Shemini Atzeret 5767
Rabbi Susan Leider
How to Make the Schlep. .
.
On
Shemini Atzeret,
we read about the "ins and outs" of tithing, as the
Torah addresses the challenges of donating and
schlepping a tenth of our harvest at appointed times.
Not only do we find the command to bring tithes of
produce, but we also find the command to consume them in
the place where God chooses. The Torah does not assume
that this will be an easy, straightforward task. Here
the Torah acknowledges the possible hardship and even
the impossibility of schlepping that could be visited on
the one who is tithing:
Should
the distance be too great for you, should you be unable
to transport them, because the place where the Lord Your
God has chosen to establish His name is far from you and
because the Lord your God has blessed you, you may
convert them into money. Wrap up the money and take it
with you to the place that the Lord you God has chosen.
Deuteronomy 14:24-25
What does the phrase,
"should the distance be too great," actually mean?
After all, the Torah does not indicate an exact
distance! How do we measure when the distance is too
great? When is the schlep possible and when do we opt
for Plan B? When do we stick it out all odds and when
do we cash in our goods and instead "wrap up the money"
for the road?
Alsheich, a 16th-century
Turkish commentator, considers this question and points
out that when a person does something out of love and
passion, that person does not struggle with the task and
does not tire from it. But if he does something against
his will, he quickly views the task as a burden.
Alsheich's comment
reminds us that how we approach tasks is an indicator of
our success with those tasks. And it behooves us to be
aware of our approach which directly influences our
ability to execute tasks well.
But the Torah understands
that not everyone will have the same level of
koach, of
strength, with which to approach a given task. In this
case, the given task is transporting goods. But the
Torah does not place a value judgment on the option to
convert the tithed produce to money. There is no shame
in this. Quite the contrary - the Torah wants us to
complete the task and gives us viable options from which
to choose.
Alsheich continues by
saying that if the load becomes oppressive, that this
shows that "ki
yirchak mimcha ha makom," that "the place is
too far from you."
Makom, the Hebrew word for place, can also
mean God. So Alsheich warns us that if we allow our
burdens to be oppressive, that "Ha
Makom", that "God" could be too far from us.
If we allow our loads to
become oppressive, if we do not exercise our option to
"cash in the tithes," then we risk becoming "too far
from God." The Torah tells us to realize that we have
options. It is important that we listen to that inner
voice that may at times tell us, "Remember, you don't
always have to schlep." Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach
