Introduction
Every
week I prepare comments on the Torah reading with connections the business or
management issues. While my Jewish
friends understand the comments through the lens of Torah, non-Jewish
colleagues see through the lens of corporate or organizational life. Human nature has not really changed over the
thousands of years of history. We still
have people who seek personal gain at the expense of others, and we have people
who strive to make this a better world than when we entered. The Torah is not book of perfection. Biblical characters and groups have flaws. The Torah contains the laws and ideas so that we
can strive toward excellence that is walk humbly with God. The concept appears three times in book of
Devarim (Deuteronomy) in 10:12; 11:22 and 26:17. The Latin term Imitation Dei
is more succinct than any Hebrew or English term. The power of law is that we are always surrendering to a higher power. Law creates order and enables justice. We give up certain freedoms so that we create a society and end up with more freedom and opportunities. As the mayor of Chicago reminds us, we have to feel safe
The
opposite of violence is justice. Justice is not something we can only look to
find in law enforcement or in the courts. Justice makes a demand of all of us.[1]
Laws
made by human legislators can be created, changed, interpreted or struck
down. Human nature is harder to
change. Some people will never learn
from the mistakes of others. It is our job
to speak out against injustice and find ways to live in peace and prosperity
with justice and wisdom[2]
for all. Parashat Re’eh Shabbat shalom
August 14, 2020
I have to depart from direct comments on the Torah reading. This week had some very sharp contrasts. On Monday we awoke to hear of destruction, burglary and looting in downtown Chicago and other neighborhoods. The whole idea of laws is to create a just society. There is no excuse for the taking someone else’s property or the destruction homes and businesses. On Tuesday about 4 PM a rare tornado ripped through the neighborhood. I had already told my daughter that we don’t get tornados in the City of Chicago. That is because the last one was in 1983 and I didn’t remember it. Friday morning, I heard that one of members had his car tires stolen off their two cars while parked outside his home.
The block I live in and the one north of us was without power for 36 hours. We were among the 600,000 customers who lost electric power. Thankfully, the neighbors helped each other. My shul (synagogue) was also without power and we had to davan (pray) in the parking lot. One shul a few blocks away had roof damage and no minyan. It was strangely quiet in the house without any motors or fans running. I felt like a Karaite on Shabbat who could only eat cold food. The first estimates for repair time were uncertain and then ComEd couldn’t promise electricity until Saturday. The neighbors were concerned as to how to have food for Shabbat without refrigeration and ways to make hot food. It all worked out, except the air conditioning in shul didn’t work. It hard to davan without air conditioning or any openable windows, but thankfully no one melted.
Thursday afternoon (August 14), we heard of the deal between the United Arab Republic and Israel. I am so elated to hear of positive deals as a result of negotiations, not force or war. In the short time since this agreement, progress has been made. As of August 16, phone calls can be directly made between the countries and Israeli websites are no longer blocked. Several companies have already signed agreements and plans for direct airline services are being planned.
Parashat Re’eh is always read near Rosh Hodesh Elul. This year Elul starts next Friday. Elul is the month we start to prepare for the high holiday season. We turn our thoughts to the process of teshuva. We can think of teshuva with the simple meaning of repentance or the more complex concept of learning from the past and thinking of how we can improve both our actions and thoughts. The Teshuva season mandates us, Jew and non-Jew to have serious introspection, honest evaluation and fundamental change, both personally and communally. Rosh Hashana is the birthday of the world and it is time we all start to practice as world citizens every day.
Devarim
chapter 16 reminds us of the Exodus and holiday of Pesah. This happened in the month of spring, Aviv. Remembering
the mistakes of the past is only meaningful if it causes one to work on a
better future. The future is one reason for Moshe's long speech to the people. Review
of laws in Devarim is a type instruction book for the foundations of a
functioning and prosperous state dedicated to the service of God.
The
business lesson is that negotiating and deal making that creates a win-win
situation is always better than win-lose deals. We are warned in Devarim 13 not
to pursue other gods. In the business
world we have to make sure that money is not a “god.” Money is a tool and a
symbol of power. People need money as a
symbol of the value they have in the organization. Money and imagined injustice
can make people bitter, but bitterness is not an excuse for crime.
One
of the goals of the law is to acknowledge a higher power in our success. No matter how hard we work, there are factors
beyond our control. During this time of
pandemic and other unseen forces we still must work hard, share with our
communities, use our creativity and intelligence to overcome what we can’t
control to make our organization and our communities better places.
Postscript
I
try every week to post my thoughts on the Torah reading on Friday afternoons to
my Facebook friends. For a select group
I include flowers sent via e-mail. If
you would like to receive the davar Torah and flowers, send me your
e-mail address with a note to add you to the list.
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[1]
Lightfoot, Lori. ‘Stand for Peace': Retrieved from : https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/stand-for-peace-read-mayor-lightfoots-full-state-of-the-city-address/2283226/ Published June 2, 2020 on NBC5 Chicago.
©2020
Last revised August 17, 2020
Last revised August 17, 2020
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