Rabbi's Message

Rabbi Elyse Wechterman
Read about the Rabbi
January 2008

Being a Good Jew

Here’s a pet peeve of mine:

“You know, rabbi, I am not a very good Jew,” or “Yeah, I’m Jewish but I don’t really follow any of the commandments.”

Often these type of comments come to me from people who are just coming back to synagogue life after a long absence or are not sure exactly what role they want the synagogue to play in their life.
My response? “Well, have you murdered any one lately? Committed adultery? Stolen? By my count that’s three of the top ten (commandments).”

Being a “Good Jew” is far less about coming to synagogue or lighting Shabbat candles than it is about how one lives life on a daily basis. In fact, of the 613 commandments traditionally incumbent upon all Jews, only a small fraction of them have to do with ritual and religious observance. Most Jewish law is about fair business practices, ethical treatment of other human beings, respect for creation and all it contains, inheritance and property ownership, liability and responsibility, and marriage. Being a “Good Jew” is about being a good human being, a good person, a mentsch.

Being a “Good Jew” is not only something one worries about or tries to do when you come to synagogue or on holidays. In fact, some would argue that at synagogue and on holidays are among the easiest times and places to be Jewish: everyone else is doing it, too. The real challenge comes in living a Jewish life – a life of justice and righteousness and fairness and awareness – every waking moment of every day: in the grocery store, at the mall, in your office, at your child’s school, in your car and in your bed. And trust me, Judaism has something to say about how one should conduct oneself in all those places.

But this response to the aforementioned comment begs the question: “If being a good Jew means being a good person, then why do I need to come to synagogue or light Shabbat candles? Can’t I just be a good person and be done with it?” At one level, the answer is, of course you can.

But, the ritual and religious life of Judaism provides a context, a framework of meaning in which to pursue that righteous life. It gives us the why and the wherefore of being a mentsch.

We spend our time feeding the hungry and helping the needy because we believe that all are b’tzelem elohim (created in God’s image) and deserving of dignity and respect, which we learn when we read the Torah in synagogue. We work for social justice and freedom because we were slaves in the land of Mitzrayim and God freed us with a mighty hand, which we reenact each year at the Passover seder. We form loving relationships and build strong families because we are partners with God in creation, which we are reminded of each time we recite a blessing or acknowledge God’s presence in our world. We show up for each other when mourning or ill or facing pain or in joy and celebration and happiness because our hearts share the same burdens, pains, joys as our fellow human beings of which we are reminded each time we gather in synagogue and recite the words of prayer that express what we can not say and articulate what we can not understand in the language of our ancestors, of our memories and of our futures.

I believe that it is impossible to be a good human being alone – and therefore even harder to be a good Jew. I believe that--especially in the face of rampant materialism and social isolation--it is impossible to pass on our values to our children without a community of context and meaning. I believe that despair and hopelessness are around most corners and that shared stories, experiences, rituals, and lives strengthen each one of us on our individual journeys.

So, no matter who you are, no matter what your story, your background, your experience, the number of times you come to synagogue or light candles, you already are a good Jew. Of that, I am sure. At the same time, I urge you: let me, let us at Agudas Achim, let this building and all the people that fill it, strengthen that in you, build that in you and please, please help build it in me, too.

Wishing you continued light through the darkness!

B'Shalom
Rabbi Elyse

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