WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE ENDICOTT?

To be a Jew (Rabbi Berel Wein, 5/24/03, Jewish World Review)

Judaism is not a quick-fix faith. It carries with it myriad obligations and sees life as a marathon run and not as a sprint race. This is what the rabbis of the Mishna had in mind when they taught, "the reward is consistent with the effort and toil." Life is not a lottery where a lucky ticket solves all problems. This may not be too popular a message but it is a true one and honesty always brings its own rewards.

In this spirit, we can appreciate the presence of the doleful message of the "tochacha" in this week's Torah portion. To our sorrow, but to the vindication of the Torah as being G-d's word, every single event foretold in the "tochacha" has actually occurred over the span of our history.

G-d's warning as to the consequences of abandoning the ways of the Divine and Israel, of attempting to be just like "everyone else," of refusing to toil in the vineyard of Torah remains as relevant as ever. The message of harsh realism that this Bible portion conveys is that there are serious consequences, both individually and nationally, to our behavior and attitudes. All bills must eventually be paid and all shortcomings made good.

The "tochacha," with its litany of punishments and sad events, is the stark reminder of the realities of Jewish life. Warnings may perhaps be ignored since they are uncomfortable. But actual events afford us very little room to wriggle our way out of the realities of life. The sweep of Jewish history -- especially of the past century -- leaves little room for indolence and apathy.

Since this Torah portion concludes the Book of Vayikra/Leviticus, the custom in the synagogue is to rise at the end of the Torah reading and to recite in unison the hope "chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek" "to be strong, to be strong and to strengthen each other." Over the long centuries of the Jewish experience, in spite of the "tochacha" and its punishments, Jews have strengthened themselves and others by toiling in the Torah and by building -- against very formidable odds and obstacles -- a Torah society and a vision of future hope and betterment.

Let us renew ourselves in that spirit as well.

Complaints about religion are legion, but it's easier to abide the shallow mewlings about what religion is than those about what it is not. Folks seem to think that because faith doesn't function like a magic formula, automatically making adherents into better people or granting their wishes (prayers), it is proven worthless. Perhaps they might better consider whether faith is not necessary to sustain us for the extraordinarily difficult effort of trying to create a "Torah society", a better future, one filled with hope.

Best not to look to the Bible for easy answers--you'll find there only "harsh realities". The question then is how we respond to them... Posted by Orrin Judd at May 23, 2003 9:52 AM