Spirituality

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TORAH PORTION

Through Holiness,
Things Get Better

Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim:
Leviticus 16:1-20:27; Amos 9:7-15.

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W

henever I have worked
The Jewish philosopher Martin
with teens on a new
Buber explained this aspirational
project that is going to
model in his work, Israel and the
be challenging and full of obstacles
World: Essays in a Time of Crisis.
on the path to success, I set a single
Buber writes of the traditional dis-
ground rule: No one is permitted to
tinction between "kodesh (holy)" and
despair by saying "THIS STINKS."
"chol (everyday, or profane, as it is
If you feel frustrated, you
usually translated)": " (the
may say, "THIS COULD BE
profane' is ... only a desig-
BETTER."
nation for the not yet sanc-
Why? Because "This
tified, for that which is to
stinks" is the end of a
be sanctified." This means
conversation. But, if we
that nothing is beyond
say, "This could be better"
repair; everything could
— that is the beginning of
be better. Everything is
a conversation: How could
"not-yet-holy." But this also
it be better? What could we
means that everything is
do to improve our situa-
on the path toward greater
tion, to raise our prospects
sanctity.
Ra bbi Eric
for success and fulfillment?
Yanoff
Here in Michigan, we
What are our goals and
Spec ial to the
find ourselves in a commu-
why do we care to be a part
Jew ish News
nity with great potential for
of this cooperative effort?
repair. Unfortunately, too
By saying "This could
often, we fall prey to the
be better;' we are opening ourselves
assumptions (in the national media,
to working toward that goal of bet-
and creeping into our own self-doubt-
terment. And this, perhaps, is one of
ing psyche) that things are too-far-
the most important lessons taught
gone. There are just too many things
to us by the second half of our Torah
to do to fix it all.
portion. In Chapter 19, we read God's
But it does not "stink:' as teens
commandment to the entire people of might be tempted to say. Rather, it
Israel: "Kedoshim t'hiyu — You shall
could — and will — be better. As I
be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am
draw near to the close of a six-year
holy" (Leviticus 19:2). Many Torah
chapter of my family's life here in
commentators and philosophers have
Detroit, I have faith in this potential.
offered insight into this command-
I have high hopes that this commu-
ment: How can God impose such a
nity will realize God's aspirations as
blanket expectation on us?
a kehillah kedoshah — a truly holy
This is why I love our religion:
community. I wish the most sincere
Judaism is, at its core, aspirational.
blessings in the fulfillment of this
God sets high expectations for us,
sacred work. Shabbat Shalom!
be holy. But God also believes that
we can attain those high hopes. And
Eric Yanoff is a rabbi at Congregation
each of the mitzvot that follow in the
Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County.
Torah is a steppingstone along the
path to accomplishing God's goals for
us as individuals, as a society and as
a people. It is a lifelong path; none of
Conversations
us ever reach the "end-point" of God's
What can we each do to take a
hopes for us to build a holy commu-
step (however incremental) in
nity. But the very fact that God holds
the right direction toward build-
these aspirations for us also serves to
ing a better society? How can
inspire us to move further along our
we transfer something from the
path toward that end goal — even
"not-yet-holy" into something
with the understanding that we will
truly sacred?
never reach a self-satisfied conclusion.

❑

When we say "Get anywhere from here,"
we're not bragging, we're just stating the
plain facts. Call 248.341.2350.

www.oaklandcc.edu

• OAKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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April 22 • 2010