I'm too busy...

One of my favorite things about living in New York is the energy, the feeling that pervades everything we do.  As a person who grew up in the Midwest, New York just feels different.  There’s always so much to do; so much to see.  Broadway plays, the Opera, the Museums, an incredible meal… the world is our oyster.  And New Yorkers never slow down.  We’re constantly moving and going, running from place to place.  Yet, with all on our plate, I often hear these three most dreaded words: “I’m too busy!”  Let’s go to a show: “I’m too busy.”  Let’s grab dinner: “I’m too busy!”  Let’s get together, “I’m too busy!” 

This week’s double Torah portion, Vayakhel-Pikudei, is perfect for the busy New Yorker!  Over the course of five chapters in the Book of Exodus, we have a to-do list to rival any other!  Our ancestors worked together to build the Mishkan, the sacred prayer space that existed in the wilderness.  The Israelites built the furniture for the Mishkan: the lampstand, the altar, the Ark of the Covenant, and the planks for the sides and the doors.  

They wove tapestries of all colors that formed the walls.  And they fashioned the clothing of the Cohenim, the priests of Israel: the headscarf, the pants, the coat, and all of their accoutrement.  This was serious work.  Our ancestors with the help of Betzalel and Oholiab, the chief architects, spent hours upon hours creating this sacred prayer space for the Eternal One.  There was no time to do anything else… they were just “too busy”!

Yet, what I find most inspiring is the first two lines of this week’s Torah portion.  We begin with this address from Moses: “These are the things that the Eternal One has commanded you to do: On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Eternal…”  Prior to sharing this massive to-do list, prior to the doing and making, the creating and designing, Moses reminds the people that they must rest.  You can’t work, work, work without Shabbat.  You can’t keep going, without a moment to pause or a day for renewal.  Even when creating sacred space, our ancestors put down their tools and rested.

This is truly a lesson for our age.  We spend far too much time at work.  We focus much too much of our energy and our thoughts on all that we must accomplish.  It’s almost impossible to unplug; we are tied to the world around us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no real ability to break away.  We are just “too busy!”  Moses reminds us that in order to be our best, we need to turn on the OFF button.  We need one day out of seven, to stop, rest, and refresh.  

The Holy One commanded us to focus on the world around us, to fulfill our responsibility to act and do and work.  Yet, God also commanded us to focus on ourselves, to transform ourselves for the better.  So, let’s work hard, but let’s also take some time to renew ourselves… to unplug, to sleep-in, to study some Torah, and read a book; to spend time with loved ones, to go out to dinner, to see a show, have Shabbat dinner, and to just rest.  Shabbat Shalom!

Purim: A Lesson in Moderation

Purim is our most celebratory holiday of the year.  It’s a chance to let go and to have a little bit of fun.  We dress up in costume, we watch silly Purim shpiels, and most importantly, we drink a lot!  In Megillah 7b of the Talmud, we learn: A person should drink enough alcohol on Purim that he’s unable to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai.  Passover provides us with a tangible way to mark our consumption, four glasses of wine.  Yet, on Purim, we aren’t told how much to drink, except that we shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between Haman, our enemy, and Mordecai, our hero.  That is a lot of alcohol, a lot of drinking.  Unfortunately, that much consumption can lead to a horrible tragedy.

Directly following this requirement to pursue drunkenness is a story about a drunken encounter:  Rabba and Rabbi Zeira celebrated Purim together and they became so intoxicated to the point that Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira.  The next day when Rabba became sober, he realized what he had done.  Rabba asked God for mercy and revived Rabbi Zeira.  The next year, Rabba said to Rabbi Zeira: Come, lets celebrate Purim together.  Rabbi Zeira replied: Miracles do not happen each and every hour!

 Here’s a story about two rabbis who followed the obligation to drink heavily.  Yet, their intoxication led to a dire outcome.  Rabba in his zest actually slaughters and kills Rabbi Zeira.  It was only because of God’s mercy and a miracle that Rabbi Zeira’s life was saved.  Rabbi Zeira teaches us a valuable lesson: Miracles do not happen each and every hour!  This story is a cautionary tale about excessive drinking.  Just because a miracle occurred in the past, doesn’t mean we will be saved in future encounters.

We of course want and need to celebrate!  With our busy lives and the stress that fills our work, home life, and the world around us, we need time to relax and let loose.  However, we are reminded of the dangers of excessive drinking and excessive behavior.  Our health is paramount and nothing matters more.  In our celebrating, moderation is key.  Let’s have fun, but let’s be safe.