Thursday, September 10, 2020

Not Over the Rainbow (inspired by a class given by Rabbi Dr. Aaron Adler)

Last year at this time who would have believed the situation that was waiting for us less than half a year after we sounded the High Holy Day shofar? Who would have dreamed many of us wouldn’t be able to gather inside a synagogue the following year?  Who could have guessed that our new year greetings this year would be given without handshakes or hugs? Last year, without a glimmer of what the future would hold, we innocently recited this powerful prayer in the Musaf service on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur. 

On Rosh HaShana it is inscribed and on Yom Kippur it is sealed: How many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live, and who will die; who at his predestined time, and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword, who by beast, who by hunger, and who by thirst, who by earthquake, and who by plague, who by strangling, and who by stoning, who will be at rest, and who will wander about, who will have quiet, and who will be confused, who will be tranquil, and who will be tormented, who will be wealthy, and who will be poor, who will fall, and who will rise up. But repentance, prayer, and charity can annul the stern decree.     

I couldn’t have imagined then that I would be concerned about a plague. Water, fire, sword, and beast, yes. Hunger, thirst, earthquake, maybe. But a plague? We’re in the twenty-first century. All our scientific resources would prevent such a thing from happening. And if by some freak chance a plague would erupt our medical system would quickly contain it. Only that’s not what happened.

For some reason HaShem has sent us this plague and now, as we enter the next year, we’re full of prayers for the Almighty to end Covid 19. I think we’ve learned that we don’t have all the answers. Only HaShem does. However, the Torah, HaShem’s Book of Directions for Life, is not over the rainbow. It’s here and available for all of us.   

 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow (written a year ago)

 

 

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 8th, 2015

  



My novel, Growing With My Cousin, a good summer read, is available at Jewish bookstores and on line at  http://www.feldheim.com/growing-with-my-cousin.html or

https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Cousin-Ester-Katz-Silvers/dp/194635113X/ 

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