The cycle has come to an
end. In the past year, as every year, we read and were inspired by the Torah—the
story of our nation.
We were awed by Adam (how
awesome to be created by G‑d and have the world for yourself), sympathized with
Noah (poor guy, saw the whole world go down), were impressed with Abraham (first
thrown into the furnace, then almost sacrificed his son), were caught up in the
sibling rivalry between Joseph and his brothers, and held our breaths at the
breathtaking saga of the Exodus.
And then, from when Moses
received the Torah on Mount Sinai until his final departure on Mount Nebo, we
experienced the tumultuous forty-year journey through the desert. Laws,
mistakes, complaints, smashing of the tablets, spies, plagues and the entire
gamut of the nail-biting drama which our drama-addicted ancestors lived through
on their historic trek from the pyramids to the land of Israel. The Torah
reading every Shabbat morning was quite an entertaining and educational
experience.
And as we start all over
again, we hold our breath, aware of the journey to come. What lessons, insights,
and inspiration will we derive from our patriarchs and matriarchs
next time around?
Let his last words linger in our heartsBut before we roll back the
Torah from the Jordan River to 2,500 years earlier, let us reflect for a moment
on Moses' final words, uttered just before he went up to the mountain and was
buried by G‑d. Let his last words linger in our hearts:
"Fortunate are you, O
Israel…"
What wonderful parting
words. Moses was proclaiming to the Jew of Israel and of Babylonia, the Jew of
Tunisia and Spain, of France, Poland, and America:
"My beloved nation and my
fellow Jews, how lucky, how fortunate you are. How wonderful it is to be a Jew."
No, being a Jew is not an "eternal
damnation."
No, it's not hard to be a
Jew; nor is it a burden you must carry.
No, secularism,
assimilation, and self-hate are not the way for a Jew.
Rather…
Yes, you are lucky to be
Jewish!
Yes, although you may live
through hell on earth for the next three millennia, you should – and will – always
hold your head high!
Yes, being Jewish is a gift,
a cause for joy, a piece of heaven.
Yes, Torah and mitzvot are a
blessing. They connect us to our Creator, and transform this world into a
better place for all mankind.
Dear friend:
As the month of Tishrei
comes to a close and we look back on the most powerful month of the year – accepting
G‑d's sovereignty on Rosh Hashanah, being forgiven on Yom Kippur, uniting with
G‑d and our fellow Jews on Sukkot, dancing our souls and soles out on Simchat
Torah – it is now the time to declare our pride in our Jewishness.
I am a Jew and I'm proud.
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