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Planting Seeds…. a Sermon for Rosh Hashanah Morning

The following is my Rosh Hashanah Morning Sermon for 5776

Shana Tov.  Boker Tov.  Good morning and Happy New Year everyone.

Character.  It is the template of a good person.  When we say a someone has character, We mean they are upright; Trustworthy and honest.  When we describe a person of character we see someone who can overcome hurdles, tough situations with grace and discipline.

We admire people for these kinds of qualities. Precisely because not every one can live up to such high standards.

Someone with character is devoted to their family and/ also to their work.  We use it in so many different ways.  When we say someone has character. We are describing someone who can perhaps tough out a difficult situation through discipline, fortitude as they live out their ideals.

Recently, author and New York Times columnist David Brooks latest book, The Road to Character, discusses this in detail.  He presents many stories of American heroines and heroes who possessed the qualities of selfless devotion to their families, work or vocations as examples of character and how we might begin to examine our own lives for these traits.

One of the most interesting aspects of Brook’s book emphasizes the teachings of one of the greatest 20th Century Jewish thinkers and theologians, Rabbi Joseph Soleveitchik.  Rabbi Soleveitchik wrote a very important book in the 1965 called “The Lonely Man of Faith”.

In it and Brooks explains Soloveitchik’s teaching very well.  The noted Orthodox rabbi talks about two archetypes or people – Adam 1 and Adam 2.  Remember the word Adam in Hebrew means human being—(besides being the name of the first human being in the Torah). And Rabbi Solveitchik’s idea is that the two creation stories in Genesis teach very different messages about human nature.

Brooks explains Solveitchik like this:

“Adam I is the career-oriented, ambitious side of our nature…external Adam, resume’ Adam, Adam I wants to build, create, produce and discover things, He wants have high status and win victories.” (p. xii)

While, “Adam II wants to obey a calling to serve the world.”  “Adam II wants to love intimately, to sacrifice self in the service of others, to live in obedience to some transcendent truth, to have a cohesive inner soul that honors creation and one’s own possibilities.”  (p. xii)

“…Adam 1 –the creating, building, and discovering Adam –lives by a straightforward utilitarian logic.  It’s the logic of economics. Input leads to output. Effort leads to reward. Practice makes perfect. Pursue self- interest. Maximize your utility, impress the world”

“Adam 11 lives by an inverse logic,” Brooks writes.  Adam II lives by “…a moral logic, not an economic one. You have to give to receive. You have to surrender to something outside yourself to gain strength within yourself. You have to conquer your desire to get what you crave…. To nurture your Adam II moral core, it is necessary to confront your weaknesses. (Ibid.)”

Oh it’s not very in fashion now.  In our world today having character, being ethical, trustworthy and honest seems old-fashioned.  It doesn’t comport with the outrageous behaviors we see all around us; the often-shocking language, comportment and behaviors of those in the public eye. Of course there is the mean spiritedness of politics and reality television (often one cannot tell the difference between the two); the kind of selfishness of our economic theories that put the corporate fat cats above the communal good.  And don’t forget the increasing income gap in our society between the 1% and the rest of us.  This emphasis on the rights of the commercial corporations over people is an example of the lack of character and the denigration of character ideals in our country.

When Corporations matter more than people then the ideals associated with having character like selfless devotion to the community and to humanity, then we know this is not among society’s values.   When leaders pit one group against another as a way of retaining power- without an outrage then this is a how you know that the ideals of character are not among society’s values.  When all decisions are based on what feels good to me-rather than considering the impact not only on self but also on family, friends and community-then the notion that living a life with character is no longer seen as positive. We live in an Adam I world.

But on Rosh Hashanah we Jews come together to try to restore our character.  Our Jewish responsibilities, our mitzvot, are designed to help each and every adult live a life with dignity and to live a life filled with character.  The mitzvot of our tradition teach us to be honest and trustworthy. Our mitzvot speak to us of caring for our family even when they are annoying: we are taught to honor our parents, not love them.  The mitzvot of our tradition try to shape us into living up to our title- as being created B’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God.  Our tradition, our Judaism (which is Solveitchik’s point) helps us to aspire to live lives like Adam ll.  Rosh Hashanah in particular and these ten Day of Repentance and Yom Kippur remind us to seek out the Adam ll parts of our being. These holy days remind us to aspire to live lives of holiness-Be holy for I Adonai your God am holy.

In society that surrounds us we are subject every day to images and sounds that eat away at our souls.  More cars and hamburgers are sold with an appeal to our base natures.  And for most of us-even those of us responsible for the creative material that is used across media platforms are forced by the powers that be to deal at the level.  Sell more product- buy more just to have more.  All you have to do is feel good.  Now there is nothing wrong with nice things-or feeling good but if this is our main goal and society’s emphasis then we are missing the point of living a life of meaning and a life lived with character. We are missing the meaning of a life filled with holiness.

I contend that this lowering of the human endeavor, this emphasis on corporate greed has translated into making us little better than the animals themselves.  When we human being operate at that level-we lower our standards and add to a world that is desensitized to human pain and suffering, that is desensitized to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable, we ourselves withdraw.  We say I am only going to be concerned with myself and my family.  Selfishly we protect what we have because of course someone else is after it.  And the structure of a society that cares for its own is destroyed.  My friends, we are close if not already at that point.  When we see the body of three year old Syrian boy wash ashore because no one will address the crisis of those fleeing war and turmoil in Syria-we are barely hanging on to the lowest rung of humanity.

Yes there is the occasional outpouring of caring-a hurricane in the Philippines, an earthquake in Nepal or Haiti but it is driven by emotion-not discipline.  And so Haiti is still in deep trouble all these years later-and Nepal? Who is really helping out there still?  Noblese oblige—the nobleman and women who take pity on others to help out occasionally is so different than our notion of tzedakah—of righteous giving.  For tzedakah is a discipline.  Tzedakah is not charity.  It is righteousness.  Tzedakah is not something we do only when we are moved to but a discipline we must engage in each and every day.  Being called to righteousness develops character-rather than pity in those less fortunate than ourselves.  Tzedakah is yes a moral obligation. Not something that gives you just a tax break.

Rosh Hashanah morning and the sounding of the shofar is calling you to say – it is time to rebuild your character. The Shofar is reminding you to live a life as Adam ll. Teshuvah repentance is about recommitting your life to ideals of our Jewish tradition.  Of examining where you strayed- yes where you sinned and renewing your ability to live a life of character.  The High Holy Days is our time as a Jewish community to say we can do this together!

The Shofar this morning is calling you to look toward your God, your Higher Power, to fall in love again with the Divine Spirit of Universe and to cleave to God as the kabbalists would say.   To know before who you stand on this holy day. This is the season that is urging you to take responsibility for nurturing the Adam ll in you.

The sound of the Shofar is calling the Jewish people together to become a force for good in the world.  A force that helps society at large live lives filled with character.  We used to call that Or LaGoyim—to be a light to the nations.  We used to believe that Jews had a mission in this world—to live by ideals of Torah- I am not talking about rituals tallit and tefillin or even kashrut)  I am talking about the mindfulness that Judaism calls us to live by-in how we treat our neighbors, how mindful we are about the widow, the stranger and the orphan in our midst,  the mindfulness to remember that we were slaves in Egypt-and that we can’t, we mustn’t treat others as slaves.   Not our gardeners, nannies or housekeepers or teachers.

Sadly, our society treats us all as slaves-slaves to the corporate bottom line—with only a lucky few who get to have a piece of the pie.

Our Jewish tradition teaches us that this is the season of change.  This is the season when we can affect our community.  This is the season when you can turn toward God and living a life of holiness.  Repentance, Teshuva is just that—sin drives us away from godliness, holiness but teshuvah helps us draw near again.  Rosh Hashanah is Yom Harat Olam, the rebirth of the world.  What will it take for you to be reborn this holy day season-and live your life with character rather than as a character?

The great neurologist, and psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor Frankel wrote in his classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning:

We who lived in concentrations camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.  They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a person but one thing, the last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstance to choose one’s own way.

And there were always choices to make, (he writes).  Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would become a plaything of circumstances, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate or whether you would choose instead to be free.

Today on this day of rebirth, renewal and repentance you can choose as well.  Will you freely choose to change the course from the wrongs of the past year?  The habits that hold you back?  Will you choose dignity, responsibility and living a life of character or will you choose instead to remain the same.  Repentance indicates change.  A change of attitude and action. A commitment to live with ideals and repentance indicates a turning toward living a life of holiness.

The shofar sounds for you to remind you of today’s task.  Dignity. Nobility. A sense of life’s purpose and meaning.  A deep and profound connection to our God and to the Jewish people. The shofar is calling you to be a part of something bigger than yourself. And calling upon you to choose to live a life of meaning.  The Shofar is calling you home-to live out the holy responsibilities of being Jewish. The Shofar is calling you to be a part of your synagogue that stands for these ideals and to support the synagogue—a holy place that reminds us to live lives of Adam ll rather than continue to reinforce the lives of Adam l.

Ask yourself what the Shofar is calling you to do and to become today?

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you.” The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year went by and the CEO asked the young executives to bring their plants to work for inspection.

When Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot, she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He asked Jim to come to the front of the room. Jim was terrified.  He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story.  The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer — Jim!”

Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed. “How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.

Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

“All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

If you plant hard work, you will reap success

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Sometimes the sins, the failures we encounter along life’s path are the holiest of moments when we can turn it around, learn to surrender to living honestly.  Just as Jim seemed to fail, the truth literally set him free.  He lived his life with nobility, dignity and honesty.

This year you can plant within your soul the seeds of character. And you can nurture all year long a life that calls you to live in this way.  And this year we need you to help our synagogue remain healthy and strong by planting seeds for its future. Because if we keep living lives of Adam I,the synagogue and Jewish life will be doomed because Jewish ideals and mitzvoth are based on the life of Adam II.

It’s Rosh Hashanah the time of year where we repent and ask God and our fellow human beings to forgive us from our sins.  It is a time of starting over with a clean slate.

Hear the call of the Shofar to plant within your own soul a commitment to a life of integrity and character.  Indeed you will reap a life of meaning and blessing.

As my gift to you—on your way out today- the ushers will distribute-a packet of sweet basil seeds.  No they are not boiled—but hopefully you will go home and plant them and nurture them and grow luscious sweet basil for your cooking and your home.  The sweet basil I hope will remind you to live a New Year with sweetness and responsibility.  A New Year filled with living a life of character.  Plant goodness, honesty, trust, hope, ethical living and mitzvoth in 5776.  Happy Planting.  Ken Yehi ratzon.

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