Today, I gave my first d'var torah (literally, "word of Torah" although usually translated as "teaching" or "sermon") as a Rabbinic student. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! Special thanks to Rabbi Yoshi for mentoring me during the writing process, Cantor David Berger for his guidance in its delivery, and Todd & Vlad, who led the service today and encouraged me to give this teaching in front of the pulpit. I hope you enjoy, but more importantly, I hope you learn something.
We’re all familiar with the story. Most of us have probably even done text study with the story. In fact, if I asked, you could probably even tell me the story - while standing on one foot.
We’re all familiar with the story. Most of us have probably even done text study with the story. In fact, if I asked, you could probably even tell me the story - while standing on one foot.
But what is the REAL lesson from the story?
The Talmud in tractate Shabbat 31a teaches that a heathen once came before Rabbi Hillel, saying, “Teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.” Hillel responded in Aramaic:
דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד. זו היא כל התורה כולה. ואידך פירושה הוא. זיל גמור!
Da’a’lach s’nei l’chav’rach la ta’aveid. Zo hi kol haTorah kulah. V’idach peirushah hu. Zil g’mor! “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.”
A simple approach to this text would, indeed, imply that this heathen intended to learn the entire Torah while standing before Hillel on one foot. But Rabbi Marcus Jastrow suggests that the phrase, “רגל אחת” could also mean “one reason” or “one basis” or (PAUSE) “a foot to stand on.” In other words, perhaps the heathen was saying, “Teach me the one most important tenet of the Torah while I stand before you.” Hillel then responded appropriately: the most important principle in Jewish tradition is to treat others the way you wish to be treated.
So what does that REALLY mean? How can we see this lesson in action?
In this week’s parashah, it’s a hot day and Abraham sees three men who appear near his tent. When he sees them, he runs up to them, bows to them, offers them water and invites them to sit in the shade. He then offers to bring them “a morsel of bread.” They accept, but instead of just bringing out some bread and water, Abraham has Sarah bake cakes with the best flour, he goes and chooses a really good looking calf from the flock and instructs a servant, possibly Ishmael, to prepare a calf roasted in curds and milk, a local delicacy, and then he waits on his guests while they enjoy this feast. The Torah goes into exceptional detail of Abraham’s hospitality, possibly to set the stage for a similar story in the same parashah.
Later, Lot is visited by two angels. He greets them and bows; invites them to spend the night and rest, but they say they are more interested in spending the night in the square. Lot refuses this idea and urges them strongly to come to his house. So they do and they have a feast.
One of these characters gets a message from his guests of an impending birth. The other has his city destroyed.
What can we learn from these stories? The Talmud teaches that Lot acted inappropriately, as Rabbi Eliezar said, “From here we may derive that one may refuse a lesser man, but one may not refuse a great man.” In other words, Lot should have accepted the angels’ wishes, even if welcoming them gave Lot great personal satisfaction. Rabbi Eliezar goes on to say that when Abraham says that he will fetch a morsel of bread and brings back a feast, we learn that “the righteous will promise little and do much. The wicked, on the other hand, say much and perform not even a little.”
Abraham, in this act of extreme hospitality is actuating the ideal of treating others the way we want to be treated. Whereas Lot only cared about his actions as host, Abraham maintained a guest’s mentality. He understood what these strangers would need on a hot day after a potentially long day of travel. He didn’t care that he had just had a pretty major operation, nor that the day was hot for him and his family as well. Instead, he only cared about making his guests feel welcome.
As Jewish professionals, we must have this mentality. We must constantly ask, “What are the needs of our community?” In dealing with sensitive situations or life-cycle events, we must ask ourselves, “What are the needs of this person right in front of me? Does this person really need to hear my life’s story? Or do they just need someone to talk to?”
It might be the most difficult part of our jobs. Yet it may also be the most rewarding, as sometimes, the person or community we help may respond with a nod, a hug, or a thank you.
May we welcome our guests and each other like Abraham and Sarah. And may we remember the true meaning of רגל אחת.
Boker tov.
No comments:
Post a Comment