MAINSTREETS ISSUE OCTOBER 23, 2008

TORAH PORTION

Waking Up To
World Around Us

Parashat Shoftim: Deuteronomy
16:18-21:9; Isaiah 51:12-52:12.

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think that if alarm clocks existed
social justice — an authentic love and
at the time the Torah was given,
concern for all human beings no mat-
God would have made a 614th
ter their race, culture or religion.
commandment, prohibiting buying
During the last week, we began
a clock with a snooze button — for
to blow the shofar as we ushered in
snoozing is contrary to everything
the new month of Elul, the month
that Judaism is about.
of introspection and repentance.
In so many ways our
Maimonides, the great
tradition is about being
medieval rabbi, philosopher
cognizant, aware and awake
and physician, spoke of the
at all times to the powerful
shofar as a type of alarm
potential we have to ulti-
clock that essentially says
mately transform the world.
to us: "Awake, all you who
These all-important themes
sleep. Arouse yourself, all
are contained both in this
you who slumber. Search
week's haftorah and Torah
your deeds and repent.
portions.
Remember your Creator
The haftorah from the
while
you still have time."
Rabbi Joseph
Book of Isaiah, contains
While
the shofar reminds
H. Kr akoff
the very powerful words,
us
of
the
importance of
Specia I to the
Hitoriri, hitoriri kumi
looking
into
our souls
Jewish News
Yerushalayim — "Rouse
and changing our ways,
yourself. Arise, 0
Maimonides took
Jerusalem ... Awake, 0
it one step further.
Zion and clothe yourself
He also understood
in splendor ..!' In other
the blasts from the
words, prepare to enter
shofar as a call to
the world, experience
the Jews for morality
the brilliance of God's
and involvement in
creation and get deeply
the world around us.
involved.
For in our hands, in
These same words also find reso-
our hearts and in our minds are the
nance in the beautiful 16th century
means for building a better world,
hymn "Lecha Dodi" that we sing at
for fulfilling the promise of peace
Kabbalat Shabbat every Friday night:
and justice and for hastening the day
"Arise and shake off the dust of the
when all will hear and heed the Tekiah
earth. Awake and arise ... for in your
Gedolah, the sound of the Great Shofar
radiance the world will be bright!'
of the Messianic Age bringing about
Very clearly, God wants us to stay
compassion, generosity and mutual
awake to what is happening in the
respect for all of humanity. ❑
world around us. There is no time
for excess sleeping or even dozing
Joseph Krakoff is a rabbi at Congregation
— our personal snooze buttons must
Shaarey Zedek in Oakland County.
be completely turned off. As Jews, we
have the clear and absolute obligation
to educate ourselves to what is going
on everywhere in the world around
Conversations
us, not just in our own backyard.
What are some of the larger
Furthermore, we cannot speak out
social issues facing humanity
only when Jews are being attacked, but
today? What are some of the
we must get involved when any and all
most serious human rights viola-
of our fellow human beings are under
tions being committed? What
siege. This is what our Torah portion
does the sound of the shofar
Shoftim speaks of when it commands
mean to you?
us to engage in acts of mishpat tzedek,

The sh ofar
helps t o look
into ou r soul.

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