How do you leave a lasting impression? Is it possible to take something that's meaningful to us TODAY, and turn it into an enduring symbol, creed, or monument, that will remain forever?
This is certainly a driving force for Democrats and Republicans during these days of convention-fever. For those of us trying to write High Holiday sermons and plan services, it is naturally of great import as well. But it was also a major concern for our Biblical ancestors, and this week we read about one very interesting attempt to turn something temporary into a permanent fixture; though I'll let you be the judge of how successful it was...
Moses is in the middle of lecturing the people about staying faithful to God's commandments. He yells at them, cajoles them, pleads with them - all of which clearly demonstrates how important this is TO HIM, but will it remain deeply embedded in the minds and hearts of the Israelites for generations to come? At one point, Moses and the elders of Israel instruct the people:
"As soon as you have crossed the Jordan into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones. Coat them with plaster and inscribe upon them all the words of this Teaching [Torah]" (Deuteronomy 27:2-3). The way my mind works, I have to stop here and ask a few questions: 1) Are we writing THE ENTIRE teaching on these plastered stones? That sounds like a lot of work! 2) Who is maintaining these stones? 3) What happens in 50 years, or 100 years, or 500 years, when the plaster starts to fade? Is there a Large Stones Fund set up as an endowment to cover the cost of repair?
I see what Moses was TRYING to do. He wanted to fashion something large and imposing to perpetually remind the Israelites of their commitments to God. But the things we build - even the large and imposing ones - break down; just ask anyone working on the upkeep of a 50-year old building...
What is REALLY permanent isn't the physical structure, it's the teaching itself. When we impress it upon ourselves, our hearts, and pass it along to those who come after us, that is when the Teaching really endures. The 19th Century Torah commentator, the Avnei Nezer, wrote about this when he quoted the Book of Proverbs, chapter three, verse three: "Write them on the tablets of your heart." Avnei Nezer says that our Torah portion isn't really talking about giant obelisks covered in plaster, it's talking about us, you and me, and the work of committing our lives to the Torah, and the Torah to our lives.
So what was Moses talking about? Why not just say that in the first place! Moses was a pretty smart guy, I think he knew all of this from the outset. If you follow his instructions in chapter 27, shlepping that rock up to the top of a mountain, slathering it with wet plaster, then carving all of these words onto it, you WILL learn something.
You'll watch it age and chip away and fade, and you'll realize that even something amazing as that monument will eventually disappear. But we will still be here. We will still be teaching our children the words of our tradition, and we will continue to inscribe these words on our hearts and in our lives. And I don't think you'd realize all of that if you didn't first try to make it work with that giant, stupid boulder. Sometimes the High Holidays are like that big boulder. You go through all the motions, sit through the services, long for something to eat, and in the end realize that the real work wasn't being done on the outside, it took place inside you. And THAT has staying power.
Photos in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of William Beutler on Flickr
2. CC image courtesy of cdaltonrowe on Flickr
4. CC image courtesy of jasleen_kaur on Flickr
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