Author: Rabbi David Krishef

Psalm 43

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“Send forth Your light and Your truth.” (43:3)

Israel is described by Isaiah as an or goyim, “light of the nations.” By the example of their behavior, Israel is charged with the responsibility to teach the non-monotheistic world about belief in one God. In the ancient worldview of the Hebrew prophets, there were God-followers and there were idolators. The former were moral because of their adherence to God’s revealed scripture, and the latter were immoral because they ignored God’s instructions to the world. In our world we have multiple monotheistic God-following religions and many ways to follow God, all of them true. The job of religious people is to show that the way we live our lives is illumined by one of those sets of truths.

Psalm 42

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“Why so downcast, my soul?” (42:6)

A brief conversation with the soul: “Hey, soul – it’s a beautiful day and I’d like to enjoy myself. Stop dragging me down with your nagging!”

“No problem. I’ll stop when you give some attention to these issues you’ve been ignoring.”

“Those are your issues, not mine. I just need a break! Let me enjoy myself for once, and I won’t be so angry.”

“Look – your problem is not your co-workers, your spouse, your children, or the driver who doesn’t accelerate fast enough. Your problem is deeper, a spiritual problem. You are looking for ways to experience the rush of anger because it makes you feel alive.”

Listen to your soul.

Psalm 41

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“You have wholly transformed his bed of suffering.” (41:4)

There is a difference between emotional or physical pain and suffering. Suffering entails pain, but not all pain needs to be understood as suffering. Pain has a physical or emotional cause. Suffering is a particular interpretation of pain. We suffer when we decide that the pain is unjust. Complaining magnifies pain into suffering, as does blaming and anger. As a rule, negative emotions magnify suffering, and positive emotions, especially laughter, reduce suffering. Quieting one’s breath through prayer or meditation, a form of embracing the pain rather than fighting with it, can also transform and reduce suffering.

Psalm 40

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“I did not withhold my words.” (40:10)

The Psalmist might say with regret, “I did not withhold my words and I regret having said things that I cannot unsay.” In this case he has damaged relationships so his words were better left unsaid. He might say with a sigh of futility, “I did not withhold my words, but I am glad that I spoke truth to power, even though nothing has changed.” He feels good and might have a positive influence on bystanders. Or he might say with a sense of accomplishment, “I did not withhold my words and the person or organization I was addressing has changed because of what I said,” effecting positive change. Before you open your mouth, consider in which category your words are likely to fall.

Divre Harav – April, 2017

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In the third and final part of the first mishnah of chapter two of Pirkei Avot, Rabbi [Yehudah Hanasi] says:

“And watch out for three things, so you will not come into the clutches of transgression – know what is above you: (1) An eye which sees, and (2) an ear which hears, and (3) a book, in which all your actions are written down.” Pirke Avot 2:1

Above our ark in the sanctuary we have the words, Da lifnei mi ata omed, “Know Before Whom You Stand.” While the source for this statement in Talmudic source is in the plural (B’rachot 28b), as if speaking to the congregation as a whole, it is commonly found at the front of Sanctuaries in the singular, parallel to the grammar of Rabbi Yehudah’s warning, “know what is above you.”

Is God really continually spying on us? Are our private lives being monitored by someone other than the NSA?

I don’t have a definitive answer to this, because it depends on whether we are speaking about the world of literal truth or metaphorical truth. Literally, God has no eyes, no ears, and no hands with which to write down our every error, sin, and transgression. Metaphorically, God has all of those sensory organs and appendages. Literally, God is not monitoring and recording our every action. Metaphorically, God is doing just that.

Why has our tradition created such a metaphor? In what way it is useful in helping us to become a faithful people of God and Torah? The answer is obvious, but problematic. If we live our lives as if we are being graded — and the grades count — then we will be careful to behave in better ways. If we believe that God is paying attention, then we will communicate with each other kindly, gently, and with empathy.

What is problematic about behaving ourselves and acting like good people, you might ask However useful this metaphor might be, we should remember that it is only a metaphor, not literal truth, because our goal ought to be higher than just behaving like good people. My High School science teacher had a poster on his walls, which said something like, “The mark of a truly good person is what he does when he knows no one is watching.” When we reach the level of character development of which we can say, I know that no one, including God, will know if I take this ethical shortcut, post this anonymous unkind comment, sneak into this movie, but I am not going to do it anyway, then we will have become true mensches.

Now, regarding the question of whether the NSA is actually spying on us or just metaphorically spying on us, that I can’t answer either. I’ve already said too much, and they might be listening!

Hebrew Words of the Month:

  • • ayin – eye
  • • ozen – ear
  • • peh – mouth
  • • af – nose
  • • mah’shava – thought
  • • da’at – awareness