I am very excited for the opportunity to share words of Torah with you. Each week, in this spot, I look to share an idea I've found that speaks to me and that I think will resonate with you as well. This week, I share with you an excerpt of an article by Rabbi Abba Wagensberg entitled "Guaranteeing a Good Year" which describes HaShem's love for us and encourages our reciprocation of that love.
[...] The Amidah of the High Holiday prayers contains the prayer, "You chose us from all the nations, You loved us and You desired us." Although this prayer is phrased in the past tense, it also implies that God continually chooses, loves, and desires the Jewish people. The commentator Dover Shalom explains that the three expressions used in this prayer correspond to three levels of love. The lowest level is when we are loved because we are better than the other available options. Although we may be flawed, we are superior in comparison to the alternatives. The middle level is when we are loved because we are inherently good. The highest level is when we are loved unconditionally, for no reason at all. If there was a reason, it would be the reason that was loved, not us!
The phrase "You chose us from all the nations" corresponds to the lowest level of love, when we are loved only in comparison to the alternative options. The Talmud (Avodah Zara 2b, on Deut. 33:2) teaches that God initially offered the Torah to the nations of the world, all of whom refused to accept it. Only the Jewish people eagerly responded, "We will do and we will hear!" (Exodus 24:7). Based on this positive response, God gave the Torah to us. [The Jews could therefore more accurately be called the Choosing People, not the Chosen People. We chose God first, and He reciprocated. From the Jewish perspective, God will choose anyone who chooses Him.] The phrase "You loved us" corresponds to the second level of love, when we are loved due to our intrinsic goodness. Not only are we preferable over other options; we are actually inherently lovable! Finally, the phrase "You desired us" corresponds to the highest level of love: inexplicable, absolute love that does not depend on reason.
[...] The preface to the Otzer Tefillot states that the main thrust of the High Holiday prayers is for God to reveal Himself to all nations and peoples, thereby eliminating the desecration of His name and increasing its sanctification. Perhaps our Sages chose to word the prayers this way so that we could attempt to reciprocate God's love and devotion to us. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, when our very lives are hanging in the balance, the greatest demonstration of love is our ability to rise above our personal concerns and devote ourselves solely to the revelation of God's glory. When God sees that we are mature enough to disregard our own needs and put His will above all else, He will do anything for us. This is the best way to secure for ourselves a sweet new year. [...]
As we approach the Day of Judgment, may we learn how to take ourselves out of the center and focus on God, and through this ultimate demonstration of love, may we be inscribed in the Book of Good Life.
Have a Shabbat Shalom and a Gmar Chatimah Tovah,
Rabbi Davies
Rabbi@SOICherryHill.org
