Torah: Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8
Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1-22 (Sixth Haftarah of Consolation)
Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1-22 (Sixth Haftarah of Consolation)
Elul 16, 5780 / September 4-5, 2020
Candle-lighting for Friday, September 4: 6:56 PM
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NO GOOD HABIT
"Then you shall say before the Lord your God, 'I have cleared out the sanctified portion from the house, and also I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandment which You commanded me; I have not transgressed your commandments and I have not forgotten.'" Deuteronomy 26:13
The Sefat Emet, Yehudah Aryeh Leib of Ger (late 19th C.), is highly exercised by this verse. He says, "If you fulfilled the commandment, it is obvious you did not forget it! This is not what the verse means."
He takes a psychological approach. Consider how often you leave your house or go to bed and then say to yourself, "Wait a minute! Did I lock the door? Did I shut off the gas?" Our teacher says that if you fulfill a commandment without intent, unthinkingly, while distracted, by rote, or out of mechanical habit, it is as if you have forgotten it.
If you give to charity or say a blessing or perform any other mitzvah without considering the inner meaning, you nevertheless "get the mitzvah points", to put it crassly. You have "been there, done that", but without deriving any spiritual benefit from it whatsoever. According to the Chasidim, of whom the Sefat Emet was a leader, one of the purposes of the commandments is "tikkun olam", repair of the world, through the gathering up of the shattered vessels of creation. But another equally important purpose is to close the gap between ourselves, on one hand, and God and other human beings, on the other, and thereby repair our souls. By not "forgetting" what we are doing, we can have a more positive impact on both our world and ourselves.
"Then you shall say before the Lord your God, 'I have cleared out the sanctified portion from the house, and also I have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandment which You commanded me; I have not transgressed your commandments and I have not forgotten.'" Deuteronomy 26:13
The Sefat Emet, Yehudah Aryeh Leib of Ger (late 19th C.), is highly exercised by this verse. He says, "If you fulfilled the commandment, it is obvious you did not forget it! This is not what the verse means."
He takes a psychological approach. Consider how often you leave your house or go to bed and then say to yourself, "Wait a minute! Did I lock the door? Did I shut off the gas?" Our teacher says that if you fulfill a commandment without intent, unthinkingly, while distracted, by rote, or out of mechanical habit, it is as if you have forgotten it.
If you give to charity or say a blessing or perform any other mitzvah without considering the inner meaning, you nevertheless "get the mitzvah points", to put it crassly. You have "been there, done that", but without deriving any spiritual benefit from it whatsoever. According to the Chasidim, of whom the Sefat Emet was a leader, one of the purposes of the commandments is "tikkun olam", repair of the world, through the gathering up of the shattered vessels of creation. But another equally important purpose is to close the gap between ourselves, on one hand, and God and other human beings, on the other, and thereby repair our souls. By not "forgetting" what we are doing, we can have a more positive impact on both our world and ourselves.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
.הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ
חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND OTHER USEFUL INFO!
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