What is Torah?

Who doesn't love getting a present? Think about it: a gift, wrapped with nice paper, and tied with a ribbon, is placed on your lap. Each person has their own way of opening a present-some just rip right into it, too excited to think about the status of the paper. Others will find the seam where the paper comes together, and carefully open the package, keeping the paper intact. Others may rip off the bow, and place it jauntily on the top of their head.

Any way the unwrapping begins, it is festive. And, as the present is revealed, the excitement mounts: was it something you've always wanted? An unexpected, but equally enjoyable delight? Or, will you have to paste a smile on your face and nod politely so as not to show disappointment if the gift is something that is completely not your taste? Or, worst of all, will you have to hold up the box and say, “I'm sorry, but what is it?”

We love getting presents, but we don't always know what to do with them, or how to treat it after the initial excitement. I know a couple who received a gift for their wedding that mystified them. They knew it was for the kitchen, but didn't know what it was to do. Rather than query the giver, they buried it in their kitchen “junk drawer”. Only years later did they realize that the person who had given the gift had given them a very expensive and hard to find garlic press. The person, with whom they'd shared many meals together, knew they loved garlic, and it was truly a perfect gift. If only they'd been able to move past their discomfort, the couple would have likely seen that gift as a most cherished item in their kitchen!

A gift has to be not only opened but also explored to receive its' full benefits. Often times, we are too quick to move on, without allowing the gift to show its full reward. The garlic press, while a small example, demonstrates this beautifully.

When we take care of gift, understanding its potential, it will give back to us. We, as Jews, have been given a gift with unending potential: The Torah. Every week, we undress our gift, from God, literally: from the beautiful silver crowns, to the breastplate, to the yad, or pointer, the Torah is an elegant package waiting for our eager hands to undress it.

Yet, how we deal with it once it is undressed- unwrapped- is often a challenge. It is easy to not fully realize the depth of this sacred gift. Why? Because I'm not sure we understand what the gift is. In an unfair analogy-it may be like the garlic press in our kitchen. We know it is valuable, so we keep it around, but we don't know exactly what it is, nor do we take the time to figure it out.

A gift is most tended, most cherished, when we know what it is. At its most fixed definition, Torah is the scroll that I read from, containing the five books of Moses. Moving towards a more broad understanding, Torah is also the entire Bible-the Five books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings. At its widest and most flexible definition, Torah is the entire compendium of Jewish teaching, from the five books of Moses to the most recent commentary.

Ultimately, Torah is the blueprint that guides the Jewish people. Contained within are ethics and moral lessons; a structure for Jewish life, including holidays and life cycle celebrations. From these stories and guidelines, we have derived our world view and theology. When we are able to unwrap it and allow it to inform our lives, change us, and help us to grow into our best selves, the we have fully received the gift of Torah.

Let me share some examples, some snapshots of the rewards of unwrapping this gift:

This is Torah: when high school students learn that for every situation they face in their stressful lives, Torah will offer them insight and guidance. Quick to challenge, they will protest: The Torah can not teach us how we are supposed to deal with teenage sex, or drinking, or drugs!

And yet: In Genesis, we learn that we are created B'tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. As such, we have an obligation to treat our bodies, constantly and consistently, as sacred vessels. Therefore, when faced with a choice to drink underage or take drugs, we learn to ask: Would I be acting “b'tzelem elohim” if I were to act in this way?

This is Torah: A Bar Mitzah student who is able to stand in front of the congregation, as Elisha has done this evening and will do tomorrow, and proudly lead us in prayer. It is Torah because through Jewish tradition, Elisha has become more confident, and more proud of his legacy. He has tangibly and metaphorically embraced God's gift, unwrapping it for himself and for each of us.

This is Torah: A patient in a hospital turning to prayer for sustenance and support. Through words of Psalms, or those written down by others, they find comfort. Additinally, they are connected to the entire community and to God, the words bringing peace and spiritual healing.

This is Torah: when, in a classroom, the words of a Bible story come alive, bringing witness to the magnificence of Jewish history. The stories of Joseph and Abraham, of Sarah and Rebekah, of King David and Jonah, can teach us about human character-the good and the bad, the holy and the profane. Through each of them, we learn more about ourselves, the insights bringing us to better understanding of ourselves.

This Thursday night, we celebrate the giving of the Torah by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai, with the holiday of Shavuot. In a contemporary addition to the traditional the festival, we celebrate the life cycle event of Confirmation. Confirmation marks the formal end of Jewish religious education, and is usually done at the end of the tenth grade year. Students, after 11 years of formal education, gather on the bimah, face their parents, and state: “Our parents, we now accept the Torah so that the Jewish people can live. We will now accept these teachings and we will follow God's word, improving the world in our actions. These words will be forever with us. And you will be with us in our hearts, memories, and words. Blessed are you who raised us to this touching moment.”

Torah is a gift that, even unwrapped, still holds mystery. We must do more than unwrap it-we must explore it and tend to it, as our students will vow to do this coming Thursday evening, when they will also read: “In every generation, we, the Jewish people, must see ourselves as direct recipients of God's Torah. Each of us must know that the Torah was given, not only to our ancestors, but to us, as well. Each of us must know that we are commanded to study the teachings of the Torah, and to perform its mitzvot.”

As Elisha has done so lovingly and carefully in preparing for his Bar Mitzah this evening, we must remember that the gift of Torah is not to be stashed away in a drawer, or unwrapped without curiosity and challenge. A scholar, whose name is unknown, wrote in the 18th century: “When one utters words of Torah, one never ceases to create spiritual potencies and new lights. . .”

If we were to unwrap the gift of Torah with the eagerness we do a birthday present, and explore all its possibilities, imagine the riches we would receive!

Torah links us to the generations that came before us, linking us in a permanent chain of community, history and tradition. Torah is a never ending gift of wonder and marvels, of faith and never-ending journey. Let us unwrap it.

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