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December 31, 2010
Torah as a model for living
New commentaries try to make Source text more accessible.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
Toronto-based writer Dave Gordon’s new book, Sefer Bracha Tikvah, is a collection of commentaries on the weekly Torah portion. It began with a d’var Torah that Gordon wrote on the occasion of his eldest daughter’s baby naming in June 2008, and it really has yet to end, as Gordon is in the midst of writing another collection, this one in honor of Bracha’s little sister, Hadassah Mazal, now six months old.
“In publishing this book,” writes Gordon in the foreword to Sefer Bracha Tikvah, “I not only wanted to formally collect my weekly divrei Torah in one volume, but also make them easily accessible to my children, others’ children and anyone who had a desire to learn from what I learned.”
Gordon told the Independent that his target audience is “new parents, younger people, secular, observant. I really think there’s something there for everyone. I didn’t want to just rehash and retread the stories we’ve heard before. Each parashah commentary, I think, has its own character to it, and that’s on purpose. It’s like [each] different song of a music album: different tunes, sung in different keys, [with different] instruments [and] lyrical techniques, to reach across the range of likes and dislikes, and transcend religious background. It’s about Jewish values and ... using reason, logic, humor and the text itself, I try to remind the reader of the importance of living and striving for a holier, spiritual life.
“Sometimes I write about the values we can derive from the Torah in a straightforward way,” he continued. “Other times, I bring in examples from modernity to demonstrate how the Torah’s lessons have relevance, and have value, in real life (e.g., the Blue Jays in the World Series). I try to take a look at the parashah in a way that works in harmony with modern situations, and infuse lessons that we can use every day.
“The idea of my book isn’t to look at the parsahah as dry text, ancient history or religious ritual. I hope to give the reader the idea that the Torah is also a living document that speaks and breathes moral clarity.”
About his own inspiration, Gordon said, “I grew up traditional Conservative and went to cheder when we lived in Halifax (ages five-15); it meant I took in a few hours a week of very basic Judaism. An uncle of mine is observant and was always there to answer my questions, so I felt, through him, I grew Jewishly and became more observant.”
He also attributes part of his change in attitude to Chabad Rabbi Aaron Ceitlin, “who was passing through [Halifax] and was acquainted with my uncle, Harold Cohen. We spent a great deal of time one evening when I was eight [years old], discussing Jewish practice and the centrality of God in our lives. He answered so many of my questions that it left me inspired. I took on more mitzvot, wore a kippah in public school, became more sensitive to kosher needs, kept Shabbat as best I could.”
Now the parent of two young girls, with his wife, Karen, Gordon said, “Fatherhood has helped me understand that my words and actions must be exemplary if I am to be a good role model to my children. Fatherhood has given me an extra depth of caring and love I didn’t know possible, [and it] has given me a deeper appreciation for the blessings I have, the family I have and my responsibilities to them.”
For Gordon, no text can compare to the Torah for guidance on how to be that role model.
“The Torah’s eternal values have sustained the Jewish people for five millennia. What I tried to do with the book is show, in an easy-to-read format, that there is a rich and vibrant array of moral ideas from the Torah, applicable to everyone, at any time,” he explained.
“Of course, there are other sources to find common sense, how to act respectfully with one’s fellow, be sensitive to hurt and ethical living. The original source of moral understanding has always been the Torah. Every good, moral path emanated from Sinai. Prior to the Torah’s prescription for moral living, child sacrifice was the norm; so, too, incest, cruel slavery and so on.... That all changed, over time, when civilized nations adopted the Jewish God’s moral ideas.
“The absence of Jewish values, as we see in the extreme, are Sodom and Gomorrah, the flood in Noach’s time and, in modernity, some of the worst corrupt nations in history. The absence of Jewish values with Jews, in the micro, results in the diminishing of the Jewish people, with intermarriage.
“As per ethics, while other, modern books outline the recipes for good behavior, only one book – the Source book – reinforces the eternal, unchanging, timelessness of God’s instruction,” he concluded. “As I say in my book, particularly the last parashah, we can use reason for all kinds of behavior, but we can also reason ourselves out of things just as well. Reason alone isn’t reason. God’s ethical code has stood the test of 3.5 millennia. It’s important for Jews to know their own Source book. It brings Jews closer to their identity, God and good ethical living. If I can make the Source easier to understand, make it accessible and make it applicable to our everyday interactions, I’ve succeeded as a writer. (I’ve succeeded more if I’ve made an impact and inspired someone to employ habits of good, ethical living.)”
Gordon is donating all the proceeds from Sefer Bracha Tikvah to the National Conference of Synagogue Youth Canada.
“NCSY has had a tremendous impact on thousands of Jewish youth, bringing Judaism into their lives and enriching their identity. Independent studies confirm that NCSY has given young Jews a much closer connection to their Judaism that lasts a lifetime,” he explained.
“When I was a teenager, I spent a short time attending NCSY events and, later, in my 20s, I volunteered to be a madrich [counselor] on a few Shabbatons. Many friends of mine are still involved,” he added. “I see that they’re an organization doing everything possible to ensure young Jews have the tools they need to ensure their grandchildren marry Jewish. It seemed just fitting to donate all of the money to NCSY.”
Sefer Bracha Tikvah can be ordered online at davegordonwrites.com. The “sister parashah book,” should be out by Rosh Hashanah 2011, “in time enough for people to start the book with the fresh Torah cycle,” said Gordon, who added that he is discovering new lessons from the parashot on this second round of reading with the intent to teach the material.
“I’m excited when I see new things, and equally excited to be able to share them,” he said. “The new book asks questions such as ‘What does honor your father and mother really mean?’ ‘Why does the moon play such an integral role in the Hebrew calendar?’ ‘How can we make prayer more significant for us and relevant?’ [and] ‘Why is the only thing Adam is really known for is eating Eve’s apple, and nothing else, in his 930 years of life?’”
At the same time that Gordon is working on what likely will be called Sefer Hadassah Mazal, he is also nearing completion of “what is tentatively called Graduated Values, a series of about 60 essays on life lessons, a book designed to be a gift for high school and college graduates,” according to his website. He has many other writing projects in the works and visitors to davegordonwrites.com can view Gordon’s recent articles on a wide range of topics, from religion to politics and pop culture.
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