously sponsored by Scott and Andrea Bernstein of Syosset, NY. 

I want to share this description of the Rosh Hashanah meals by Meira Weinstein Flaster and Josh Flaster of TheCenter for Lone Soldiers in Memory of Michael Levin z"l:

The group was fun, dynamic and diverse - 3 religious Brazilian Lone Soldiers from Rio de Janeiro - (one in Givati, one in Golani, one in Tzanchanim), 2 brothers from Raleigh N. Carolina (in intelligence and computer-related roles), 3 Russians in combat and combat support roles, about a half dozen Brits serving in combat units, 1 Australian in the IDF's Hebrew course at Mikve Alon, a few Israeli lone soldiers, who were once part of the Haredi world (and are serving in the army...so there families have left them) and a large group of US and Canadian-born lone soldiers.

The tables were arranged first in rows, and then moved into two large squares at the soldiers' request - to allow them to see and interact best with one another. Hebrew, English, Russian and Portuguese-speaking soldiers co-existed quite nicely - with army slang and the experiences and advice and insider's tricks for adjusting to life inside and outside of the army being the main themes of conversation.

All of the soldiers were greatly appreciative, and stuck around the Fuchsberg lobby for an additional hour after the 3 hour long meal ended.

Many of the lone soldiers who came to these meals had no options or invites for the holiday. They greatly appreciated the meals, and inquired about staying on Shabbatot at Fuchsberg as well.

What I find deeply moving is that the Fuchsberg Center and our larger community took care of these brave souls, who take care of the Jewish people 365 days a year. In addition, thanks to the generosity of the Bernstein's and Berger's, these Lone Soldiers were neither alone nor lonely for the haggim.  

Since 2009, the Fuchsberg Center and USCJ's Israel Committee have collaborated with the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin. Michael was a Philadelphia native who came to Israel with USY, Camp Ramah and Nativ before making aliyah. He was killed in the Second Lebanon War in 2006 at the age of 21. 

During the year Nefesh B'Nefesh also runs excellent programs and offers much needed services to Lone Soldiers. Equally important, they are building an infrastructure of support for young adults who make Aliya and who will serving in the IDF.

I want to recognize the efforts of Rabbi Paul and Nina Freedman who serve as United Synagogue's official liaison for these initiatives. Their sons, Chashi, Benny and Giddy, were all Lone Soldiers before their parents made Aliya, so the Freedman's know first-hand how much this support means to the soldiers and their families. They are tireless champions of Israel and the Lone Soldiers.

This year "Ushpizin" had more meaning than ever because these soldiers did not need to guess where they would have a festive holiday meal. I imagine that at the Fuchsberg Center's Sukkah our ancestors were watching joyfully as they watched these Lone Soldiers celebrate. 

What a way to enter the new year!