BEREISHITH 1991

In the Torah portion BEREISHIS the Shabbos is stressed.  The Shabbos is considered a sign of the covenant between the Jewish people and G-d.  We believe that G-d has a covenant with all people, but He made a special covenant with the Jewish people and the Sabbath is a sign of this covenant.  We believe that the purpose of religion is to allow us to get closer to G-d and man, and the Shabbos is one of the main instruments we have which allows us to get closer to G-d and man.

Unfortunately, today many Jews do not keep the Shabbos because they have misconstrued what religion is all about.  They think that religion is only to teach you to be moral and since they feel they are already moral and know what morality is all about, they do not have to keep Shabbos or any other Jewish ritual.  They have to send their children to Sunday School and Hebrew school to learn how to be moral, but they do not have to come to synagogue.  

Judaism's new insight into the world of religion which started with Abraham was that you could not get close to G-d unless you were moral.  Other religions in pagan times thought that morality was immaterial.  Getting close to G-d had nothing at all to do with morality.  We say no, that you must be moral before you can have a relationship with G-d.  However, the end of religion is not to be moral; it is the beginning.  Once you are moral then you can go on to have a relationship with G-d and man.

Unfortunately, today many Jews do not even feel the need to have a relationship with G-d or man.  That's why so many of them even turn their back on their families  How many times have I had the terrible duty to call a brother or sister or even a father and mother or a grandfather and grandmother and ask them to help an individual and I have been turned down.  Judaism teaches us that relationships are more important than things.  People are more important than objects We all need a relationship between G-d and man.  Shabbos is one of the means which gives us the opportunity to have this relationship.

I am reminded of the story they tell about President Bush who was complaining how it seems that the Jews always knew what his next move was going to be, and he wanted to know how the Jews could figure these things out.  He called in Jim Baker and he asked him to find out   Jim Baker came back a day later and said, "There seems to be a wonderful word that the Jews use which if you say it right produces all sorts of wonderful information."  The President asked, "What type of word is that?"  Jim Baker replied, "I don't know if I am inflecting it right, but it goes something like this. . .Nu?”.  President Bush then decided to go to the most Jewish part of Brooklyn to a little Chassidica Shteebel.  He got himself disguised by the CIA to look like a Chusid.  He then entered the synagogue and found a seat in the back row.  He then gingerly sidled up to a Chusid sitting in the back row and said, "Nu?"  The Chusid looked at him and said, "Be quiet, the President is coming."    In order to get close to people we must know how to say Nu.  We must give them time and must want to have a relationship.