HaMizrachi Weekly (UK Edition) | Parashat Ki Teitzei 5784 by mizrachiuk

KI TEITZEI 5784

True Tikun Olam

Rabbi Andrew Shaw Chief Executive, Mizrachi UK

In Memory of my Mother, Shoshana Bat Kalman v Rosa on her 4th Yahrzeit

I was at a Brit Milah this morning.

Afterwards I was having a discussion with one of the relatives who was in awe of the Jewish Tradition and how incredible it is that we are still performing our observances and practices thousands of years later despite the secular milieu all around

I would of course agree, but to use Brit Milah as a proof that we are healthy as a people in terms of Jewish observance is not so true. According to the latest data, over 90% of World Jewry do keep the mitzvah of circumcision, which is tremendous. However, other mitzvot don’t score so highly. According to the Pew report of 2021, the percentage of those keeping kosher in the USA is 17% and those keeping shabbat is at a similar level. Of course, we also know that tragically, the intermarriage rate is increasing rapidly outside of the religious community.

Part of the problem is that for many, all of Judaism can be summed up in the phrase “tikkun olam,” which is a catch all for many worthy social action initiatives. The trap is, that if one thinks Judaism is solely this view of tikkun olam, then one will think all it is to be a Jew is to be a nice, good person - ignoring the whole concept of Mitzvah, and everything that comes along with it

We do come across the phrase daily in Aleinu, with the expression ‘le-takken olam bemalchut shaddai’ - ‘To remove detestable idolatry from the earth and false gods will be utterly cut off, to perfect the world through the Almighty's sovereignty"

Here we see that tikkun olam is about perfecting the world through removing idolatry and false gods. It is part a Jew’s Divine Service.

The real issue is that we can’t simply self-dene what is and what isn’t Judaism.

We can see the root of the problem in this week's Parsha with an idea of Rabbi Frand that I learnt many years ago.

Ki Teitzei contains the mitzvah of 'Shiluch HaKen.' The Torah commands us that when one nds a mother bird nesting on her eggs, if he wants to take the small birds, he must rst send away the mother. Only then is he allowed to take the children for himself. Devarim 22:6-7

The verse concludes that if one keeps this mitzvah, it will be good for him, and he will have lengthy days. There is only one other mitzvah in the Torah, which carries this same reward. That is the mitzvah of honouring parents

The Midrash comments on the fact that both the "easiest of the easy" and the "most difcult of the difcult" have the same reward - lengthy days This teaches us, says the Midrash, that we do not really know the reward of the commandments.

However, why is the sending away of the mother bird referred to as the easiest of mitzvot, and why is honouring one's parents referred to as the most difcult of mitzvot?

The Shemen HaTov suggests the following:

The Ramban on the Torah tells us that the reason that the Torah gave us the mitzvah of Shiluach HaKen was to train us in the attribute of mercy. He takes pains to explain that this does not mean that Hashem necessarily has mercy on the animals but rather that Hashem is concerned that we should be compassionate people. We should train ourselves in compassion. If one is trained to be compassionate even to a bird, this will carry over and he will be compassionate to human beings as well.

If that is the case, the reason this mitzvah is called the easiest of the easy is because it’s consistent with human nature. We can all relate to this mitzvah. We can all relate to the suffering a mother bird would feel if her children were taken away before her very eyes We can understand the mitzvah’s rationale. Therefore, it is an easy mitzvah to full.

If this is correct, it would follow that honouring parents is spoken of as the most difcult of mitzvot because it goes AGAINST human emotions.

Why does honouring parents run against human emotions? Because, the Rabbis tell us that the basis of the mitzvah of Kibud Av v'em is the concept of Hakarat HaTov - showing gratitude. We, as human beings, do not like to show gratitude. Showing gratitude to someone is acknowledging that we needed that person. Our egos do not want to let us believe that.

We want to think that we are independent and can do things ourselves To show appreciation means that the other person was needed. Appreciating parents involves dealing with the fact that, in essence, we owe EVERYTHING to our parents. Our very life was dependent on them. That is difcult to admit. It is difcult for us to say, "I owe you everything."

This week is the 4th Yahrzeit of my incredible mother, I certainly can clearly see the monumental impact she had on my brother and I’s lives However, I am sure in my earlier years I may not have been as effusive and understanding of that positive and life changing impact as I can be now. So, at those times my love and honour for my parents was challenging!

Even more than that, sometimes to look after and honour parents is difcult and painful, yet it is the correct thing to do, as it is what God commands us to do.

Many Jews are falling into the same trap when it comes to Judaism.

Judaism is not about what I want, it is actually about what Hashem wants and what the Torah commands. There is no such thing as my Judaism, there is just what Hashem commands us to do, what Hashem wants us to do.

We may not know it, but what Hashem wants is what we need.

Of course there are different paths within the mesorah, we are not all the same, but we all are united by a commitment to the observance of the Torah and its basic principles.

Keeping mitzvot are not easy, they can be unpleasant, inconvenient, difcult,and challenging But that is irrelevant - they must be kept because that is what Divine service is all about.

Many times in our limited capacity as human beings, we cannot fathom the depths of the Divine command.

An Orthodox religious way of life has boundaries, has limitations – yes, but they are there to enhance our spirituality and provide a way of life that has survived almost unchanged for millennia

We cannot decide how we think Shabbat should be kept, we must follow halacha.

We cannot decide which Mitzvot to keep and which to ignore, we must follow halacha.

And we can’t remove the idea of Tikun Olam from the original idea of closeness to Hashem, powerful tellah and observance of Torah.

Of course, we should help the wider society, be good citizens and care for all humanity –not just Jews However, we have to realise that as Jews we have our responsibilities, and that true tikkun olam is an embrace of Torah, mitzvot (the halacha) and a cleaving to Hashem.

As we approach Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and our community ocks back to shul, let us hope we can inspire them and ourselves with true tikkun olam, perfecting the world that Hashem has given us by living the lives that Hashem wants from us.

So Mazel Tov to baby David Shlomo, may you grow up to realise the above, through Torah, Chupah and Ma’asim Tovim.

And to you Mum, thanks for allowing me to realise all of this through your care, love, inspiration and devotion. May your memory be a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom

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