By the Grace of G-d
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Dear Friend,
This week we read about Moshe calling the Heavens and the Earth as witnesses to the pact between G-d and His people.
Moshe did so as he was about to pass away, and wanted to appoint witnesses who would continue to exist beyond his lifetime. These same ‘witnesses’ would thereafter be responsible for distributing reward and administering punishment based on the upholding of the covenant.
How do heaven and earth manage reward and punishment?
The ‘Heavens’ refers to the sun, rain and weather patterns. These are the ingredients that make a huge difference to the quality of life.
Earth refers to fertile soil and all the other details that lead to bumper crops vs slim pickings and famine G-d forbid.
Heavens and Earth are thus both the witnesses and the implementers of reward and punishment.
When it comes to the introspective stock-taking and good-resolution-taking of these High Holidays, we focus both on heaven and on earth.
Here is what I am getting at.
The Mitzvahs are generally divided into two sectors.
Mitzvahs that are between man and G-d ‘in Heaven’.
Mitzvahs that are interpersonal, between man to man ‘on Earth’.
One always must be looking to better oneself in both aspects of mitzvah observance.
This week is called Shabbat Shuva or Teshuva, which means it is the Shabbat of ‘return’. This is the shabbat that is positioned in the ‘ten days of Teshuva’ when our entire focus is about creating the firm resolve to discontinue anything we have been doing wrong, and to do the right thing from now onwards.
I just heard two stories from the young Chabad Shluchim couple, recently arrived to Luan Prabang, Laos pertaining to Teshuva – making a change for the better.
It was a Friday night a few weeks ago. A young good looking Israeli backpacker disappeared at the beginning of the Shabbat dinner. It was a bit strange, said the rabbi, as though the backpacker was not Shabbat observant (yet), he had seemed very interested in participating in the Shabbat dinner. He returned a while later looking quite emotional. He later shared with the rabbi that earlier that day he had met someone who was impressed with his looks and tried to arrange a rendezvous with a local girl in a crude way. One telephone conversation from the girl was enough to kindle his interest and it was regarding this demeaning and unholy meeting that he had left the Shabbat dinner.
While walking to the appointed meeting spot he had a flashback to the words that the rabbi had told them about the days preceding Rosh Hashana. ‘The King is in the field’ during the month prior to the High Holidays. How would it look in the eyes of G-d to do something as base and immoral as what he was about to engage in.
He made a firm decision that he would choose right over wrong and made an immediate U-turn to return to the Shabbat dinner where the topic was about choosing the right path and having the courage to turn away from what is wrong and live a more moral G-dly life.
The Laos rabbi and rebbetzin continued to share their experiences over Rosh Hashana.
‘We had ninety people at our Rosh Hashana dinner but didn’t anticipate having a minyan at the two-day services of Rosh Hashana. How gratified and floored we were when thirty of the evening participants changed their touring plans and chose to spend the two days of Rosh Hashana with us in prayer, study and festive meals. They were so inspired and uplifted by the message of Rosh Hashana that they desired to get the full experience of being enveloped in the luminous aura, energy and holiness of the day.
These stories symbolized to me the theme of Teshuva in both realms, heaven and earth.
Heaven – staying and observing Rosh Hashana properly. Earth – not taking advantage of a fellow human for selfish hedonistic purposes.
My friend, when I heard those stories, I was inspired. And humbled. It takes strength, conviction and dedication to make changes of this nature.
How do I measure up to making those kinds of changes?
It definitely reminds me and motivates me to have that inner soul-searching discussion with myself, so that this coming year is better than the previous one.
We all ought to self-examine and find ways to better ourselves. Both in our relationship with G-d, and in our relationship with man. We can’t follow our instinct when it comes to how we treat others, rather our interpersonal relationships need to be aligned with the ultra-ethical code that G-d has laid down.
And the consequential reward ought to be both heavenly and earthly.
There is a radical difference between ‘heavenly reward’ and ‘earthly reward’.
The Heavenly reward that awaits those who do good, is not tangible and comes once the soul is unfettered by the body.
The earthly reward on the other hand, is tangible and quantifiable.
How inspiring it was to hear a businessman share a story where a sacrifice he made for the sake of his relationship with G-d, resulted in the most down to earth reward. Measurable in the bank, in hard currency.
M. is a kosher restaurant owner who closes his restaurant on Shabbat and Jewish holiday. I had the opportunity to hear this most incredible story from him firsthand. M. closes his restaurant on Shabbat and while obviously he doesn’t have any revenue on Shabbat, he is very gratified that his Saturday night revenue in the few hours he is open, is about three times his usual weekday nightly revenue.
This year, with the chagim occurring on Shabbat and Sunday three times during the month, (Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Simchat Torah), he was concerned how that would impact his overall revenue. He would lose the Saturday night revenue as well.
In the most unexpected turn of events, his restaurant received reservations to host three different very large midweek events. The revenue is anticipated to be the equivalent of eight Saturday nights.
He gave up three important nights of revenue for G-d.
Hashem rewarded him with more than double the revenue.
It is true that not always do we get to see the immediate reward here in this world. Sometimes the reward is kept for us for Gan Eden – after life.
Within the mitzvot themselves, the interpersonal ones are marked for being more eligible to reward here on earth (in addition to the reward in the ‘next world’).
The rationale is simple.
Doing a nice thing to someone else, tzedakah, returning a lost item, visiting the sick, encouraging and supporting the downtrodden, all these mitzvahs are generating goodness and blessing to people here on earth.
Commensurate with that, those mitzvahs engender reward that is felt here on earth as well, not just in the next world.
Tzedaka is one of the most central mitzvahs of all.
It generates palpable and tangible good for people here on earth.
It is a G-dly mitzvah as well, as it is the modus operandi of G-d in creating and sustaining His creation.
We, all of creation, are not entitled to what we receive from G-d. The way the Torah presents it, we are undeserving.
What Hashem gives us, is considered tzedakah from His full, open, holy and bountiful hand.
During the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur prayers we turn to Hashem and ask Him for Tzedaka.
And we too mirror G-d and give tzedakah to others in the most meaningful way possible.
Shabbat Shalom
Chatima Ugmar Chatima Tova
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
PS talking about Tzedaka, I am humbled by the 2313 (and counting) donors who have participated in JewishThailand Giving Days.
All donations until Yom Kippur are doubled.
Please join – with any amount that you feel comfortable – in sustaining and growing Jewish life in Thailand.