Modern conversations about religion often focus on the question
of what a person gets from having faith. Security, responsibility, a sense of
belonging, etc. are all within the range of answers that those studying religion
from the outside hypothesize as the source for humanity’s drive toward belief.
These inquiries are often paralleled to an assumption that one’s beliefs are
meant to make one happy, and happiness is very important to the 21st
century mindset.
In reality, however, the Torah is not meant to make sure
that you, the individual, are living the happiest life you can. Hashem cares
that you, the individual, are living life to your utmost potential. It’s not
about living your best life but living life as best you can.
There is a fascinating section of this week’s parsha, Parshas
Ki Tavo, that seems to speak to how differently the Torah’s life philosophy is
to modern day philosophy. It says: “And Moshe commanded the people on that same
day, saying: ‘These shall stand upon Mount Gerisim to bless the people
when you have crossed the Jordan: Shimon and Levi and Yehudah and Yissachar and
Yoseph and Binyamin. And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal on the curse:
Reuvain and Gad and Asher and Zevulan, Dan and Naftali” (27:11-13).
Based on these verses, it would seem the Torah was about to
introduce the recitation of a list of blessings. Instead, it dives right into
the Leviim announcing the curses: “Cursed be the man that makes a graven or
molten image, an abomination of God…and all the people shall lift up their
voices and say: Amein” (27:15).
Why does the Torah immediately proceed with punishment, with
curses? Why doesn’t it say: “Blessed is the man who remains faithful to Hashem
in all ways”? Why doesn’t the Torah bless the person who respects his parents,
maintains boundaries, helps the blind man not to stumble, and so forth?
Have you ever heard the popular parenting lectures that
stress praising a child for not misbehaving? It is sometimes included under positive
re-enforcement. And it’s lovely…in theory. But as a parent, it’s hard to think
that one should say “Good job for not smacking your brother today!” because we
expect our children to know not to smack each other.
Living a Torah life is about constraining oneself away from
behaviors that are inherently anti-social – not meaning behaviors that make you
hard to be around, but behaviors that are damaging to society. The false gods
of celebrity and power, so potent in this day and age, have created a society
in which everyone feels that they get to define the rules, that everyone’s truth
is equal. The Torah announces: “Cursed be he who insults his father or his
mother,” and we see, all around us, a society that played with diminishing
respect for parents (Hi Bob and Sally!) and now faces a dilemma in which any
voice of authority is viewed as optional. Children demand of their parents, and
the parents fold…Parents blame the schools, and no one is remembering that the
act of respecting is meant to come from the child.
The Torah was given to Moshe to give to the Bnei Yisrael not
as the rule book for when we live in the ideal world but rather for the time
before that. Hashem instructs Moshe to instruct the Jewish people before they
go into the Promised Land and to present these words of Cursed be the Man as
the formula for reminding Bnei Yisrael of the expectations upon them. In
listing these verbal curses, however, Hashem is presenting a potent message:
You know what the right thing to do is, and in doing it the blessings come
naturally. Act in such an ill-befitting manner and be cursed.
We may not see the constant praise, the reward --- the
blessing, for living the way we are supposed to, but we must always be aware
that for creating a broken social norm, we shall surely be cursed.
Wishing you a beautiful Shabbas
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