What is it that binds us to community? It may be shared history or interests, a desire to belong to a larger group, an enjoyment of a feeling of connection, or the intangible rewards that come from serving others. We always hope that the results of our involvement and participation will be positive and bring us benefit.
In the Torah reading for this week, the Israelites received the command to give thanks for settling in the land by bringing the first fruits of their harvest and reciting their history in a declaration that begins, “My father was a fugitive Aramean.” This text is included in the Passover Haggadah, and we recite it every year as we celebrate the ideal of freedom. This week’s Torah portion also focuses on blessings.and curses. “Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the country” applied to those who kept God’s commandments. For those who didn’t follow the divine path, the word “blessed” in that line read, instead, “cursed.”
Most of us wouldn’t think in such stark terms, but we know about participating in a community. I watched my parents volunteer for various positions at my home congregation for many years. I learned from them that, no matter what happened in relations between people in the course of Temple life, the basic principles of Judaism were always paramount. The words of Hillel continue to serve as a maxim for all of us:
“What is hateful to you, don’t do to your fellow human being. That is the whole Torah – all the rest is commentary. Now go and study” – AND – “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?” –AND – “Don’t separate yourself from the community.” No one is an island in a community. Negativity, gossip, lack of cooperation, a desire for control, and unwillingness to see the necessity of true partnership with others may not be sources of blessing as much as an attitude that directs us to give of ourselves for the sake of giving, and to find the positive and the blessings around us at any given moment.
By remembering what unites us in history, in prayer, in learning, and in partnership, we can bring blessing upon ourselves and our community. May such thoughts guide us in the approaching New Year.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Larry K.
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