I've written in the past about my cycling. As a result of my time on the road, I've observed a fair amount of madness on our roads here in Los Angeles. Of late, I've been riding more indoors because of the distractedness and unpredictability of drivers. I've seen women putting on makeup and men shaving while driving. Texting and fiddling with a cell phone is the norm and disregarding the traffic signs is a given. Stop signs mean yield and 35 MPH really means no faster than 50, unless of course you're in a real rush!
When I was taught to drive, I learned that a social contract exists such that if no one else were on the road, a lone driver would still stop at a stop sign in order to preserve order on the road. Ok, enough venting! But all of the disorder has me thinking a lot about symbols lately - symbols on the road, symbols of our democracy, symbols of justice and the symbols of our tradition that link us to many of these critical values.
A symbol is like a small note written to oneself and hung throughout one's life: subtle reminders of one's beliefs, values and priorities. Symbols take the form of possessions, of dress and of attitude. I had the pleasure of officiating a wedding on Sunday. The huppah represents the bride and groom's first home-a flimsy structure made steady by the strength and support of loved ones. And for the family and guests, the huppah symbolizes the supportive and nurturing role a family can play in a young couple's new life together.
This first home is roofed by the nurturing wings of the tallit of the Jewish prayer shawl, from which flutters the strings of the tsitsit, the wondrous strings and knots that symbolize our relationship as Jews with God as Unifier, and as Commander of religious obligations - the tsitsit, a symbol of a much broader paradigm of the individual bringing forth the moral imperative of Ethical Monotheism.
And symbols are not merely objects upon which to gaze. They are transformational. It is of this transformational affect that this week's Torah portion speaks so diligently of, prodding us to see our symbols as, ultimately, a call to action.
This week's Torah portion entitled Ke Tetze, begins by speaking of a person going out to war, and continues by addressing individuals in less perilous situations. But the commonality among these examples provides an overriding paradigm of how one should act in a variety of circumstances, the details of which are important, but the paradigm profound. All of one's behaviors can become imbued with Godliness; where Gashmiut - the physical world - and Ruchaniut - the spiritual realm - become unified as our actions uplift the earthly elements and draw down to earth the Holy Presence of God. For example, the Torah instructs us that a farmer is not to harvest the corners of his fields so someone in need can enter the farm and eat to his satisfaction. But the Torah also prohibits the needy person from stuffing his pockets in excess. It is in this social contract between the farmer and the impoverished where God and Man reside, and it is this social contract that is represented by not shaving the "corners" of one's head, allowing one's hair to grow around the ears. While most of us no longer tend to the fields, the principle is easily applied to sharing our own "bounty" with those in need.
And in this Torah portion, reference is made to the mezuzah, the sign of identity upon one's home and the comingling of the physical and the spiritual. The mezuzah, set diagonally upon the doorpost, serves as a constant reminder of the compromise between rulings of the school of Hillel and the school of Shamai; two great academies of the 1st century of the Common Era, which differed on the positioning. One school taught it to be set horizontally, while the other taught it to be set vertically. Today, we honor both schools and set it diagonally. And within the mezuzah is held the Shema, a central prayer to our tradition and a declaration of faith in the unity of God. But here too, it is the implication of the Shema, meaning "listen", that serves as a guide toward a place of compromise. Each time one enters one's home and kisses the mezuzah, one is reminded both of the beliefs that give structure to the home and, that listening to a loved one is a key to bringing about peace in the home.
Symbols and actions - the first calls us to act and the other reflects the values of the symbol. Ke Tetze, reflects HaLomed, our Godly ability to learn, and HaZadik, our Godly ability to comprehend and seek out justice in our midst.
Today's road signs or traffic "symbols" are only a few of the symbols being disregarded in our world. Is all of morality now subjective? Does the individual select at will which morals to uphold and which to ignore based on whim or preference? And are there no universal "truths" that all nations of the world should uphold, equally? Ke Tetze is a demanding parasha, making necessary demands for us on our often-divergent roads.
Shabbat shalom.