34 | SEPTEMBER 3 • 2020
O
ne of my favorite tales
centers around Rabbi
Chaim of Brisk who
was traveling on a train, sharing
a compartment with a group of
stylishly dressed people.
The rabbi was dressed
modestly.
Throughout the trip
the passengers made
disparaging comments
to one another about the
rabbi, never attempting
to talk to him. They only
talked about him, rudely
whispering back and
forth.
Once the train arrived,
the travelers noticed a
crowd of people gathered
around the rabbi to excit-
edly welcome him. Only then,
they understood how important
he was. Feeling embarrassed,
the travelers begged the rabbi
for forgiveness. “We didn’
t real-
ize who you are,
” they declared.
The rabbi responded, “Please,
you do not need to ask forgive-
ness of me. Instead, I suggest
you ask forgiveness of the many
good people you thought I was.
”
Judaism is a religion that puts
tremendous value on words.
After all, this is how God cre-
ates the world in the very begin-
ning. For God said: “Let there
be light” and so it was.
In this week’
s Torah portion,
we learn about a sacred cere-
mony focused on words. One
of the earliest celebrations to
be observed after our ancestors
arrived in the Land of Israel
involved the presentation of
first fruits to the Almighty. The
Israelites were instructed to
recite a short, yet powerful, for-
mulaic summary of Jewish his-
tory. The words hearken back
to the Book of Genesis, recalling
Jacob’
s father-in-law Laban,
who was determined to use his
words to oppress and annihi-
late the emerging and evolving
Israelite nation.
Words have power and can
be used for evil as well
as good. They can harm
but they also can heal.
This is the moment on
the Jewish calendar,
as we approach Rosh
Hashanah, the Jewish
New Year 5781, when
we are urged to consider
seriously every single
word that comes out
of our mouths. During
these Days of Awe, we
ask forgiveness from
those who we have hurt
with our words through
gossip, slander and other mis-
truths we have spread, both
accidentally and on purpose.
With the onset of the High
Holidays, mixed with the over-
whelming stress and anxiety
caused by the COVID-19 pan-
demic, it is the perfect time to
get into the habit of consciously
seeing the absolute goodness in
one another.
Building people up with
loving words is so much better
than tearing them down. In this
spirit, may we each create for
ourselves a space where there
is no room for put-downs but
only for put-ups. A put-up is
an offering of kindness, com-
passion and encouragement by
telling a family member, friend,
neighbor or stranger what we
like most about them.
Imagine how great the world
would be if we each took a
moment to offer one sincere
put-up each day. So, what are
we waiting for? Just do it!
Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff is the senior
director at the Jewish Hospice and
Chaplaincy Network.
Parshat
Ki Tavo:
Deuteronomy
26:1-29:8;
Isaiah
60:1-22.
Rabbi Joseph
Krakoff
Spirit
torah portion
Make Time For ‘Put-Ups’
Call Today! 248.919.1244
synergyhomecare.com/oaklandcounty
Care for
Everyone
Mom gave you
her best - now
she deserves
the best!
Call Jeanne Atkinson and Colleen McDonald for
the best home care in Oakland County!
Discreet, light housekeeping, grocery shopping,
meal preparation, running errands, transportation,
companionship and personal care.
5829 Maple Rd. Ste. 129
West Bloomfi
eld, MI 48322
248.757.2503
www.maplepharmacyrx.com
FREE
DELIVERY
MAKE MAPLE PHARMACY… YOUR PHARMACY!
OUR MISSION IS TO BRING SERVICE BACK TO
PHARMACY FOR A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU!!
10%
SENIOR CITIZEN
DISCOUNT
Maple Pharmacy offers:
MAPLE PHARMACY
IMMUNIZATIONS
AND SHINGLES
SHOTS AVAILABLE