The power within

Every year, when we arrive at this portion, both in the regular Torah cycle and during its reading weeks later during Yom Kippur, I revel in the words of one particular paragraph:

“Surely, this instruction which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in
the heavens, that you should say, ‘Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say ‘Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?’ No, the thing is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to observe it.” (Deut. 30:11-14)

Every time I read these words, I am enwrapped in the beauty of the text and perfect encapsulation that precede the final words and teachings of Moses found in the next chapter of Deuteronomy.

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We now sense that Moses is leaving his very heart and soul with his people. While these words refer to the mitzvot, and Torah itself, the lesson here is simple — that in a moment of doubt, one has to trust one’s own intuition to know that the answer lies close within. This is an understanding that we all search for at times in our lives.

I believe that Moses also knew that the people would soon reminisce about the key moments they had with him, and the words of the Torah reflect this here. They will glorify that he climbed nearly to the heavens to obtain the Torah at Sinai, and also that he led them to the other side of
the sea. In Midrash Devarim Rabbah, the rabbis also are aware of Moses’ legacy and note that there will not be another Moses, and the people should not look far and wide for his replacement. There are times when they will have to answer their own call.

I connect with these words every time I read them because there is a timeless wisdom within them. As a student of the practice of Mussar, the practice of mindfulness on Jewish values, I find the definition of Mussar by Rabbi Elya Lopian (1876-1970) to fall in line with the idea that the Torah teaches in this portion. Lopian defined Mussar as “teaching the heart what the mind already understands.”

Sometimes in life, we know we need to do something — to move in a certain direction or take a difficult step — but it takes that extra moment for our heart and soul to be in line with our mind and mental state. Likewise, at the end of “The Wizard of Oz,” Glinda tells Dorothy: “You always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself.” May you all go forward into this new year with moments of such enlightenment. L’shana tova. PJC

Cantor David Reinwald is the cantor at Temple Sinai. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.