Somewhere Over the Rainbow

It’s known that Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the signature song that Judy Garland sang in The Wizard of Oz, was written by two Jews, Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen*. I wonder, though, how many Jews were involved with the screenplay of that classical movie. In my opinion, the next-to-the-last scene sounds as if it was taken from this week’s Torah portion, Nitzavim. 

For those who don’t remember the scene the wizard’s balloon takes off without Dorothy leaving her stranded in the land of Oz. Glinda, the good witch, arrives and informs Dorothy she doesn’t need Glinda’s help to get back to Kansas. She’s always had the power but had to learn it for herself.

“What have you learned, Dorothy?” her friends ask.

I think it wasn’t enough to just want to see Uncle Henry and Auntie Em and if I ever go looking for my heart’s desire I won’t look any further than my own backyard because if it isn’t there I never really lost it to begin with.

Compare Dorothy’s answer with verses 12 through 14 in chapter 30 of Deuteronomy:

It is not in the heaven, to say, “Who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?” Nor is it across the sea, to say, “Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us, so we can listen to it and perform it?” Rather, the matter is very near you- in your mouth and your heart- to perform it.  

In other words, just like Dorothy’s heart’s desire was just a click of her heels away so is the Torah within the grasp of each and every one of us. It is there for each of us to learn with our mouths and grasp with our hearts and act by following its precepts.

As we begin a new year may we all understand the special gift we have been given and continue to refine our service to G-d and each other.

May all be signed and sealed for only good this coming year.

*for more about the Jewish theme of the song see Who Knew posted on my blog on May 8^th, 2015

courtesy of mindful-mornings.com