"If I Am Not For Myself . . ."
Hillel the Elder
(As has been my habit for more than 15 years, I post my High Holiday sermons in place of my normal weekly political fare at this time of the year. Otherwise, I would run out of time! And so, what follows is my sermon for the first day of Rosh Hashana. 5781 . . . KFS)
Welcome to the Jewish year 5781, which of course corresponds partly to the Gregorian year 2020, but mostly 2021. I don’t know about you, but I rather looked forward to 2020 . . . mainly because in terms of vision it signified seeing the world with utter clarity . . . with visual perfection. To have 20/20 vision is really the ideal . . . unless you’re someone like baseball great Ted Williams who, according to his medical records from the military, came in at an unbelievable 20/15. No wonder he was such a fantastic hitter and even better fighter pilot in 2 wars. Whatever the case, the Gregorian year 2020 will long be remembered not for its clarity, but rather for its utter murkiness. It has been, to say the least, one of the most difficult, dangerous and distasteful years in a long, long time. Hebraically, today is the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) in the new year 5781. Rosh Hashana, by the way, is the only Jewish holiday which begins on the first day of the month. Just thought I’d slip that in; don’t worry, it won’t be on the final exam. In Hebrew, the number 5781 is spelled out ת-שַ-פַ-א . . . with the numerical value, going from right to left, 400, 300, 80 and 1. All this adds up to 781 . . . the 5,000 being understood. In rabbinic scholarship, there is a field known as gematria, which consists of an alphanumeric code of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase based on its letters. Say what? Actually most of us who have had the benefit of a bit of Jewish learning are well aware of gematria -- at least on a subconscious level. If I ask what the numerical value of chai, the Hebrew word for “life,” is, most can easily answer “18.” That is why a typical donation in the Jewish world is generally based on a multiple of 18 . . . “Death” by the way, מוות in Hebrew, adds up to 452, which no one but a scholar with too much time on his/her hands knows.
Fascinatingly, the first set of words one can make of the four letters ת-שַ-פַ-א spell out “You will be amazed.” Fabulous! Could this be an omen for a new year in which we eradicate a pandemic, set aright an economy which has gone topsy-turvey and begin restoring honesty, civility, humility, humanity and equanimity? And how about a major lessening of anger, bigotry, racism and conspiratorial claptrap? Wouldn’t that be amazing? Indeed: ת-שַ-פַ-א: You will be amazed! As well-armed as modern-day Jewish warriors are - most notably, of course, in the State of Israel, historically, our weapons have far more often come from our minds, hearts and souls than from foundries. Our armaments are our ethics, the “אֱמוֹר מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה "הַרְבֵּה (“say little but do much”) of Shammai; or the moral lesson of Rabbi Tarfon, which states לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמוֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה” ("It is not your responsibility to finish the work [of perfecting the world], but you are not free to desist from it either").
In comparison to most of the major religions we encounter in our corner of the world, Judaism is far more a religion, a people, a culture whose marching orders are based more on what one does than what one believes. “It’s the deed, not the creed,” is the philosophy that has always made us so terribly unique and successful . . . and frequently so terribly hated and mistreated. Some of the most important lessons for living a moral and ethically victorious life come from that section of Mishnah (the earliest code of Jewish law) called Pirke Avot, generally translated as “Ethics of the Sages.” It is the only part of the six volumes of Mishnah which did not find its way into the Talmud, for being largely about ethics and civility, it really did not require voluminous commentary. Every year as we prepare to turn the page on our ancient calendar, I review its many pages, retranslate its wisdom based upon what I’ve learned in the preceding 12 months, and feeling better armed for the coming battle, go out to face the new year. Permit me to share some of the most important of these verses - those which, to use the ancient expression, “gird my loins” for whatever may come my way. For years without end, my favorite lesson from Pirke Avot comes in the form of two tidbits from Hillel, the 2nd century sage, which, in my estimation, are more modern and needful than anything else in the Mishnah. The first, states simply, על תפרוש מן הציבור (namely, “Do not separate yourself from the community), and the second, .בה מקום שאין אנשים השתדל לוות איש. Namely: if you happen to be in a place where no one is acting like a mentsch (a moral human being), you strive to be a mentsch. These are both terribly important. We often find ourselves in situations where people - especially people in positions of leadership, acting like fools, ignoring the immoral acts and hateful, mendacious words of those supposedly above them. Frequently, instead of putting in their two cents and shouting out “But you are telling an outright lie!” or “The facts are obviously and completely against what you do or say!” they sit on their hands, and keep their collective mouths shut . . . thereby lending tacit agreement to the obscene, immoral deeds of others. In short, they are the exact opposite of what a mentsch should be and thus, separating themselves from the community. Although the ideal may well be, if at all possible, to stick to the status quo in communal events and activities, if the people supposedly in charge are a corrupting force, it is our obligation to raise our voices and strenuously object . . . in other words, to strive to act like a mentsch when others are acting just the opposite.
Last on my list of wise words to incorporate into our lives in this new year come from a sage named Ben Zoma: Who is wise? The one who learns from every person, as it is said: "From all those who taught me I gained understanding" (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? The one who subdues his impulses, as it is said: "Better is one slow to anger than a strong man, and one who rules over his passions than the conqueror of a city" (Proverbs 16:32). Who is wealthy? The one who is happy with his portion, as it is said: "When you eat the toil of your hands you are fortunate and it is good for you" (Psalms 128:2). Who is honored? The one who honors others, as it is said: "For those who honor Me will I honor, and those who scorn Me will be degraded" (I Samuel 2:30). Ethics of Fathers 4:1
Ben Zoma speaks first of wisdom, rather than knowledge or logic or intelligence. Wisdom is the application of the other four, the faculty of directing the power of the intellect and interpreting information to recognize its deeper significance, its meaning, and its relevance to daily life. One may possess encyclopedic knowledge or be able to perform lightning-fast computations, yet remain an utter fool. The qualities of wisdom are patience, judgment, and perspective. Many geniuses lack these, and many of average intelligence posses them to a high degree. The lessons of life are both great and small, and it is a fool who believes that wisdom trumpets itself from the rooftops. Many of life's most important lessons are broad, sweeping concepts of morality and self-discipline, but the subtleties and nuances that instruct us in applying these general principles to the mundane tasks of living are themselves found in life's subtleties and nuances. While it is true that we cannot easily control the actions or beliefs of others, we can - and must - set our sights on living up to what might be called “The mentsch’s creed”: אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי “If I am not for myself, who am I? And if I am only for myself what am I? And if not now, when?” What a brilliant series of questions to ask oneself at the New Year! To me, the first two parts are both powerful and obvious: If I cannot find the inner strength to make of myself a better, more moral and community-clinging individual, I leave much to be desired. But if I do not extend that lesson to others and help them to learn from the errors of their ways, what kind of a person am I? The hardest, least facile and most obscure question is the last one. When do I begin if not now? That’s much of what new beginnings are for . . . repairing, improving and healing both ourselves and the world we inhabit. And if we take these bits of wisdom to heart, who knows? Maybe 5781 (תשפא) will truly spell out
“You will be amazed!”
Copyright©2020, Kurt F. Stone