Emor: Don't 'Just Do It'

I love questions! Specifically, I love engaging with people who have questions/thoughts/musings/challenges regarding Judaism, and who

strive to understand something a little bit better. When I get to take part in that process, I'm overjoyed!! This week at our morning minyan, we had a fabulous discussion about one particular word, found both in this week's Torah reading and throughout our liturgy. The word is 'Shamor,' with all its many variations, and quite frankly it is a very tough word to translate and/or define.

One of this week's Torah readers, Stephen Lehmann, started off our discussion by asking about Leviticus, chapter 22, verse 31, which the editors of the Etz Hayim Chumash have translated as, "You shall faithfully observe my commandments." The problem is, a more literal translation might instead yield: "You shall (Shamor) my commandments, and observe them." So what does 'Shamor' mean? And how is it different from observing or fulfilling God's commandments? Well, first of all, the word 'Shamor' either means 'to protect,' 'to keep,' to preserve,' or 'to guard.' But it seems that every time the word appears - whether in the Torah or in our Siddur, it is translated differently. 

• In the Ten Commandments, we are told that we must 'Observe (Shamor) the Sabbath day and keep it holy" (Deut. 5:12). 
• In the Tachanun section of our prayer book, we sing a song called 'Shomer Yisrael,' which is usually translated as 'Guardian of Israel.' 
• In the Priestly Benediction, we chant, "Yevarechecha Adonai, ve-yishmerecha," and we generally translate that line as asking God to 'bless and keep you.' 

So which one is it?

The instance that really caught my eye, and which I think is the key to helping us make sense of this word, can be found in the second paragraph of the Shema. The middle section of the Shema is infamous for talking about God withholding rain and punishing us for our sins. 

The paragraph actually begins with blessings, and the phrase that indicates the transition from blessings to curses is, 'Hishameru lachem,' translated as 'take care.' In Siddur Eit Ratzon, Joe Rosenstein offers a fascinating interpretation of this paragraph. It's not that God will withhold rain from you, it's that, "if YOU turn away from My commandments, then YOU will also turn away from my rain; you will no longer be aware of this blessing and its source, so that, for YOU, the rain will no longer exist" (emphasis my own). So God isn't changing anything; the difference between blessing and curse is up to us. 'Shamor' is what you make it.

It's about intention and commitment. 'La-asot' represents the action itself. But contrary to Nike's philosophy, it's not enough to 'Just Do It.' We have to also put some meaning and heart into it. You can just

observe the commandments by rote, devoid of feeling or emotion. OR you can put your heart and soul into it and create rituals filled with spirituality, kavannah, and holiness. Perhaps that is why 'Shamor' has so many different translations. Sometimes we are guardians, other times we're keepers or protectors, observers or caretakers. Whatever we are, it shouldn't remain static; it needs to evolve and develop all the time. So next time you're doing something out of habit - whether a religious commandment or something personally meaningful - don't 'Just Do It,' throw a little 'Shamor' in there as well!

Photos in this blog post:

1. CC image courtesy of Clarkston SCAMP on Flickr

2. CC image courtesy of JillK61 on Flickr

 

3. CC image courtesy of yanivba on Flickr

4. CC image courtesy of AisforAmy91 on Flickr