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<font size="+1">As Jews around the world observe Yom Kippur, the
holiest day of the year, I would like to look at one of the most common
texts of comfort in our tradition, Psalm 23, as a way to face the world
in which we live moment to moment, and to help us in our task of
Teshuvah (return or repentance). Though usually associated with
funerals or the Yizkor (Memorial) service, Psalm 23 is a piece of
biblical poetry that can speak to us in many different circumstances.<br>
<br>
In his book The Lord is My Shepherd Rabbi Harold Kushner analyzes the
psalm line by line. I would like instead to break it into passages and
analyze each of them with an eye towards understanding what the author
might have meant when writing these words, what the words mean to me,
and how I believe they can help us in our work of Teshuvah. I begin
with the familiar opening passage:<br>
<br>
The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. God makes me to lie down in
green pastures, God leads me beside the still waters, and God restores
my soul. God guides me in straight paths for God’s name’s sake.<br>
<br>
The pastoral image of the shepherd which sets the scene for the psalm
was surely one of comfort for our ancestors. They were nomadic,
pastoral people and they knew well that shepherds were dedicated to
caring for their flock. Each sheep mattered. In fact, we read in a
midrash that God chose Moses lead the people because he went after a
single lamb in his flock that had gone astray. When God saw this, God
knew that Moses was the right man to care for the people. After all, he
cared for each individual sheep, just as God cared for each individual
human being.<br>
<br>
We are comforted by knowing that God cares for each of us. Yet, how can
this manifest itself in our daily life? The next line provides an
answer: I shall not want. But we all want, don’t we? We all desire. We
all crave. We all yearn. Yet that is not what the psalm is saying. For
the actual Hebrew can more accurately be translated as “I shall lack
nothing,” or as Kushner simply states it … “what more could I need?”
Even if we may not have everything that we may want or need, in a more
material sense, God’s presence in one’s life makes one feel blessed.
Who could ask for anything more?<br>
<br>
The pastoral imagery of the psalm continues as the reader is greeted by
a scene of serenity and tranquility wherein we are led beside still,
soothing, calming waters and where we can simply lie down on the soft
grass and enjoy God’s world. Of course, water is the source of life in
so many ways. Water gives us life and sustains us even more than food.
Yet, we know that water can also be destructive. Therefore, it is
significant that the waters in the psalm are still waters. We all know
how calming and serene it can be sitting by a lake and just watching
the water. This is also what we can feel when we realize that we are in
God’s presence.<br>
<br>
It is because of God’s presence in my life that our soul is restored.
Just as the Torah tells us (and we sing on Shabbat in V’shamru) ‘shavat
va’yinafash – God rested and God’s soul was renewed, so too our soul is
revived and renewed with the realization of God’s presence. The soul is
what makes us different from the animal world. It is what provides us
with the knowledge of good and evil; it enables us to make more and
ethical decision. And if God is the source of the soul, then
recognizing God’s presence and allowing ourselves to be at one with God
has the effect of restoring our soul, our connection to God, all of
humanity and the universe.<br>
<br>
If God has restored our soul, then of course we can only be led on
straight paths. Right? Well, not exactly. For the Hebrew phrase maaglei
tzedek does not really mean straight paths. A better translation would
perhaps be ‘round about paths that are straight, or righteous.’ In
other words, don’t be tricked by your ego into thinking “God is with
me, I can make no misstep or do no wrong. I can only walk the straight
and narrow” For the ego is the adversary of the soul – and God. The ego
wants you to think that it’s all about you. However, the reality is
that our path in life is never straight or perfect. We veer off in
different directions, sometimes even wreaking havoc when we do. Yet, we
learn more about oneself and one’s relationship to God through these
circuitous routes. After all, the Israelites wandered in circles in the
desert for 40 years not because they didn’t have a map, but because
they needed the time to learn, grow, mature and experience life before
they could enter the Promised Land. So too, we each need to take our
circuitous routes in order to grow and learn so that we can each enter
our Promised Land … the place where we feel at home and in relationship
with God. Of course, even once in the Promised Land, the people still
rebelled, complained, and worshiped other gods. Yet, God was always
with them. It is not so much that God intentionally leads us on these
roundabout routes. Rather, they are simply a natural part of life’s
course, and God shepherds us along them, trying to help us find within
ourselves the ability to return to the path of righteousness. We may
only be on that path for a moment, and then veer off again, but God is
always there guiding us and helping us to return.<br>
<br>
Why does God do this? We are told l’maan shmo, for the sake of God’s
name!” Does this mean the author believed that God does it because God
wants to take credit! Is this all about showing others how powerful God
is in the same way that the Ten Plagues were partly meant to show the
Egyptians that God was in charge? No. Says Kushner. For that would be
about God’s pride, ego or hubris. Rather, the goal is to help human
beings realize that ultimately the strength within us comes from God
and not from somewhere else. As much as we may have theological issues
with the Torah text, we are told that the ten plagues were meant to
show not only the Egyptians, but the Israelites as well, that God is
the ultimate power in the universe. It was important that the people
knew that it was God, not Pharaoh, or even Moses, who freed the slaves.
Kushner compares the struggle to free the African American slaves in
the 19th century. Some opposed slavery because they believed it did not
make economic sense to have slaves with the advent of new machinery and
an improved economy. Yet, ultimately, the voices that were heard above
all others called on the abolition of slavery using Biblical verses to
prove that slavery of human beings was an affront to God. We can
therefore view the emancipation of slaves, not as a human endeavor, but
as the manifestation of the Divine will.<br>
<br>
Yet, realizing that the strength enabling us to withstand adversity and
change the world comes from God and not from us reminds us that we are
powerless without God. However, as I have said before, powerlessness is
not a negative attribute, it is simply a reality. We only have power to
good if we connect with the ultimate Divine power source that is within
each of us. If we do not tap into that source, then we ultimately lose
our way and our ego takes us on a trip that is filled with chaos. This
is the essence of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, and all of the
other 12-step recovery programs. We also read of this all over our
scriptures and commentaries. God is the power that makes salvation,
freedom, joy and happiness possible. God is our rock, our strength and
shelter. Without God, we are nothing.<br>
<br>
Just as we are getting accustomed this beautiful, serene scene,
although it’s not without its bumps, twists and turns, the psalm seems
to take a 180-degree turn: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death; I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod
and they staff they comfort me.” Where did this dark valley and evil
come from?<br>
<br>
Do we really need to ask this question? We all know that in any moment
we can suddenly find ourselves in a valley of deepest darkness, which
is probably a more accurate translation of the phrase gai tzalmavet.
Yet, the translators of the King James Bible hit on a powerful image
with the phrase “shadow of death.” For often what causes us to feel
darkness and despair is the presence of death in our lives. Whether it
is because a loved one has recently died, or because there has been a
tragedy such as a horrific accident, a terrorist attack or a hurricane,
we know that death is always there. However, the shadow of death
hovering above us can also be the death of our sense of hope, the death
of a cherished idea or dream that we thought might come to fruition, or
the death of a relationship with another. The death can even be the
death of the image of ourselves that we may have clung to for dear
life, but which we now realize was an illusion, a trick of the ego once
again. Therefore, we must let go and see what is real instead.<br>
<br>
We all have known, and will continue to know, different types of loss
and death. The shadow of darkness is real. Yet, when we are in the
valley of the shadow of death, we must also remember that a shadow must
be caused by the presence of light somewhere beyond. The realization of
that light, which is the presence of God, gives us the ability to walk
through the valley and emerge at the other end. If we do not recognize
God’s presence beyond the shadows, then we risk remaining in the valley
of darkness, never again returning to life. We are able to emerge from
the valley because we fear no evil, for God is with us. The psalmist
does not say that there is no evil, for we know that evil exists. There
are forces and people in the world who are bent on doing harm. There
are forces within us, what our tradition calls the yetzer ha’ra, the
inclination towards evil, that, spurred on by the ego, desire to
sabotage our lives, doing evil to us and to those around us. Yet, we
can ultimately face the evil forces within and around us for one simple
reason – God is with us. It is God’s accompanying presence that allows
us to face the demons, walk through the valley of shadows and
ultimately emerge into the light. There may be moments during the
journey when we become afraid, dejected or depressed. However,
ultimately God ultimately enables us to transform that fear into
fearlessness, strength and determination.<br>
<br>
The staff is what the shepherd uses to guide his sheep and to help them
get out of difficult places. The rod is what he uses to discipline the
sheep when they are being stubborn or disobedient. The guidance and
comfort of the staff is an image to which we can more readily relate.
Yet, discipline is needed in life. The rod is a metaphor for the need
to set boundaries and use discipline in our lives, lest we go off on
circuitous paths that spiral downward into the valley never to come out
again. God is not only the source of comfort and support, but just like
a parent, God is the source of the boundaries, direction and discipline
that we need in order to walk the path of life.<br>
<br>
With love, compassion and mercy, as well as boundaries, limits and
discipline, we can walk out of the valley of the shadow of death and
back into life. When we emerge, we feel the light of God that was
always there beyond the shadows and we can celebrate in that moment …<br>
<br>
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You
anoint my head with oil. My cup runneth over.”<br>
<br>
Therefore, as we emerge from the valley a table is set for us. God has
prepared a celebratory banquet! But who are the guests at the table?
Our enemies, so says the psalmist. This is a strange way to celebrate!
At this point, I need to say that Max told me that this is the key
verse for him in the psalm. If you want to know why, you’ll need to ask
him. And I suggest that you do.<br>
<br>
Kushner gives many possible interpretations of this verse. He cites
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, who imagines sitting at a banquet table
with all those whom he feels had done him wrong through the years.
However, rather than rebuking them, he thanks them each for what they
have taught him about himself. In coming to terms with what caused him
to resent or feel anger towards each person he has been able to come to
terms with an aspect of himself that he can now try to change. What a
beautiful image of teshuvah, even if it might seem a difficult one to
actualize.<br>
<br>
However, Kushner sees this image more as a metaphor for acknowledging
that some people who we thought would help us on our journey have
actually let us down. He derives this interpretation by translating the
phrase as “You prepare a table for me, facing my enemies.” In Kushner’s
vision, we are seated around the banquet table looking squarely in the
faces of those people to whom we turned for comfort, but who were not
there for us. Perhaps they could not be there, perhaps they did not
know what to do, perhaps they underestimated our pain, or perhaps they
were just not capable of helping. Realizing this, we can view them no
longer as enemies, but have compassion for them as the imperfect,
fallible human beings they, and we, all are. For even though our
disappointment in them is real, we know that God was and is always
there. That is what matters.<br>
<br>
I think we can also view the enemies with whom we sit at this table as
the enemies within each of us: self-doubt, insecurity, self-loathing,
jealousy, hatred, and all the various tools the ego uses to separate us
from God and other human beings and focus only on the imagined ‘self.’
By sitting down and looking straight at them, we realize that they have
no power, for God is with us. God is not the source of these feelings.
The ego is. God is the source of love, strength, compassion, mercy and
unity. And God can ultimately defeat the ego every time.<br>
<br>
Realizing this, our enemies dissolve before our eyes and we are left –
not alone – but sitting at the table with God, realizing that we have
been anointed. In ancient times, when a king or queen ascended the
throne he or she was anointed with oil on the forehead. The word
mashiach, or messiah, means “the anointed one.” Sitting at the table
with God, realizing that each of us is anointed, we acknowledge our
unique, special nature. Each of us is chosen by God to sit at God’s
table. Each of us has the ability to be a messiah. In other words, we
each have the ability to play a role in bringing peace, harmony,
tranquility and unity to our world. We can each make a difference in
the world. If not, our existence would be superfluous. Because of this
“our cups runneth over.” We are filled with so much joy and love that
we are bursting at the seams. We cannot believe how blessed we are. Not
because we are better than anyone is, but because we have come to
realize that each individual is a child a God, a part of God. We each
have the potential to experience this feeling. Our joy is so great that
it overflows and reaches out towards all of creation. For this, we are
exceedingly grateful for all that God has given us. Kushner reminds the
reader that gratitude and thanks are part of reciprocal relationship.
For in order to be grateful for receiving someone, in this case God,
must also be giving. In our relationships with other human beings, we
must also emulate this reciprocal relationship. We must view life as a
gift, even in the difficult moment. Yet, it is so easy to live life
with a sense of entitlement. Often our society encourages us to do so.
We think we deserve to get all the good things in life, and so we feel
no gratitude for what we have. This is another trick of the ego, which
is again trying to put “me” at the center, instead of God. If we feel
entitled, we ignore the blessings of life and complain bitterly
whenever things don’t happen as we think they should. Alternatively,
the ego tricks us into believing that we are self-sufficient, so that
everything we have comes from us and nothing else matters. If we live
life this way we cannot receive the gift of life, nor can we pass on
that gift to others in our lives. We instead live our lives jealous,
frustrated, bitter and ultimately cut off from others and from God.<br>
<br>
Instead, in each moment, we must do our best to be grateful for the
gift of life. As psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote, “Gratitude [in a
mature human being] is the ability to appreciate again and again,
freshly and naively the basic good of life with awe, pleasure and
wonder and even ecstasy.” It is recognizing that our cup does run over,
and acknowledging God for being the source of life’ abundance, even
when things are not as “perfect” as we think they “should” be.<br>
<br>
The psalm ends with the verses, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.” Coming to the realization that God is my light, my source of
strength, and the one of all being that connects everything in the
universe, I know that I can continue on my path. While on the path, I
must remember that it is not a path on which I run to chase after
happiness, riches, wealth or any of the other “goodies” in the world.
For goodness, or the yetzer ha’tov, is always following, or more
accurately translated, pursuing us. No matter where we go, we only need
to look over our shoulders and all the good things are right there
waiting for us, as a gift from God. However, if we are always chasing
after things, it’s impossible to notice, and so many people spend their
entire lives missing the opportunity, missing the point, missing life.
For to chase after the “good things” is again the work of the ego and
the yetzer ha’ra, the evil inclination. However, it is not only
goodness, that is pursuing us, but it is hesed, as well. Translated as
mercy, the word hesed really means unending loving kindness, or as
Kushner translates it, “unearned love.” We don’t have to do anything to
receive hesed. We just need to pay attention and realize it’s there and
it will come right to us. That is one of God’s greatest gifts, and what
ultimately has the potential to provide each of us with strength. With
goodness and hesed pursuing us wherever we go we have the ability to
truly rejoice in each moment. When we do this, then we also realize
that we “live in the house of the Lord.” What a gift! We are living in
God’s house! Of course, this can be comforting or it can make one
paranoid. After all, if you’re living in God’s house then God can see
everything you do! However, it is the tension between comfort and a
little bit of fear and trepidation that provides the balance we need in
order to live in God’s house. Not fear of punishment or “being caught,”
but fear of what it means to believe that there is a power greater that
is always with us. However, it is this belief that can also provide
comfort, for you don’t have to worry about confessing your sins to God,
because God already knows them. That is because God is always with us
and within us, for God is a part of us. That is what dwelling in God’s
house means to me. It does not mean that God literally watches us each
moment, but rather, that the God within is aware of everything we do;
so when we do something to help others and our world, we can feel the
pride within that comes not from the ego, but from God. When I do
something that is harmful to others or myself if I am truly aware in
that moment, I can feel the pain and disappointment within. However, it
is not a judgmental feeling, for judgment is another trick of the ego.
Rather, it is the godly part of us having compassion and love –
rachamim and hesed – for us and helping us to see what we could have
done differently. Ultimately, this is constructive and comforting and
not berating or self-loathing. For dwelling in the house of the Lord
means dwelling in a place of love, mercy, compassion and support. It is
not about “big brother” watching over us every minute. Rather, it is
about our eternal parent being with us for support at every moment,
even as we exercise the free will that God has given us, which is
perhaps the greatest Divine gift that we receive.<br>
<br>
Thus ends the psalm, reminding us that the goal in life is to dwell in
God’s house forever. The psalmist states the same goal in Psalm 27, the
Psalm for the Season of Repentance: One thing do I ask from God; that I
may dwell in the House of the Eternal all the days of my life.” That’s
it. In addition, Psalm 23 provides a path for us to reach this goal. It
is a path of gratitude, of being present, of acknowledging God’s
presence and God’s power in our life, and ultimately, acknowledging
human powerlessness. As I’ve stated numerous times before,
powerlessness is where we seem to be stuck. The American ethos teaches
that each of us is a unique and powerful individual who can accomplish
anything if we just put our minds to it, put our noses to the
grindstone, and so on. The psalmist is not disagreeing with this. It is
just saying that this power does not cone from us, but from God working
through us. And this message the psalmist is giving us applies to
Teshuvah as well as to the entire way we live our lives. For Teshuvah
involves returning to God and acknowledging God’s presence and power,
and then turning back to our friends, our family, our community and
ourselves in order to seek forgiveness, knowing that God is with us
during each step of this difficult process. That is what makes it all
possible.<br>
<br>
In addition, if we choose to act in ways that prevents us from
“dwelling in God’s house” then become disconnected from God and the
world. By doing teshuvah, we can turn around and walk through the door
of God’s house and be welcomed with open arms. To do so is to reach the
place of atonement, which comes from the Latin meaning to be at one, or
in unity. To achieve atonement, or “at-one-ment,” means to be at one
with God, and that means at one with self, humanity and the universe.
Being at one is the ultimate goal of the journey described in the
psalm, as well as the ultimate goal of the journey we travel on Yom
Kippur. May we each do our best as we travel on the path, step-by-step,
moment by moment, individually and as a community so that we may all
appreciate the gift of our life and our world, and dwell together in
God’s house for many years to come.<br>
<br>
L'shanah tovah - a good year and<br>
G'mar hatimah tovah - may you be inscribed for goodness,<br>
<br>
SPN<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Steven
P.
Nathan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Campus
Rabbi<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Hampshire
College<span style="">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Office
of
Spiritual Life – Box SA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Amherst,
MA
01002<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Phone:
(413)
559-5282<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;">Fax:
(413)
559-5663<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Cambria; color: black;"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:snathan@hampshire.edu">snathan@hampshire.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Cambria Italic"; color: black;"><i>"The
more deeply immersed I became in the thinking of the
prophets, the more powerfully it became clear to me what the lives of
the
prophets sought to convey: that morally speaking there is no limit to
the
concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Cambria Italic"; color: black;"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: "Cambria Italic"; color: black;"><i>“It
also became clear to me that in regard to cruelties
committed in the name of a free society, some are guilty, all are
responsible."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 5pt; font-family: "Cambria Italic"; color: black;"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Cambria; color: black;">-Rabbi
Abraham Joshua Heschel<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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