Torah Portion

The Jubilee Year Trumpets
A Passion For Compassion

Responsiveness begins with our
willingness to be aware of our surround-
ings. It begins with awake living. We see
the impact of our actions on our sur-
roundings. We are willing to change our
behavior. Responsiveness is a lifestyle.
Second, we must forgive all debts:
n 1990, a group of Jewish dele-
In what ways can we cultivate grati-
gates traveled to a remote hill
tude in our lives? Forgiving debt begins
town in Northern India to meet
with the ability to recognize abundance.
with the Dalai Lama of Tibet.
It begins with the ability to say, "I have
The Dalai Lama, living in exile since
enough." As we refocus on the abun-
the Chinese invasion of 1959, wanted to
dance that is present in our lives, debt
dialogue with leaders of the Jewish com-
becomes less and less important.
munity about how one sustains a culture
Gratitude is the ability to
and a religion in exile.
live in a psychological state of
In an extraordinary
abundance rather then scarci-
exchange of ideas, the Dalai
ty. I am aware of what I have,
Lama asked a stunning and
rather then what is owed to
poignant question: "Isn't the
me. I am cognizant of what is
role of religion to create com-
here in the present, rather
passion in people? And when
then what I have missed in
religion stops creating compas-
the.. past, or yearn for M the
sion in people and unfortu-
future. Gratitude is a state of
nately, we've seen religion as a
mind.
source of divisiveness in the
RABBI T AMARA
Third, we must free all
world, what's wrong?"
KOL TON
slaves:
This week's Torah portion
Specia 1 to the
How might we practice
Behar is an invitation towards
Jewish News
forgiveness and increase peace
compassion. It is an example
and serenity in our relation-
of Judaism working to encourage and
ships with each other? Forgiveness is an
sus _ tain the highest ethics of any society.
opportunity to release the energy of
Behar talks about the Jubilee year,
anger. As we forgive other people, we
which occurs every seven years and is to
release ourselves to increased peace of
be a Shabbat for the land. Behar
mind and open to joy.
instructs that the Jewish community
Forgiveness begins with conscious
must do three things every seventh year:
choice. It begins with the decision to
Leave the land untilled, return all prop-
let go, stop ruminating about what
erty that has been sold to its original
was, and get on with the business of
owner, and free all Hebrew slaves.
today. It is a decision to walk across
The word Jubilee comes from the
the valley to the other side.
Hebrew, yovel, meaning, "ram". The
Forgiveness is an art.
Jubilee year, like the New Year of Rosh
Responsivenegs, gratitude, and for-
HaShana, is to be ushered in by the
giveness answer the challenge of the
blast of the ram's horn.
Dalai Lama. They are all aspects of what
The Jubilee year is seen as form of
it means to live a life of compassion.
idealism, a vision for social and econom-
The role of religion, when function-
ic reform. Today, in the context of our
ing at its highest level, is to cultivate a
lives, it may be visited as an invitation to
world of goodness, a place where corn-
practice compassion and empathy.
passion lives as abundantly as trees in a
Inside our individual hearts and
dense forest, and the Jubilee lies just
minds, we must live the Jubilee. Today,
across the river. ❑
in the context of modern life, living the
Jubilee consists of three components,
which may be framed by asking three
questions:
First, we must leave the land bar-
Is compassion viewed differently
ren so that it has time to restore itself.
by people who are "haves" and
How can we respond to environmen-
those who are "have-nots?" Is
tal damage in order to sustain a healthy
attention to the environment
planet? In what ways can we reduce con-
compassion, or mere self-inter-
sumption and waste in order to give the
est? Can compassion toward
planet time to restore its own equilibri-
other people be an act of self-
um?
interest, both materially and

Shabbat Behar:
Leviticus 25:1-26•2;
Jeremiah 32:6-27.

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