September Bulletin Ref1

From Our Rabbi…

When there is a leap year on the Jewish calendar, the extra month that gets added is Adar. We already have one of those, of course, so the leap year duplicates it. Adar is the month that brings us Purim (or, during a leap year, Purim Katan – little Purim – as well), and nobody really minds having a double dose of one of the happiest months of the year!

Although it wouldn’t be quite as exciting, however, I think we might have been benefitted by doubling a different month: the month of Elul. Elul is the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and the start of the new Jewish year. It’s designated as a period of reflection, when we tally our missteps from the previous year, make our apologies to those whom we’ve wronged, and turn ourselves back towards the right path.

One traditional practice during Elul is the study of mussar, Jewish ethics. There are a variety of different traits discussed in Jewish literature. In a recent curriculum meeting, we picked out four to focus on this year with our B’Yachad religious school students, and since the study of mussar is helpful at any age, I thought I would share some brief words on those traits here:

Anavah (Humility):  Anavah is often associated with contracting our egos and making ourselves smaller. However, while we translate anavah as “humility,” the quality of anavah is really about balancing how much space we take up in the world. We should refrain from calling an excessive amount of attention to ourselves or thinking that we are superior to others. But the reverse is also true:  we should avoid putting ourselves down or staying too quiet when we can make a positive contribution.

Chesed (Loving-kindness):  The Talmud (Sotah 14a) teaches that the Torah promotes chesed from end to end – starting with G-d’s kindness to Adam & Eve in making them clothes (Gen. 3:21) and ending with G-d personally burying Moses (Deut. 34:6). Chesed can take any form, based on the needs of the person you are trying to help — a kind word, a favor, a gift. When we fill ourselves with a spirit of loving-kindness, we may be better able see what it is that would benefit the other person.

Tzedek (Justice):  Tzedek shares a root with the word tzaddik – a righteous person – as well as tzedakah, which we generally translate as charity. They share the meaning of bringing fairness and balance to the way others are treated. In Parashat Shoftim, we are instructed to set up a system of judges and officials to govern with justice (Deut. 16:18). Two verses later, we get the oft-quoted commandment:  Tzedek, tzedek tirdof – Justice, justice you shall pursue. Why the repetition of tzedek? One popular interpretation is that it reminds us to pursue justice just-ly. The ends don’t always justify the means; we must be upright in seeking justice.

Savlanut (Patience):  Some people are able to take annoyances in stride. For others, it’s not so easy. You may find yourself quickly agitated, frustrated to the point of bursting. This is because we all have different amounts of savlanut. The study of mussar identifies patience as more of a skill than an inherent attribute. Savlanut comes from the same Hebrew root as the words “suffer” and “endure.” So, patience can be defined as the ability to tolerate or carry a burden. Developing savlanut is like strength training: The more you build up your muscles, the greater the weight you can bear, and the more endurance you will have.

Wishing us all a year of continued learning and spiritual growth!

L’shalom,

Rabbi Weisbrot