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Torah Portion
If We Live As Jews,
We Identify As Jews
good or bad. Even if he is thorough-
ly wicked and his mind is dominat-
ed by evil thoughts the whole day
long, if he bestir himself and
endeavor to be constantly occupied
with the Torah and its command-
ments, though not with godly
ost of us take it for
intent, he will inevitably veer
granted that the Torah
towards the good. From the wrong
begins where it does —. motive, he will be led to the right
with Genesis. But one
one and by the force of his actions
of our greatest commentators, Rashi,
he will kill the evil inclination since
questions the logic of this starting
it is actions that shape character."
point.
In other words, deeds shape the
He observes that if the Torah is
heart more than the heart
primarily a book of laws, it
shapes deeds. The Israelite
should begin with legal
isn't supposed to wait until
material and not narratives
he feels a sense of gratitude
about the origin of the uni-
before he brings the
verse. In fact, he writes, the
paschal offering or redeems
Torah should begin with
his first-born son or
this week's parsha (Torah
removes chametz (leaven)
portion) because it contains
from his house on Pesach
the first mitzvah given to
in celebration of God's act
the Israelites (the com-
of deliverance. And that's
mandment to sanctify the
because if the Israelite
RABBI LEE
new month) and 19 other
waits until he feels grati-
'BUCKMAN
mitzvot as well.
tude before he acts, he may
Special to the
What's unusual about the
never act — especially if he
Jewish News
commandments in this par-
is living a comfortable life
sha is that, without excep-
far removed from Egyptian
tion, each one serves as a
slavery. Rather, he is commanded to
reminder of the liberation from
perform a series of mitzvot that are
Egyptian bondage. We might have
meant to inspire emotions of grati-
thought that one mitzvah would
tude.
have been sufficient to help the
And that, according to Sefer
Israelites hold onto the lessons of the
Hachinuch, is how character is
exodus story. We might have
shaped and how feelings of spiritual-
assumed that one commemorative
ity are nurtured. If we act loving, we
act would have sufficed to ensure
will feel loving. If we act charitably,
that Jews would remember God's
we will feel charitable. If we act reli-
merciful act of redemption. Yet, the
gious, we will feel religious.
entire legal section of our parsha is
The same is true with how we
devoted to commemorating the same
cultivate Jewish identity. Jewish
miracle. And the question is why?
identity — the knowledge and feel-
One answer is found in a 13th-
ing that we are connected to a tradi-
century book, Sefer Hachinuch. The
tion, a God, a people — is forged in
title literally means the "Book of
Education." The author tells us in
his introduction that he wrote the
book for his son so that he could
study the 613 mitzvot in the Torah
Why do you think the first mitz-
as they appeared in the parsha from
vah given to the freed Israelite
week to week.
community was the command-
The hallmark of this author's
ment to sanctify the new month
approach to explaining the com-
and
establish a calendar? Samson
mandments is his insight that
Raphael
Hirsch once wrote that
behavior stimulates and molds our
the
"catechism
of the Jews is the
internal religious disposition. Our
calendar."
—
What
do you think
hearts are moved by our actions and
he
meant
by
that?
How
many
deeds. In the words of the Sefer
different symbols and rituals can
Hachinuch: "Know that man is
you think of that are designed to
influenced by his actions and his
remind us of the exodus from
intellectual and emotional life is
Egypt?
conditioned by the things he does,
Shabbat Bo:
Exodus 10: 1- 13: 16;
Jeremiah 46•13-28.
M
Conversations
Lee Buckman is-fbunding head of the
Jewish A.acdemy of Metropolitan Detroit.