The essence of Torah, according to Rabbi Hillel, is “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. All the rest is commentary; go forth and learn it.” Had I ever been offered the honor to sit and learn with Rabbi Hillel, I might have asked him (if I’d dared to speak) one small question – whether he meant that people should go and “learn” it or go and “live’ it.
Not a day goes by without the news reporting on a community or business leader who has engaged in shady dealings, lied, or withheld information. It just pains me so. We trust and hope that our leaders have the knowledge to make appropriate ethical choices. So, I have to wonder where the disconnect is between learning and living.
This week we reach the heart of Torah. In Parshat Kedoshim G-d tells Moses to teach the Jewish people a wide variety of laws and appropriate behaviors. We should be holy, we are told, because our G-d is holy. We are told to honor our parents and to be honest in our business dealings. We are told not to rob or lie or to act or judge unjustly. We are told to love our neighbors as ourselves and to not take revenge for past acts on future generations.
Most all of us are taught these behaviors as part of daily life in kindergarten. We are reminded of them through Jewish (and most other religious) study. Another “nudge” is provided through ethical business classes and values focused office retreats. We come back to them each year as we reach the center of Torah.
So, Rabbi Hillel, I must say that I am constantly amazed, and far too often painfully saddened, by the choices that people who have “learned” ethical behavior make. I wish I had THE answer, but, alas, I can only continue to raise the question.
Oh wait.. there are two other things I can do.. like Rabbi Hillel, I CAN TEACH and through my teaching do my best to help learners make connections between the text and their own daily actions. I can help them learn to reflect upon their choices so that they can, perhaps, act differently going forward. And, I CAN LIVE MY VALUES, no matter how I might be treated by others.
May my efforts and, those of my colleagues, make some small difference in this world and the choices of those who inhabit it.
Prior to her position with the Grinspoon Foundation, Iris served as a synagogue educator in Syracuse NY, the Central New York PJ Library Program Coordinator and as a national consultant for PJ Library.
Iris holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, a master’s degree in Special Education and Reading, and Advanced Certification in School Leadership and Administration. Her experience as a secular educator and educational leader in congregational and community settings spans over 20 years. She is also a lay leader in Jewish organizations on the local and national levels. Iris served as the President of CAJE – the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, which was the largest member organization for Jewish educators in the country.
- May My (and Your) Yom Kippur Be Filled Meaning - October 3, 2014
- We All Are Standing Here.. Now What Will You Do? - September 19, 2014
- ‘Tis the Season of Transitions - September 12, 2014