Justice and Law… Kindness and Truth

Hi Everyone!

So this week something happened to me that made me lose it. Now for those of you who know me, I don’t lose it easily. I may get irritated, really annoyed, but I don’t lose it. However, after speaking about this particular situation with my girlfriend, friends, family and work colleagues (I don’t feel the need to keep these things secret) I realised that instead of meting out my form of justice, I should seek peace. And this leads me into the parsha, Shoftim. In parshat Shoftim, we learn about the systems we should put in place with regards to the legal system. Assign for yourselves “Judges and Police…”, the parsha says. It then says “Justice, Justice shall you pursue…” 

There is a song by Mookie (Israelis…) called Medabrim al Shalom, which says “Everyone talks about peace, but no one speaks about Justice.” I’d like to differ. I think that all of us think of our own forms of justice, how we can seek out and pursue justice which will suit our own causes and purposes. I do this, and I’m sure you do too. I would love to really create havoc, which I consider to be the just way of dealing with things, when in fact it probably isn’t. However, it was the Yom Kippur service that showed me another way of seeing things.

In L’chu N’ranana, which is sung (by my shul) on Kol Nidre, there are two verses that are always stuck in my mind. One is Tzedek U’Mishpat (Justice and Laws) and another is Chesed V’Emet (Kindness and Truth). I think we need to take heed of the latter. Justice and law is important in any society, but needs to be handled with care, and we must ensure we don’t abuse either. However, kindness is something that creates the truth. If we think for a second, and contemplate how to be kind in any situation, even if we have lost our cool, we can ascertain what the truth is. Some people see the truth as black or white, but I think that with our kind actions, we can see a new truth. 

So be kind, rewind, and have an excellent Shabbas!

Craig

Seeing a New Direction

Hi Everyone!

After a hugely successful Limmud in JHB, Durban and CT, I’m back at work and back to blogging on a Friday. This week the parsha is Re’eh, which means ‘see’. It’s a strange word in the Torah, and isn’t used that often. However, what can we learn from it.

This week we’ve seen a lot and heard a lot that could make us very uncomfortable and downright upset. But with Elul coming up, I think we can look at something else today. With a new year on the horizon, maybe it’s time to see what we’ve done this year, and how we have progressed or moved backwards. Personally, Judaism is fascinating because there are always times for introspection, a time to look inside myself and say, “What am I doing, how can I improve?” It’s not easy, and often it’s rather depressing, but with all things, completely necessary.

Because I’m feeling rather introspective, it’s time for me to say Good Shabbas, Chodesh Tov and have a great week!

The Tiniest Details

Hi Everyone!

You may be thinking, “But Craig, it isn’t Shabbas…” and you would be right. But I thought it’s time for some mid-week Torah stuff. And because I was busy at Limmud JHB, and will be busy at Limmud CT over this weekend, I thought I would be pragmatic. I’m also procrastinating at the same time, with my Limmud speech hanging over me (don’t tell my girlfriend). But enough about that. Let’s get into the parsha.

This week we read Parshat Eikev, which means “if you follow.” Moses is reciting the words of the whole Torah back to the Israelites a few weeks before he is meant to depart this world, and this week he goes into a lot of detail. He speaks about how we need to keep the mitzvot to ensure God’s blessings in this world and the world to come. God had tested the Israelites, making them wander around the desert for 40 years, and threw a lot of adversity their way. But, all in all, they remained loyal to God, and the smallest detail was kept to a tee.

Detail is something extremely important. Of course we need to look at things on a macro level, seeing all the potential permutations of each decision we make and the consequences that it could create. But at the same time we need to understand what each decision is, how it is enacted, and how it can add to that greater picture. Rabbis will speak to you about the Halachot and how that one cubit really matters. One rabbi spoke to me during the week and told a story about a rabbi getting an email from a questioning Jew. She had asked whether it really matters to God whether you tie your shoe laces one way, or sleep first on your left side, then your right. The rabbi didn’t reply for a few days. The reply then came that he kept emailing her, but without a full stop before gmail. He got everything else right, but the dot was missing. However, when it comes to our lives, that small detail makes a big difference. That smile that you give someone on the street, the few rands you give to charity, the “good morning” that you say to your loved one. It all adds value at the end of the day. 

I’ll be at Limmud CT this week (very exciting) and I know how much effort the whole team has put into this. Every detail has counted, and everything will lead to an amazing conference. So make sure that with everything you do, look for those fine details. Don’t get too neurotic, but make them count towards the bigger picture.

Have a good week, and Good Shabbas!