Shalom Chaverim!
These last few weeks before the New Year are an opportunity: An opportunity to reconnect with the most essential and best parts of our self, to reconnect with love for God and the world, our community, our friends, and our family.
But how?
A Midrash [Midrash Rabba 17:7 – a collection of sermons and comments by the ancient Rabbis] points out that there is ‘not a thing in the world in connection with which God did not charge Israel with some commandment’. Indeed, Maimonides contends that this week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitze, contains 72 mitzvot, which is more than any other portion in the Torah. The Midrash highlights how God instructs us on everything from how we dress and harvest our fields and build our houses to the way in which we treat our neighbors, make war, offer loans and pay wages; the way to collect eggs is covered, as is the delicate subject of toilet hygiene. Truly, we can make everything we do into a mitzvah.
Let’s illustrate one way on which we can find profound meaning in paying attention to the details since, as we say, ‘God is in the details.’ This example is something we can all relate too, and it suggests that we have countless opportunities to bring more chesed – more loving-kindness, compassion, and care – into the world.
Consider: We can all think of a time when someone mentioned to us that so-and-so has this or that negative quality. Without malicious intent, in the course of casual conversation or as an off-the-cuff remark – perhaps nervously only to be making conversation – that comment nevertheless takes on a life of its own.
Suddenly, even if we had really found so-and-so to be a very decent person, we can’t help but notice that single negative quality in action. Soon that negative becomes the predominate aspect that we see in that person. Our own relationship to that person will likely change for the worse.
However, the same thing can happen in a positive way: If the positive qualities of so-and-so were mentioned, perhaps then we would begin to notice those especially positive qualities more and more. Soon, the predominant aspect we see of that person will be increasingly positive. Our own relationship to that person will likely change for the better.
Seen this way, the power of our choices of words for making a real difference in relationships and in the world is staggering! The casual and thoughtless remarks we make can have such far-reaching manifestations and consequences! But so too can the intentional kind words we say…for the positive rather than the negative; bringing more chesed into the world around us.
A Chassidic commentary to Ki Teitze points to something similar. Deuteronomy 23:24 discusses the stringent requirement to fulfill our promises and vows. In fact, this verse is one of the sources for Kol Nidre, which is actually a legal procedure for annulling the validity of our inevitably unfulfilled promises of the past year.
The words מוֹצָא שְׂפָתֶיךָ תִּשְׁמֹר motzah sfateicha tishmor are taken out of context and read literally: “Guard what comes out of your lips.” We know the power of our words:
May we avoid using them idly, or worse – to bring negativity, anger, and contention into the world.
May we use them instead to bring care, kindness, compassion, and love into our families, community and our little corner of the universe in the New Year.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
Rabbi Michael