For Shavuot

Well Worth the Trip!




How often do you plan to go somewhere or plan to attend an event and find yourself wondering if it’s “worth the bother?” That’s what we call a schlep- time and energy to do something about which we aren’t sure. We often feel that way about the trivial things in our lives, the “small” journeys. It is even harder when we start a long journey with mixed feelings. It does, however, happen. We might need to change jobs, or relocate, or make a major decision about our life. We just can’t help but wonder “is it worth it?” or “is it the right thing to do?” That terrible middle-of-the-night feeling that fills us with doubt no matter what we decide. It is a part of human nature. We always tend to wonder “what if…” If it’s any consolation we can at least be assured that we share these little doubts with everyone else. We can also be comforted by remembering that even a luke warm decision is better than no decision at all!

As we read the chapters of the history of our people that began with the exodus we see over and over again our ancestors asked “is it worth it?” How many times did they confront Moses complaining that they would have been better off if he would have left them alone and let them stay in Egypt? In retrospect we can’t imagine how they could have felt that way. It is hard to imagine that anyone would prefer slavery to freedom. I think the truth is that, in those moments of doubt, our ancestors were voicing their fear of the unknown. Better the “security” of slavery than the wide open, empty, uncertain, wilderness that stood between them and the land of promise.

Why was Moses so sure but the people were constantly riddled with doubt? Moses had his eye not on the journey but on the destination- as a leader he knew the trip would be long and hard but he never doubted that it was worth it. To Moses the trip was not just about getting to Israel but rather the trek to Sinai. On Shavuot, May 19th and 20th, we celebrate the greatest journey that any nation has ever made. Leaving slavery, our ancestors arrived at Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah. Their doubts would persist but now they would be a nation- a people reshaped by a Divine law. Was the trip worth it? I think Jewish history holds the evidence- thousands of years later we are here still fulfilling the mitzvot, still participating as partners to bring holiness to a world terribly in need. We are still the living link to that unique conversation between man and God. We have given the world a code that has never been superseded- I would say the trip has been more than worth it!

Our journey through history is still a schlep! It is never easy to walk in the footsteps of Sinai. The journey of the Jewish people continues to take us into unknown territory, through hostile places, through the valley of doubts. But keep your eyes upward- on Shavuot we celebrate the destination. Each time we remember who we are and why we are, we stand at Sinai again.

Who Can You Trust?

This week I share some recent poll results that makes me ask, “who can I trust?” An investigation by the Pew Research Center yielded some poll numbers that should make all of us take note. The poll noted: “a perfect storm of conditions associated with distrust of government- a dismal economy, an unhappy public, bitter partisan based backlash, and epic discontent with Congress and elected officials.” With that said I can’t think of much good news. It seems that we, as a nation, have lost confidence in those whom we have elevated to leadership. The Pew poll reveals some shocking news- only 22 percent of American citizens say that they trust the government to do the right thing “just about always or most of the time.” While most of us might react “I could have told you that!” it is a very sad commentary on the current situation. According to this poll we have to conclude that 88 percent of Americans don’t trust the government to do “the right thing.” What should we make of these numbers?

The first thing we have to conclude is simple- there is a wide gap between what the government does and what Americans want. No matter what your political ideas are, it is hard to refute these numbers- we have become a nation that lives in distrust. Those of us who believe that the government should represent the people have become disappointed with our leadership. As a side issue I think that one other fact emerges- we do not trust those who should be watching out for us. We do not believe the constant “spin” that we hear on issues. We do not assume that what we hear or read is true. As sad as this sounds we have a real crisis of trust. It is good to be skeptical but it is not good to live with the knowledge that the vast majority of Americans have no expectation of our leaders “doing the right thing.”

With this said I answer my own question—who can you trust? Trust yourself! It takes a lot of work but trust yourself! Read, think, question! Remember when self reliance was a value that people treasured? Remember when people were willing to be responsible for their actions rather than waiting to be “bailed out?” Remember when debate used to be described as “healthy?” Remember when people used to say “if it’s in the paper it must be true?” Remember when people thought for themselves? All of these things now seem like just “memories.” Sometimes it seems we have become too lazy to think for ourselves but I think it’s time to get “back in shape.”

There are so many issues facing America at this moment: terrorism, the economy, energy, deficit spending, immigration, and the list goes on. Every day the news is just too much to absorb! We are overloaded with challenges and overloaded with people telling us what we should do about them! Take a deep breath…. decide what you think …. trust your own opinion. If we can’t be a nation that trusts its government let’s try to become a nation of people who trust themselves.