Last Sunday was the final episode of the television season for Desperate Housewives. It was a two hour episode that neatly tied up numerous loose ends developed over the course of the past season and previous seasons. Like any good final episode there was a bit of cliffhanger so that we have something to look forward to in the next season. Two of the Desperate Housewives story lines are particularly poignant. One had to do with the WASPY prim and proper Bree who finally consummated her new romance with Detective on the local police force. The Detective was going through a divorce and did not want to do anything with Bree that would endanger his divorce. Knowing that they were off limits to each other, their passion for each other was expressed in kisses, innuendo, and speaking to one another. Even before this relationship is consummated, we know that this is an intensely passionate relationship between two adults. The second story has to do with Tom and Lynette Scavo. They have been married for approximately twenty years. They have five children and Tom recently landed an incredibly lucrative position thereby allowing his family to live in a comfortable manner that they had never enjoyed. However over the past few episodes we have watched this couple become passionate-less. They no longer fight; instead they have resigned themselves to the fact neither of them “wants to keep doing this anymore.” In one particularly poignant scene, when Lynette mistakenly thought that Tom had left the two were talking about her reaction. She explained that she was not so sad, nor shocked but mostly relieved. She was relieved that they were no longer stuck but rather making a decision and moving forward. Both of these relationships succeed or fail because of Passion. Passion can be expressed in a positive manner or a negative manner, but in what every manner it is expressed, passion demonstrates that people are engaged and not alienated. Passion demonstrates caring about something as opposed to being utterly cavalier. When there is no passion, when people are only cavalier then the relationship dies.
This Shabbat we read from Parsha Bechukotai. It is the final Parsha of the Book of Leviticus. For the past ten Parshiot, Sefer Vayikra, the Book of Leviticus has taught us how to act in a holy manner. We have learned how to behave towards God in a holy manner. We have been taught how to treat member of our family in a holy manner. We have been taught how to treat people outside of our family, friends, acquaintances, employees, and the needy in a holy manner as well. We have been given tools by which we are able to approach God in a sanctified way. We have been given tools to sanctify the seasons, as well as the land of Israel. Finally, here in the last Parsha we are told the reward as well as the punishment if we fail to learn and observe these commandments. The reward is quite simple and straightforward. Im B’Chukotai Teileichu v’Et Mitzvotai Tishmeru Va’Asitem Otam V’Natati Gishmeichem B’Itam V’Natna Ha’Aretz Y’Vulah V’Eitz Ha’Sadeh Yiten Piryo – If you follow my decrees and observe my commandments and perform them; then I will provide you with rains in their time, and the land will give its produce an the tree of the field will give its fruit. (Lev. 26:3-4). Ultimately our reward is predicated upon fulfilling the commandments.
The punishment is neither simple nor straightforward. Normally one would think that merely our failure to observe and fulfill the commandment would be reason enough for punishment. However this is not the case. Our punishment is a result of something worse than our failure to observe and fulfill these commandments. V’Im Lo Tishme’u Li, V’Lo Ta’asu Eit Kol HaMitzvot Ha’Eila – If you will not listen to me (obey) and will not perform all of these commandments; V’Im B’Chukotai Timasu V’Im Et Mishpatai Tigal Nafshechem – if you consider my Decrees loathsome, and if your being rejects My ordinances (Lev. 26: 14-15) then we receive punishment. There are a series of seven sets of punishments and after each set; we are given an opportunity for Tshuvah, for Repentance. If after each set of punishments we continue to ignore God, then we receive another set of punishments. The Torah keeps repeating a phrase which is far more powerful than “ignoring” God. V’Halachtem Imi B’Keri and if you behave towards Me cavalierly, then the next set of punishments are warranted. It could be argued that our divine punishment is a result of our lack of passion, our lack of care and concern for our role and responsibility in our relationship to God.
Worse than our failure to fulfill our obligations in relationships; is our utter lack of concern or care that we failed to fulfill our obligations. Worse than fighting in the relationship; is disengaging from the relationship. When one disengages in the relationship, the other becomes desperate desiring some type of passion either positive or negative. God grows angry with us when we disengage, when we drop out and don’t care that we have dropped out. Our punishments all reflect God’s creating greater distance from us, a form of dropping out as well. Desperation is not confined to housewives; it is a universal and unfortunate result of others treating something that is sacred and holy B’Keri in a cavalier manner.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
No comments:
Post a Comment