Torah Portion

A Sense Of Belonging
Makes Us Whole

something to cling to. They need: the
inspiration of tradition, the sense of relat-
edness to others, the security of a home.
We all need the strength and support
of home and family to find stability and
serenity. We need friends and communi-
ty to feel worthy and valued.
The imagery of Pirkei Avot conveys
he Torah reading describes a
this truth so vividly. "The righteous per-
census of children of Israel
son is like a tree planted by a stream of
during the days of Moses.
water," declare the sages, and even if all
Each tribe was to be num-
the winds of the world blow upon it, it
bered and the total figures tallied.
cannot
be stirred from its place:" To
In the midst of this seemingly prosa-
belong
to a family and to a historic com-
ic report, the Bible introduces a pro-
munity is to have one's life
found spiritual insight, "Take
anchored
in the soil of a pro-
ye the sum of all the congrega
found attachment.
tion in Israel ..." By what
The need to belong is of
method? "By their families
special concern to us as Jews
and by their father's houses."
— one of the oldest peoples
Every person was reckoned
on God's earth — because we
not as a separate and detached
taught the world the mean-
individual, not as an inter-
ing of having roots, of being
changeable unit in a series, but
part
of a historic nation.
mish-
rather as a member of a
When we enter a synagogue,
pacha, or family, in relation-
we encounter words of the
ship to his father's house.
RABBI IRWIN
Bible and prayers of first-cen-
The Torah teaches us that
GRO NER
tury Palestine and of seventh-
one's identity is linked with
Sp ecia 1 to the
century
Babylonia and of
home, family, lineage, ances-
Jewisl 9 News
France
and
Germany and of
tors — in short with a sense
the
Middle
Ages,
as well as of
of belonging. I can think of
contemporary America. We are
no greater yearning, no deeper hunger
refreshed and invigorated by the contin-
in our age than the need to belong, to
uous stream of a tradition that has
be linked with others by ties of affec-
flowed on through the lives and teach-
tion and regard.
ings
of prophets and sages, saints and
During World War II, London was
scholars.
To affirm loyalty to this people
bombed so relentlessly by the Luftwaffe
and
to
share
in its life is to absorb
that children were sent to the country-
Israel's
strength
and courage and faith.
side. A little boy separated from his
The
great
task
of the Jewish commu-
mother and unaware of her location,
nity today is to respond to the challenge
reacted to his plight by declaring, "I am
of the sedra — to help each Jew realize
nobody's nothing." Each of us wants to
that he counts because he is a member of
be somebody's something.
a
family; he has a distinctive lineage and
Material possessions do not necessari-
a
shared history with Jews all over the
ly answer the hunger for belonging. Are
world.
the victims of insecurity, loneliness and
We need to strengthen and support
isolation limited to the poor and under-
the institutions where we discover our
privileged? Not necessarily. Consider the
roots: the home, the family, the syna-
gifted and promising young man or
gogue, the school. They alone shape and
woman who feels rootless and alienated.
fashion an authentic and fulfilling Jewish
Consider a successful entrepreneur who
identity. II
realizes one day that his home is not his
castle. Consider a woman, outwardly
graceful and serene, but inwardly dis-
tressed because she feels unloved and
unwanted. Consider an older person
Can you cite some examples
who seemingly has all the material secu-
from community life that show
rity he desires but observes that his coun-
the importance of belonging?
sel is not desired, his presence not wel-
How does the sense of oneness
come. A sense of belonging has little to
explain
the confessional prayers
do with what a person has, but rather
being
in
the plural? In what way
with what he experiences.
do
our
customs
and tradition
The Torah instructs us repeatedly that
emphasize the need for unity of
men and women need someone and
the Jewish people?
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Ihft,ww:;,A.,...Anammetemomanalsw:Damwas

Shabbat Bamidbar:
Numbers 1:1-4:20; I
Samuel 20:18-18:42.

T

Perfect for
•college
•bedroom
•family room

100% cotton afghan 48"x 60"

Call Alicia R. Nelson

(248) 557-0109

5/14
1999

for an appointment

74 Detroit Jewish News

Conversations

c-_\/