Four Weeks of Elul 5768
Week Three: Communal Lives

September 12, 2008

This week's torah portion, Ki Tetze, contains one of the most troubling passages in the Torah. In Deuteronomy 20:21-18 we find the following:

If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, who will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not listen to them; then shall his father and his mother lay hold of him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place. And they shall say to the elders of his city: "Our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard." And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shall you put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

It's hard to believe that the Torah seems to be advocating the execution of our rebellious children! But there it is - in black and white. How do we deal with this? This commandment seems to conflict with our core values as a people. Over the centuries, commentators have tried to explain the difficulties of this text. They have said that such a thing never could happen. They have said that the purpose of this passage is to scare children into proper behavior - but, the truth is, none of the traditional explanations have made sense to me; that is, until four years ago.

When my daughter, Elana, was celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah, she read this very same passage from Ki Tetze. Working with her teacher, Alan Sims, she came up with a new way to interpret the text that helped put everything into perspective. Instead of focusing on the punishment of the rebellious child, she taught us that we should, instead, focus on the process of bringing him to the elders of the city. The "elders," she wrote, represent the interests of the community in helping this troubled family who is dealing with a very difficult situation. Instead of seeing the elders as a punishing body, we should instead see them as repositories of the collective wisdom and nurturance of the community. A family is in crisis - the community must come together to help them.

This made sense to me. As Jews, we are commanded to support and connect with the community in which we live. A key principle of Jewish life teaches us that "Kol Yisrael Aravim Zeh Ba Zeh," -- All Israel is responsible for one another. Throughout Jewish history we have created organizations and institutions designed to help our brothers and sisters - in our own communities and around the world. We have never been content, however, to see our responsibility in particularistic terms. We know that we are responsible, not only for the welfare of our own community - but also for working to improve the entire world. The Concept of Tikkun Olam - repairing our world -- guides and commands us to strive to work in partnership with our creator in perfecting all of Creation.

The following questions can help you to focus your Elul preparations on how you can make a difference for good in your congregation, community and, indeed, the world itself. Again, this is by no means a complete list. There are many other areas that can be explored. Hopefully, this will provide you with a starting place for a much longer process.

1. Have I done enough to support my congregation and the Jewish community with my time, energy and resources?
2. Regardless of political perspective, have I been vocal in my support of the State of Israel?
3. Have I taken my own comfort for granted and "looked the other way" when I saw poverty or despair in my community?
4. Have I been active in supporting worthy educational, cultural, political and social justice organizations and institutions in the community that cannot function without my support
5. Have I spoken out when I perceived discrimination or inequity based on economics, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation in our community?
6. Have I been ecologically responsible in my use of materials and resources?
7. When I am at synagogue, have I done all that I can to make others feel welcomed in the same way that I want to feel welcome?

Again, I want to hear from you regarding these messages. I welcome your comments and suggestions. I can be reached by phone (883-1818) or e-mail (). These questions will also be available in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these lists, contact our list administrator, .

L'shanah Tovah U'metukah - May you have a good and sweet new year,