Torah Portion

Were Our Choices Good,
Or Can We Do Better?

rain behavior when the child is too
young to consider his or her actions
with maturity and forethought. As the
child becomes an adult, however,
parental threats cease to instill fear. As
we grow up, moral persuasion and
appeals to one's better nature become
more powerful motivators for proper
his week's Parsha (Torah
behavior than intimidation.
portion) serves as an impor-
Like the grown child, we live in
tant reminder of the
an age when belief in God is option-
covenant our ancestors
al; when science and technology
made with God:
promise to answer all our questions,
"The Lord your God commands you
and fear of humanity's own destruc-
this day to observe these laws and rules;
tive power is more impos-
observe them faithfully with all
ing than fear of God.
your heart and soul. You have
We perceive ourselves as
affirmed this day that the Lord
equal partners in this con-
is your God, that you will
tract with God — we don't
walk in God's ways, that you
have to observe or believe,
will observe God's laws and
yet many of us choose to,
commandments and rules, and
nonetheless. We don't do
that you will obey God. And
so out of fear, but rather
the Lord has affirmed this day
out of love and gratitude
that you are God's treasured
for the gift of creation. For
people which shall observe all
some,
keeping the
RAB BI MARLA
the commandments, and that
covenant
is born of the
J. FE LDMAN
God will set you high above all
hope
that
one day the con-
Spe cial to the
the nations; and that you shall
tract
will
be
complete, and
Jew ish News
be, as promised, a holy people
we will have earned the
to the Lord your God"
promised blessings.
(Deuteronomy 26: 16-19).
Just as the role of our parents
This is a simple contract between
changes during the course of our lives,
our people and God. We agree to
so too, our relationship with God
observe the commandments and
evolves. During the upcoming Holy
affirm God. In turn, God promises
Days, we will recite the traditional
that we will be "Am Segula" — a trea-
`Avinu Malkeinu" — Our Father, Our
sured people. If we fulfill our part of
King. Our ancestors portrayed God as
the covenant, then we will receive
both a loving parent and an omnipo-
wondrous blessings from God.
tent ruler. In this day and age, God is
On the other hand, if we fail in our
a choice.
commitment to God, we will face ter-
The ancient covenant established
rifying calamities. The horrific litany
between our ancestors and God
of curses cited in the parsha is so
defines the Jewish people. Our part of
frightening that it became customary
the agreement is to obey the corn-
to read the passage in a low voice, for
mandments and affirm God. Whether
fear that reciting the curses aloud
or not we uphold our part of the con-
might invite their fulfillment. The
tract is up to us.
twin themes of blessings and curses
run through this parsha, with the
warning that our actions will deter-
mine which of these will come to pass.
Reward and punishment are the
During the month of Elul, as the
mechanisms God uses to compel our
High Holy Days approach, we are
ancestors' obedience. It more closely
told to devote our thoughts to
resembles the relationship between a
reviewing the year that has past
parent and a child than that between
and setting our sights on the year
equal partners in a contract.
ahead. In keeping with this tradi-
The problem with this paradigm is
tion, let us each ask ourselves: Did
obvious. A parent often uses a "carrot
I uphold my part of the contract
and stick" approach to encourage cer-
with God? Was I a trustworthy

Shabbat Ki Tavo:
Deuteronomy
26:1-29:8;
Isaiah 60:1-22.

T

❑

Conversations

Marla Feldman is the assistant direc-

tor of the Jewish Community Council
of Metropolitan Detroit and the exec-
utive director of the Michigan Board
of Rabbis.

partner in the covenant between
the people of Israel and God?
Have I made good choices during
the past year, or can I do better?

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