As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are so quickly approaching, our readings this week remind us every day we begin anew.  Every day we awake and have the choice to serve Adonai or not.  These words are the milk and honey nurturing us with a mother’s love and sweetness, to sustain us no matter what is going on in the world.  All we need to do to partake is to open our hearts and souls to the joy of serving Adonai.

        For those of us who have a conscience, who try to think before we act, and who take into consideration how what we do impacts others, we recognize there aren’t many patently “easy” solutions.  Yesterday, I noticed a headline about some actress wanting to have a “sit-down” with President Obama about his bullying tactics.  Because I was reading articles about the political maneuverings of Abbas and his stated intention of taking over Israel, I assumed the listed headlines were relevant to this issue.  I was reading papers online.  I didn’t read the article, so I can’t be sure if it was about this or not; however, I know there are those who refuse to acknowledge that in this particular case, bullying is being confused with standing up for what is right.

        Our Torah portions for this week (there are two this week) speak to this issue too.  We are reminded of our individual and collective responsibilities to know right from wrong, and to stop overt evil in our midst.  We are also reminded we cannot stop, and therefore aren’t responsible to do so, regarding evil hidden from our view.  This is between Adonai and the person or persons with evil intentions. 

        It is easy to overlook the fact that those who are evil actually care about the effects of their actions and words on others.  They don’t.  Skilled con artists are exemplary in convincing some people they are acting out of concern for others.  I am here to remind you, they aren’t.  These people, like Abbas, do whatever they can to impose their own agendas on others, oftentimes masking their hidden agendas with words they know others actually want to hear, which sound as if they are acting out of self-preservation, or for the good of a group of people.  If and when, and more than likely when, Abbas and the P.A. try to march into Israel to take it for themselves, more likely than not they will be initiating WWIII. 

        Tempers around the world are flaring and evildoers are stepping into the light to be seen by all.  I don’t think I need to write a list here of all of the wars, skirmishes, and other conflicts occurring the world over.  You know about this, unless you have been living in a cave somewhere, and I won’t insult your intelligence.  Of course, Israel, as small a piece of land as it actually is, is disproportionally the focus of most of the world’s attention, and Abbas isn’t the only threat. 

        Our parashot make clear the Israelites were not the only ones present on the day of Moses’ last speech.  There were proselytes amongst them, as well as those who pretended to be proselytes.  In attendance were those living at the time, and the souls of those who weren’t in earthly form yet.  We are reminded the words of the Torah are for all to easily have access to, so there is no excuse for ignorance.  Each one of us, individually as well as collectively, are directly connected, affected, and affect those living, our ancestors, and our future generations.  We are reminded Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each agreed to the responsibility of the covenant with Adonai.

        Don’t forget, Abraham didn’t only have one son.  He did, however, only have one son who inherited the covenant Abraham made with Adonai.  Isaac too had more than one son, yet only one, Jacob, took responsibility for his own participation in the covenant with Adonai.  This reminds us that while our ancestors, ancient as well as immediate, all inherited what their ancestors put into motion; however, they personally and individually still had to choose to continue what had been started.

        The only real control anyone has is of oneself, and one’s thoughts, words and deeds.  We come into this world as it exists at the time, all of the bad things, as well as all of the good things.  We are additionally reminded this week we only have the option of choosing to continue in our ancestors’ footsteps.  Of continuing, and thus keeping alive, what was begun before we arrived.  This week’s portion, in pointing out the variety of those who were present for the speech Moses gave, serves to teach us our choices matter, the choices of every man, woman and child, natural child of Israel, and those who wished to join us. 

        Moses recorded the information in such a way as to make clear to us what we do or say as individuals reflects upon our ancestors, our leaders (both spiritual leaders and group leaders), the entire group we are a part of, in whatever way, shape, or form, and on our children and their generations.  We are all connected, and we all affect each other, intentionally so or otherwise.  In the listing details of who was present, included were only two job descriptions, the woodcutter and the water bearer.  In preparing for this week’s portions, I see more to this than the sages I saw (the learned Torah scholars I read) had noted.  A woodcutter, or a water bearer, are jobs one can do with either good intentions or bad.  A woodcutter could do the job in order to gather wood for building, firewood to keep warm or for cooking, or they could cut down trees which have fruit, thereby reducing the food supply, or for money, only thereby possibly - and probably - disregarding the need we have for trees not only for food, but also, for shade and oxygen to breathe.  The water bearer could be drawing water to help nurture others, as we all know we need water to live, or they could be using the job as a way to poison others and take lives.  There are other ways to look at this, of course, but I hope what I presented gets you thinking about it. 

        Throughout the Torah, we are told something happened “Today”, and generally speaking, our sages taught us we are to understand this to mean every day is today.  Every day when we rise, we have the opportunity to choose the path we take.  We are judged by what we do starting every second and going forth.  In other words, if we regret our words, thoughts, or deeds, we cannot change what has been done, but we can change how we proceed from this point forward.  We need to always be mindful that every second of every day, we are standing before G-d, and representing and affecting our ancestors, future generations, our community, country, etc.  What we never do, is affect only ourselves.  “I place before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  You shall choose life, so you and your offspring will live.” {Deuteronomy 30:19} 

        Deuteronomy 30: 11 - 30:14 make it beautifully clear there are no excuses for not knowing what it is Adonai wants us to choose.  The Torah is available to anyone who wants to read it and learn from it, and one doesn’t have to be a child of Israel, as it is pointed out for us we must make it available to the “stranger in our midst”.  This is followed by Deuteronomy 30:15, “Behold, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil.”  If one reads this literally and myopically, one may easily dismiss this warning, knowing plenty of good people have died too young (for our tastes), and plenty of evil people live long lives and seem to prosper to boot.  Our parashot complete with telling us Moses wrote this as a song.  Jewish people, and perhaps others too, know the Torah when read before a congregation is chanted, or sung.

        As I stated earlier, we come into this world as a part of what we had not ourselves started.  What we do leaves behind us its own impact and effects.  We must consider the larger picture when studying about life and good, and death and evil.  Nothing is over until it is over, when the earth and all humans on it, or just the humans alone, are all gone.  This teaches us that clinging to Adonai, walking in the ways we are told in the Torah, will insure our souls live on.  We are also told in the Torah if we choose to turn our backs on G-d, and operate in this world with evil intentions and motivations, our souls will not see eternity, thus we will cease to exist.  Ultimately, when all is said and done, good will win.

        Far too many times in history people have sought to annihilate the Jewish people.  They have only succeeded to a point, as some of us indeed have died.  Judaism never has:  it lives, it breathes, it grows, and it is a force for good in this world.  We were promised in the Torah, as long as humans are on earth, the Jewish people will survive.  In this week’s portion, we are assured our generations will know the Torah, despite the fact there will be those of us who turn our backs on it.  We choose life, we celebrate life, and we respect life.  Do not mistake this as cowardice.  This week’s portions teach us we have the responsibility to stop evil actions that reveal themselves.  We are even reminded in this week’s portions we are the rightful owners of Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), and we must defend this right. 

        It is beyond my comprehension how anyone who knows their history, that the Jewish people are anything but bringers of light, doers of good, and upholders of law.  Yes, of course, not every single Jewish person is this way.  We refer to those who bring shame upon themselves and the rest of us, who turn their backs on G-d and who worship false gods, i.e. greed, malice, avarice, power, etc., as a “shonda”.  This roughly translates as an embarrassment, only the connotation of the word is far more intense.  Each and every one of us is responsible for our own thoughts, words, and deeds - individually, and how our actions translate collectively. 

        Sing the song of joy, the song of Torah, and celebrate life.  Just don’t forget that defending what is right and good for the Jewish people as a group, is also right and good for the world.  All one needs to do to understand this is to look at all of the things which have helped the world community as a whole to make our lives better, were disproportionally generated, invented, taught, etc., by Jewish people, and exist in this world due to our dedication to being bearers of light.  I cannot emphasize this point enough:  we respect human life, and the spark of Adonai within each and EVERY person.  We protect lives, heal lives, and save lives.  To accomplish this sometimes, we must take lives, the lives of those who seek our destruction.  Make no mistake, the world needs Israel, just as the world needs G-d.

        We are on the verge of change in this world.  Now is the time to take a stand.  Choose life, and good.  Put an end to evil.  Seek truth, love, and justice, seek Adonai.  Even and especially in the Torah, you have been duly warned.  Am Yisrael Chai - long live the nation of Israel, and may we always be found worthy of G-d’s blessings!  L’shanah tova, may you be inscribed in the book of life for a good and sweet year!

        Shabbat Shalom.  I’d love to know what you think!