Lift up the lights, part 1

1. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2. Speak to Aaron and say to him: "When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the menorah." Numbers 8:1-2

"When you light", literally, when you raise (or, "cause to ascend"-Rashi) the light. We are to lift up our light to God. What light? Our study of Torah-Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. Our deeds of kindness. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take in the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, break the bonds of injustice, then your light shall shine forth as the sun. Isaiah 58.

Before and after each reading of the Torah, we recite a blessing thanking God for giving us His Holy Torah. Judaism has raised the study of Scripture to an act of worship. Study is not just for rabbis and kohanim (priests) and Levites. Study is for the masses. All people are to know and understand and keep God's commands. Study can be for its own sake. As some study is better than none. But the ultimate goal is to glorify God. And we glorify God when we live according to His Word. If we would be satisfied with what He has told us to do rather than cutting the Torah to fit our lifestyle (see prior post "A Story") how much more could we glorify His Name. John Piper has said, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." Is it odd that I, a Jew, would quote a Christian preacher? Not at all, for wisdom can be found anywhere. Who is wise, he who learns from everyone. Even in the Torah itself, blessings and advice is not always given by Moses but by non-Jews. See Jethro's advice to Moses on leadership. Exodus 19. And Balaam's blessing on the Children of Israel at Numbers 24:5. That verse is said during the morning prayers to thank God for the privilege of worshipping in shul. Both Jethro and Balaam were Gentiles. Let your study of Scripture be a way of bringing kavod (honor, glory) to God.

In the same way, good deeds, such as care for the stranger, widow, orphan and poor are also light. How do we lift up our deeds so that others will see them and glorify God? By not doing them in the hopes of gaining something in return. True kindness is helping another not for your own sake but for theirs.

However, my experience has been that people perform random acts of kindness in the hopes of earning God's favor or for their own desires. A donation to a charity results in a tax break. A benefit dinner to raise money for AIDS, cancer, leukemia, or any other disease allows people to feel good about themselves and assuages their guilt in keeping their riches while the poor continue to stay poor. Every Yom Kippur, our shul hosts a food drive. It is the largest, by far, of any other food drive by any other house of worship in the area. The shul is located in a very wealthy suburb of one of the poorest cities in the nation. So what do we do? We donate several tons of food-one day of the year. How long does that food last? Less than a week. But we pride ourselves in having a ginormously successful food drive every year. If we were so successful, we wouldn't HAVE to have the food drive. People would give anyway without being asked because of their sense of tzedakah and mishpat (justice and righteousness).

But we don't. And I include myself in 'we.' Our sense of justice and righteousness is skewed. Justice is what's best for me. Righteousness is acting like we care once in a while. We like our homes and cars and tvs and movies and clothes and jewelry and toys and appliances and all the other things that the work of our hands has acquired for us. Why should I have to reduce my standard of living? "There will never cease to be poor and needy in your land." "The poor you have with you always." What good will impoverishing myself do? If by the sweat of my brow I earn my own food, why should that be taken away to feed those who are too lazy to get a job? This is America! We speak English! Learn English! Go through the process of becoming a citizen. Become a productive member of society by going to school and acquiring the skills to earn a living. Anybody can do it. The poor remain poor because they'd rather live off the system and take a hand out than pull themselves up by their bootstraps. My wealth is mine. The silver and gold is mine. I did the work. I earned it. I already pay taxes to support government funded programs that help the poor. And politicians are talking about increasing taxes? Have you seen the price of gasoline? Oh, and by increasing taxes, how do I know that's going to do any good? Where's that money going? Are will filling pork barrels? Are we sending money to countries that harbor terrorists? Is the money actually being spent on helping the poor receive health care, clean water, a decent education, better homes, better jobs? And if not, why should my taxes be increased? All that does is give everybody less money except for the government. And we hold this truth to be self evident: the government is terrible at managing money.

To be continued...