Teshuvah

Sometimes It Is Beyond The Sea
Sermon for Yom Kippur Morning 5768
Rabbi David Kaufman

In this morning’s Torah portion, we read

For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?” But the matter is very close to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it. (Deuteronomy 30. 11--14)

Nechama Leibowitz, the great Orthodox Torah scholar (yes there are Orthodox women who are Torah scholars, though far fewer than there should be)--- Nechama Leibowitz tells us that the Traditional commentators differed regarding the interpretation of this passage.

The main question that must be decided is whether "this commandment" refers to the duty of repentance dealt with in the previous verses or whether Hatorah Hazot, “this Torah” means the whole Torah.

Most of our Traditional commentators hold the view that we are dealing with the whole complex of Jewish observance. The sages in the Talmud assume this to be the case, in their discussion of the passage.

It is argued that if the Torah would have been inaccessible -- beyond the sea or in heaven, you would have had the valid excuse to argue, Who shall go up to heaven etc. Now that it has been made close to you, you have no further excuse.


Nechama Leibowitz argues that:

The Torah is not the property of a privileged caste of priests and initiates. It is not in heaven but in our midst. It is the duty of all to study, teach and practice its tenets.

One of my favorite stories in the Talmud (Baba Metzia 59a) has to do with this topic. I have embellished a bit. It is the tale of an oven that needed to be declared kosher.

This oven was a new invention created by a certain man named Achnai. Achnai brought his new oven to the rabbinical court at the house of study for them to give his invention their approval and to deem it Kosher. Every sage declared that the oven was not kosher except Rabbi Eliezer. This is the only time in Jewish history when among a large group of Jews there were only two opinions.

Rabbi Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument to try and convince the other sages that the oven was kosher, but none of his colleagues was convinced.

Rabbi Eliezer got frustrated and he shouted at them: “If Achnai's oven is kosher, then let this carob tree prove it!” He had actually expected the Carob tree to respond in sign language and though it did, the rabbis did not know American Sign Language. So instead, frustrated itself, the carob tree flew out of the ground and landed a hundred cubits away.

Unimpressed, the other sages stated flatly: “No proof can be brought from a carob tree.” Rabbi Eliezer just stared at them and thought, “Okay, they must prefer the opinions of other trees. I should have called upon an oak tree or perhaps a pomegranate.”

Again Rabbi Eliezer implored them: “If the oven is kosher, then let this stream of water prove it.” And the stream of water flowed backwards. “No proof can be brought from a stream of water,” the rabbis responded.

More frustrated than ever, Rabbi Eliezer cried out: “If the oven is kosher, let the walls of this house of study prove it!” And the walls began to fall inward. But Rabbi Joshua rebuked the collapsing walls saying: “When scholars are engaged in a disagreement over a point of Jewish law, what right do you have to interfere?” And the walls did not fall in honor of Rabbi Joshua, nor did they resume their upright position in honor of Rabbi Eliezer.

Now, wondering who the architect and contractors were who built the house of study that was collapsing upon them and making a mental note to call their lawyer, again Rabbi Eliezer said to the sages, “If the law agrees with me regarding the fact that Achnai's oven is kosher, then let it be proved by heaven.” And a heavenly voice cried out: “Why do you rabbis argue with Eliezer? He's always right in his interpretation of the law!"

Rabbi Eliezer thought, “So there!” and put his hands on his hips knowing that he was right.

But Rabbi Joshua arose and exclaimed to the sky: “It is not in Heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12). One must follow the majority!” At that moment, according to the sages, God laughed, saying “My children have defeated me! My children have overruled me!”

Rabbi Eliezer went on to create a new website and began to fundraise for the next house of study election wherein he hoped to be victorious and to obtain control over the supreme court. The website is called Move-Oven.org .
This story comes to teach us that the verse, “It is not in heaven” refers to the Torah, all of it, oral law and written law, and to our ability to posses it. We have the law and we interpret it.

Yet there are commentators who disagree with the Traditional assessment. Nahmanides, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, a 13th century scholar, tells us that the passage refers to the mitzvah of repentance (teshuvah). The Torah wishes to emphasize that nothing stands in its way and no man can find valid excuses of time, place and circumstance to defer the duty of returning to God. Commenting on the passage, he states:

Though you are scattered amongst the peoples, you will still be able to return to the Lord and do all that I have commanded you today: for the matter is not beyond you or too difficult for you, but it is within your grasp for you to perform at all times and in all places.

Teshuvah, returning in repentance, is not dependent on external conditions, on where the Jewish people lives or on the pressure of alien cultures. It is purely a matter of individual free choice, dependant upon one’s resolution to return to the divine source, however far you have become alienated from it, and however numerous the barriers that have grown up between you and your Creator: "but the word is very close unto you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it".

The Tradition and the Torah portion tell us, “It is not beyond the Sea.” But sometimes it seems to be.

If only changing our ways were easy. If only we were able to give up our bad habits at will. Stop smoking because we know it to be bad for us. Stop overeating, start working out more. Sometimes it seems beyond the sea.

And if this passage deals with the entire Torah, how much the more difficult? If only we could act as the Torah demands with ease. If only we could follow its precepts and paths without getting lost, honoring mother and father, not coveting the possessions of others, keeping the Sabbath Day and its meaning relevant in our lives. Sometimes it seems beyond the sea.

Sometimes it IS beyond the sea. Our Tradition bids us, “You should not remain idle while your neighbor bleeds.” We live in a global community. Our “neighbors” include everyone. We do not discriminate because someone lives 100 miles away instead of 10 miles or 10 feet. We do not even discriminate because someone lives 1,000 miles away or half-way around the globe. Concerns for those further away might be less obvious to us and we might be less motivated to try to reach out to help, but we certainly wish to aid those suffering no matter where they are.

Since I have been in Des Moines, our community has reached out to the people suffering in Darfur, but also to those Sudanese within our community. We reached out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, fellow American citizens, but also to the victims of the Tsunami in Southeast Asia, members of other nations and other religions. Sometimes it IS beyond the sea. We reach beyond the sea to help those in need.

Sometimes, our concerns are for the safety and prosperity of the nation and people of Israel, not only for its Jewish inhabitants, but for all of its inhabitants. We see the threats on the horizon and those right before us and we reach beyond the sea to help. Sometimes it IS beyond the sea.

Other times, it is not a physical distance that lies between us and the fulfillment of mitzvot, rather the tasks seem beyond us. There are times when the best medicine in the world cannot save a life, when our best efforts to help another through a crisis are not good enough. Sometimes it IS beyond the sea for us, out of our reach.

How often do we look our Traditions and wonder why our ancestors did them. Why do our texts tell us not to eat certain foods or not to prepare them in a certain way? There are many theories, many statements given by the rabbis and by scholars. Some, who believe that all of the Torah was given by God to Moses at Sinai declare it simply God’s will. Yet, for others among us, the answer is unknown, beyond a sea of time. Sometimes it IS beyond the sea.

But you know what? We have boats and planes that can travel beyond the sea. We can reach out to distant lands and provide food. We can reach out to those in Israel to aid them in time of need. We can learn new techniques and create new technologies to better lives and save lives. We can learn the history of Traditions that are from times long past and done for reasons unknown to us. We can change our behaviors, though it may be difficult to do so. We can forgive. We can repent. We can atone.

The waves upon the sea and the distances we must traverse may make our journeys difficult, but if we work hard, if we strive to do our best, if we are earnest in our efforts, we will arrive. And when we stand upon that shore, beyond the sea, beyond our challenges—then, we will say to ourselves, you know, “It is not beyond the sea.” We can do it.

Sometimes, forgiveness that seems impossible to give and repentance that seems impossible to achieve, are simply beyond the sea. And we must remember that we can go beyond the sea and often need to do so.

Not long ago our ancestors looked up at the sky to the stars and the planets. The moon was the light in the night sky. It was in the heavens. Few then would have envisioned that some day, human beings would stand upon the moon and gaze upward toward the earth. Sometimes what may appear beyond the sea or even in the heavens, impossible, is possible to achieve.

Sometimes though it is beyond the sea, we may still achieve it.

May we all be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.

Shanah Tovah and Shabbat Shalom.