This week, the theme word for my blog post is "youth." I attribute this theme to two recent trips; one last week, when I spent time with my wonderful nieces in Sweden, and one earlier this week, when I visited synagogue kids at Camp Ramah. Summer is truly the season of youth, and as I turned to this week's Torah portion, I was quite surprised to discover that this is also the parasha of youth. Let me show you what I mean.
Usually when people read the Torah portion Pinchas, they focus on the man himself, Pinchas, who impetuously kills a fellow Israelite flagrantly violating a commandment in front of the community. Readers may also focus on the daughters of Zelophechad (say that five times fast...), who appeal to Moses for equal inheritance rights after the premature death of their father. But I guess I never stopped and took a step back, realizing that throughout the parasha we keep coming back to one example after another of youth taking leadership roles; sometimes successfully... and sometimes tragically unsuccessfully. Here are the main instances:
- We begin with Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, who acts with great passion, and is rewarded by God, but who truly represents youthful overzealousness, a shoot-first-ask-questions-later mentality.
- Our parasha also gives an account of all males 20 years and older, and informs us that all of them will perish in the wilderness... to make room for younger blood and new leaders.
- We learn of the daughters of Zelophechad, young women who show that the next generation
will not only consist of strong men, but also powerful women who can take initiative, hold their own, and fight for what they believe in.
- We are reminded of Nadav and Avihu, two of Aaron's sons who offered "strange fire" to God and were killed for their transgression. This serves as another example of young people trying too hard and sometimes paying the price.
- This Torah portion also includes the selection of Joshua to take over after the death of Moses; a final reminder of the changing of the guards, and the new generation that will lead Israel into the Promised Land.
I think that you may now agree that this week's reading truly focuses on youth, and the issue of young communal leaders. But we are given both positive and negative examples, reminding us that young people don't always have all the answers (though you'll never hear them admit as much...). Life is about balance; maturity and wisdom paired with fresh perspective and youthful vigor. And most importantly, we should all strive to achieve that balance in ourselves. Wherever you are in life, it is always healthy to afford some time to be playful and even silly, while also knowing when to employ patience and perspective. Most of us fall on one side of the spectrum OR the other, but struggle to incorporate both, and thus never achieve an ideal balance.
A good friend recently quipped: "I may be growing older... but I don't plan on growing up!"
Or to put it another way, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood!" Have a great week, and please make the most of this wonderful summer weather!
Photos in this blog post:
1. Image courtesy of Louis Stesis. Campers at Ramah Poconos, 2011.
2. CC image courtesy of Wesley Fryer on Flickr
3. CC image courtesy of Amir Farshad Ebrahimi on Flickr
4. CC image courtesy of Fidenaut on Flickr
4. CC image courtesy of Fidenaut on Flickr
5. CC image courtesy of Luciano Meirelles on Flickr
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