Parashat R'eih

Parashat R'eih's overarching theme is that of choice. Beginning with the opening sentence, "See, this day I set before you blessing and curse" (Deuteronomy 11:26) and extending through to the end of this section with the instruction for the pilgrimage holidays, the text deals with making decisions in our lives. As the commentary in the Etz Hayim commentary points out, "The distinguishing characteristic of human beings, setting us apart from other animals, is our ability to choose the values by which we live."(1061). Solidifying this capacity becomes the marker of this week's reading. Distinguishing between our holy places and others' (12:2-3, 12:29-13:1); deciphering which animals can be used for sacrifice (12:17-19) ; making choices between true prophets and certain types of diviners (13:2-6) - each speaks to the issue of the types of personal choices we make in our lives, and the values we emphasize as a people. At the core of our lives are the decisions we make about how to interact with each other, with our world, and with God. The selections we make add significance to the medley of our religious behavior.

Abraham Joshua Heschel once said, (The Insecurity of Freedom, 7)

 "Unlike animals, man is the playground for the unpredictable emergence and multiplication of needs and interests." He continues, "This, indeed, is the purpose of religious traditions: to keep alive the higher Yes as well as the power of man to say, 'Here I am, to teach the mind to understand the true demand and to teach our conscience to be present' " Again, Heschel teaches, "Man is free to be free; he is not free in choosing to be a slave; he is free in doing good; he is not free in doing evil" (Insecurity of Freedom, 15). We can exercise our freedom for the betterment of the world or we can be enslaved to our evil inclination and bring the world down. The decisions we make about the values we hold sacred change the nature of the world. The choices we make in the mitzvoth we observe and the mitzvoth we will not effect us or alter our world.

Every day, we make decisions to act or decisions to stand idly by and the ramifications of these decisions are great, for our children and even our grandchildren. Are we going to spend Shabbat at the mall or with God and our people in prayer? Are we going to increase our donations to worthwhile causes or buy the latest and newest electronic equipment? Are we going to attend a class in sacred text or go to yet another physical fitness class? Our lives present us with many choices; our parashah teaches us to make the right choices.

This coming week, we will celebrate the new month of Elul, the month we spend in preparation for the High Holidays. May we utilize this time to evaluate and prioritize the choices in our lives so that we may elevate our experience in the coming year.

Cantor Eichaker