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Shimon Omer Shimon HaTzadik said: "On three things the world stands: on Torah, on service, and on acts of loving kindness." -- Mishnah (Pirkei) Avot 1:2 What does it mean to give of yourself freely to others? And why in the world would you want to do so? Let's explore the question a little. In the aftermath of September 11th and the homicide bombing campaigns there is much talk about the fanaticism of those who seek holiness, of how religious commitment leads to dangerous, even fatal, extremism. But we Jews have never seen holiness that way. Reaching God--however God is defined--is a matter of making a commitment to a life of ethical action, a path paved with practical deeds, pragmatic acts, everyday choices to live a good life. One of the most famous statements in all rabbinic literature, quoted in Pirkei Avot, is that of Shimon the Righteous. He explains that the entire universe depends on just three things: the study of Torah, service, and unbidden acts of human kindness. It is a wonderful framework for accomplishing holiness, for making goodness a habit and morality a residual benefit. It's easy to understand two of these three elements: Torah and kindness. Here at Temple we are rich in Torah, brought to us by our amazing Adult Education Academy (we offered 22 different courses this year alone!) and our Religious School and Preschool. And we have become well acquainted with kindness, not least through the acts of our excellent Caring Committee. But what do we mean by service? The simple, plain p'shat meaning of the Hebrew word for service, avodah, is plain old-fashioned "work." Laborers do avodah in the fields. Preparing meals for Operation Deep Freeze for the homeless here at Temple is avodah. Any kind of physical labor, such as our Mitzvah Day Social Action Committee work, would constitute avodah. Another traditional meaning of avodah is any kind of divine service. In the Temple in Jerusalem the priests performed the avodah, the sacred rites. Today, anyone who writes and delivers a drash, or who assists as a gabbai during the Torah reading, or sings in the High Holiday choir, or reads Torah for Project Ezra is doing this kind of avodah. But avodah, more broadly, can be seen as any actions that help meet the needs of the holy community a temple can and should be. Whether it is volunteering to help in the Preschool baby room or folding and mailing the Temple Times, visiting the sick at a hospital or bringing a baby bag to new parents, serving on a financial committee or helping organize the Davis Library, you are doing avodah, the kind of service that makes a difference. This year we are launching a new program, the Avodah Initiative, under the leadership of Carol Schiffman-Durham, which will seek to involve everyone in the congregation in some form of volunteer avodah. It is a way of helping each of us fulfill this central mitzvah of service. And the truth is that each of us has something special to give, as the Torah teaches. In the days when the first Temple was being built, the Tabernacle in the Wilderness of Sinai, God told Moses and Aaron to ask the people to bring forth a free-will offering of "that which their hearts desired them to bring", a terumah. And, for the only time in the history of Jewish organizations, more was contributed than could ever be used. Somehow this episode has always seemed rather unlikely. Our ancestors, after all, were poor slaves. What great stores of gold and silver, of precious textiles and gems could they have accessed in the remote Wilderness of Sinai? It wasn't tangible wealth that our ancestors contributed to the Tabernacle. What they really contributed was their heart, skill, and talents. They volunteered their time and energy to create a vibrant, beautiful, loved --and loving--Temple. And you can do this now. Contact Carol by e-mail at dechome@qwest.net and tell her what you would like to do at Temple. She is collecting avodah opportunities from the many active programs and committees of our Temple. You can make a difference, and you can bring your own talents to the creation of a holy, and good, community. Torah is the way in which we learn, teach, and inculcate morality and ethical awareness. Kind acts are graceful gifts we contribute to those around us. But avodah, service, is where Judaism flourishes and lives. Join us in this Avodah Initiative, and make your own life, and that of our temple, richer, finer, and better. L'shalom v'reiut, in peace and friendship, Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon |
