Liberal Judaism - Written Word - Thought for the Week

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This week’s parashah (Ha’azinu) is one of the shortest in the Torah, comprising only one chapter (Deuteronomy 32), consisting admittedly of 52 verses.

It is a poem with which Moses is to end his service to God and Israel since the next parashah records his death on Mount Nebo overlooking the Promised Land.

Moses draws upon a survey of Israel’s history and the lessons that can be deduced therefrom. He vindicates God’s love as unchanging and places responsibility for misfortune which befalls Israel in its own hands. Israel, rather like a wayward child (according to the Hebrew metaphor) makes a mess time and time again in contrast to the patient and forgiving Parent.

The result of poor behaviour is conquest by pagan and cruel nations but lest the Children of Israel give up in despair Moses reassures them that ultimately and by Divine intervention Israel –and implicitly Good and justice- will triumph.

Ha’azinu, it seems to me, is an appropriate parashah to be read during the Yamim Nora’im, the High Holy Days –that period of great introspection during which each one of us faces the reality that, in spite of our genuine best endeavours and of our pledges to do better made at this time last year, the progress each one of us has made is minimal, and we kick ourselves about opportunities missed and hang our heads as we contemplate the wrongs small and bigger that we have repeated –never mind the new ones we have added to the list.

Perhaps we might be tempted to despair but the Hebrew tradition offers to each one of us each year the vehicle of teshuvah. Teshuvah, meaning returning, acknowledges on the one hand our constant and repeated weakness but in a staged manner provided an opportunity to rebuild ourselves and repair our relationships with others and with God. The stages of teshuvah include: acknowledging the wrong we have done, seeking reparation with the person or persons we have injured, having a sincere desire to do better and not to repeat the said offence(s), and attempting to fulfil that good intention through reflection, prayer, tzedakah and the ‘doing’ of Yom Kippur.

One of Judaism’s most engaging theological ideas for me is the attempt to explain human conduct. Judaism starts with the presumption that the human is born good with the capacity, desire and support of God to fulfil that initial inclination. Judaism is not naive and acknowledges that every human being falls short of perfection. Each, according to Jewish tradition is made up of two inclinations: the yetzer tov (the good inclination) and the yetzer ha-ra (the selfish inclination). A proper functioning human being requires much yetzer tov and a little yetzer ra for without the second the tradition reminds us a person would not ‘take a partner, build a house and beget children’. In other words each of us does require a little selfishness, a dose of self preservation, a teaspoon of ego but if we allow this to become too important and intrude too far into our innate desire to share, to care, and to be thoughtful then the trouble begins. How do we avoid such, according to Jewish tradition –by prayer, study and good deeds. But what if despite this? Then teshuvah is the response.

This whole idea of these two inclinations, the overwhelming one of which is the yetzer tov and of teshuvah are, in my view, an optimistic view of human nature which contrast Judaism with many other faiths and ways of life. It reminds us that even as we contemplate those aspects of ourselves of which we are least proud we are not to despair but to resolve to emerge better from the experience.

May the New Year 5768 be for you a Sweet and Happy one and may Yom Kippur be a day which enables you to reflect with depth and sincerity but permits you to emerge with confidence and hope.

Parashat Ha'azinu (Deuteronomy: 32)

by Rabbi Danny Rich