Cantor Moses' Musings--Take a Risk!

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּ׃


“God said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”   Genesis: 12:1

This week we open the Torah to parashat Lech Lecha, meaning to “Go into yourself.” The Rabbis have interpreted this phrase in many ways, though I have developed my own interpretation that contains a deeper message conveyed in these short two words. Lech lecha has always meant to me, “Take a risk and have faith believing in the promise of tomorrow without knowing exactly where you are going but knowing you will be found.”

This is where we encounter the story of Abram, eventually becoming Abraham after he follows the counterintuitive instructions from Gd to leave his father’s home, holding onto the promise of a future through the whisperings of his heart. He eventually becomes our founding father who began the covenantal relationship between the Jewish people and God. 

Abraham is often seen as the embodiment of the Jewish attribute of “chesed,” known as loving kindness. His actions over his lifetime included welcoming wayfarers into his home, providing hospitality with food and drink, unlimited kindness and compassion exemplifying the importance of chesed in Jewish life. 

One cannot say enough about the importance of “chesed” or sometimes called “gemilut hasadim” acts of loving kindness in Jewish life at this moment in our world. Our sacred texts share a variety of actions that fall into this category, such as hospitality, visiting the sick, attending a wedding, giving interest free loans, redeeming captives, burying the dead and comforting mourners. While we sometimes emphasize tzedakah (righteous giving) in our modern lives, the Rabbis clearly favored chesed, since it refers to the way that we help others in times of need. 

There is no better time than now for all of us to embody the compassion of Abraham by recognizing the crucial needs right here in our own community. As many of you know, the federal government has notified the state of Ohio that due to the ongoing government shutdown, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) may not receive their November benefits as normally scheduled. This is heartbreaking, especially at this time of year as the weather gets colder and the darkness descends (this weekend!) It is particularly upsetting that our friends and neighbors may not know where their next meal will come from.
Please join me as we live out Abraham’s chesed by providing food to the needy in one of these 3 ways: 

1. Bring non-perishable items to our Harding entrance and put in the bins to be taken to the Mid Ohio Food Collective.https://mofc.org/
2. Bring canned goods with flip top lids, granola and protein bars, accessible snacks and drinks and put them directly into our Little Free Pantry located in front of the gate on Harding.
3. Visit  freshtak.com or mofc.org/  to donate to other food emergency food sources.

In The Observant Life, Elliot Dorff writes: “There are many reasons to care for others: to create a quid pro quo reason for others to care for us when we need help, to express our own humanitarian feelings...to contribute to establishing a society in which people care for each other, to live by the commandments.” 
Whatever our reason may be, these practices of “loving kindness” are essential in creating a caring and giving community. They are both individual as well as communal responsibilities, carefully defined in Jewish law. So, I charge you “Lech lecha,” and go help others in need. By doing so you will also hear Gd’s voice and carry out the whisperings of your heart to make the world a better place.