Rabbi's Blog

Here's my Kol Nidrei Sermon: " Neither Are You Free to Desist from It." I've linked to organizations or people you might want to explore, and also to a source sheet that I made for a section of the Talmud that I reference!  - Rabbi Julie

Well, this night is different; it is Kol Nidrei. Tonight we embark on Yom Kippur, a day of fasting (as able), self-examination, and renewal. Tonight, we all take responsibility; our prayers of confession are in the plural and we consider together what we owe others. As the great 20^th Century American Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said, “In a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.”

On Rosh Hashanah, we contemplated the first half of Rabbi Tarfon’s famous saying, “It is not up to you to complete the task,” and tonight we ponder his conclusion, “but neither are you free to desist from it.” Rabbi Tarfon calls to us over the ages to say: true, we can’t do “it” all or even a small part of it. … But that’s no excuse to throw up our hands. “The day is short and the work is great.” Tonight, let us look at the importance of righteous deeds in Judaism, and consider how to bring back the joy of doing our part for the sacred work of Tikkun Olam, healing and repairing the world.

It’s no secret that doing justice and ethical behavior are at the heart of Judaism. This isn’t just some modern idea. Tomorrow we hear the Haftarah from the prophet Isaiah, who lived more than 2500 years ago, telling us that the real meaning of Yom Kippur is charity and social justice. And about 1500 years ago, as recorded in the Talmud (Bavli Makkot 23b-24a), the sages got into a discussion about the essence of Judaism. The rabbis noted that there are 613 Mitzvot, holy commandments, in the Torah. But 613 is a lot, so they look into the Psalms and the prophets where they find the essential commandments reduced to just 11, or 6, or 3 or less. And every time they come up with a message of ethics and justice, which can best be distilled in the words of the prophet Micah : “It has been told to you, O human, what is good, and what does Adonai require of you; only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Good deeds and righteous living are essential to the Jewish mission. But somewhere in the last few years, between political strife, pandemic, and climate disasters, racism and antisemitism, making a meaningful difference has started to seem harder. Of course, people have always had challenges and difficulties, and in truth, our lives today are so much easier and full of opportunities than for generations past. But the difference is that today, with smart phones and social media, we are constantly updated on problems around the world, massive problems that seem too large or distant for us to have any impact, leading many to feel overwhelmed, even depressed, when we want to do some good, but can easily think that our small deeds don’t matter.

Jewish tradition tells us that our deeds do matter. Teshuvah, the key word of the Jewish holidays, doesn’t just mean “repentance.” Teshuvah can also mean, “response.” The Days of Awe this year remind me that we always have the power to respond to world’s needs, whether by dialoguing, donating, or demonstrating. And maybe more important than ever: just doing something small and personal and kind that makes a big difference to someone. Because as we are taught in the Mishnah (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5) every person is a world entire, and to save one life is to save a world, to help one life is to help a world.

The Torah often highlights how one action makes a difference. For example, the book of Genesis tells of someone who changed the course of history just by giving directions. (Genesis 37:15-17). Joseph (the one with the coat of many colors) was sent by his father Jacob to check up on his brothers who were herding sheep. But he wasn’t sure about where to find them. He met a “random” guy out in the fields and asked if he had seen them.  Sure enough, the anonymous stranger directed him to his brothers. . . who unfortunately took away his “technicolor dream-coat,” threw him in a pit and sold him into Egyptian enslavement.

But then things turned around: Joseph bounced back and eventually became the Pharoah’s trusted advisor, saving his family and bringing the children of Israel down to Egypt, from where, centuries later, we were born as a people. So, if it had not been for the ordinary guy stopping to give good directions, none of this might have happened. His small helpful deed eventually changed the course of history.

Centuries later, Maimonides considered this, too, and wrote in his Laws of Repentance: “Every person should consider themselves as perfectly balanced between good and bad and the world as perfectly balanced between good and evil.” (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance, 3:4) Thus every single action we take could be a tipping point that makes a difference to our world. Now, this may all sound like piety, but let me ask you, did someone’s kind deed, words, or support, ever make a difference to you in life, tip the scales your way? Or if not for you, for a member of your family or a friend?

Some may feel too young or too old to make a difference, but whether young or old, there is no age limit to doing our part. Young people are and have long been leaders for social progress, as evidenced by the Jewish Youth Climate Movement. Led by members of Gen-Z, it is, “dedicated to combating climate change and environmental injustice from a Jewish lens.” They aim to make climate action a “central defining feature of what it means to be Jewish,” and to “empower…the next generation of Jewish youth to be leaders” in that cause.

Others among us may think, “I’m too old to make a difference; I’ll leave tikkun olam to the next generation.” There are 80 million elders in the USA, who can bring life experience, skills, and volunteer time to making the world better. We well know the power of elders with the incredible volunteer energy here at Seaside Jewish community, as you will learn tomorrow morning from Rabbi Emerita Beth Cohen and other members of our congregation.

Elders Action Network is a national community with thousands of elders working to create a better world for future generations. They convene workshops and dialogues and get involved with key issues including climate change, democracy, social justice, and the need for new and regenerative ways of living on earth. Because here is another key to Tikkun Olam work: the joy comes from joining with others; the real power, and the power to keep going, comes from collective impact. Our mystics taught that the word Mitzvah is connected to the Aramaic word tzavta, meaning “together.” Or as my teacher Reb Zalman often said, “The only way we can get it together is together.” 

Whatever your age, remember that Rabbi Tarfon also taught the task is big, but the reward is great. He spoke of a future reward, but there can also be immediate rewards. According to the Cleveland Clinic, serving others has been associated with a myriad of mental health benefits to the giver: increased self-esteem, less depression, lower stress levels, greater happiness and satisfaction, and even physical benefits like lower blood pressure and an association with greater longevity. If you could take that in a pill, wouldn’t you go get it? There is even something called the “helper’s high,” that we get from doing for others. Like other highs, it can be addictive, but in a good way, because we want more of the warm glow that comes from doing.  The Dalai Lama, no stranger to hardship, put it like this: “Joy is the reward, really, of seeking to give joy to others. When you show compassion, when you show caring, when you show love to others, do things for others, in a wonderful way you have a deep joy that you can get in no other way.”

I think one thing that’s tripping me up when I figure out what good I can do in the world, is that I was brought up with the idea that ultimate perfection lies at some future time and place. Jewish tradition spoke of bringing Mashiach, or the World to Come, or as I learned in my Reform upbringing, the “Messianic Era,” some distant time of perfect peace and justice reigning on earth.

I’ve come to see it differently. Personally, I like to interpret “bringing the Messianic era,” not as striving for a future perfection, but rather in opening to the moments of perfection already here and then considering how to make the circle wider and wider, like ripples in a pond touching others and sending out waves of blessing. When I have a wonderful experience, perhaps in nature with loved ones, hearing music, or in cultural sharing and dialogue, I stop to savor the taste of the Messianic era that is already here right now, and then ponder how I can use my gifts and resources to share that feeling and invite in others. The Holy Zohar, the great book of Jewish mysticism, actually calls the “world-to-come,” the “world that is coming—coming constantly and never ceasing,” indicating that the flow of goodness is “already present always.”[2]

Danny Siegel, the Jewish author and philanthropist who coined the term “Mitzvah Heroes” for champions of good-deed-doing, encourages both kids and adults to find your personal mitzvah gift, your mitzvah passion, your special deed that you always do. Consider your talents, hobbies, and life experience: sports, making music, cooking, gardening, professional knowledge, and so on. And then consider the places and people near or far, who could benefit and from what you have to offer. As the Presbyterian theologian Frederick Buechner, put it, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

This Yom Kippur listen to your inner calling. Find your people and join with others. The world is waiting, and your next mitzvah mission-possible is looking for you.

Do you choose to accept it?