11 June 2011 | 9 Sivan 5771 | Numbers 8:1-12:16

BEING OF SERVICE IS REALLY A SERVICE OF BEING | Part of the AA program (not our AA, the “other” AA) includes the actions being of service to others.  It is really a remarkable tenent of the program which is a core step in a plan of recovery.  Being of service to others, however, is counter intuitive.  One might think that when struggling with the disease of addiction, a person should focus on themselves and their own recovery rather than on other people’s problems.  However, that is not the way the program works.  Being of service to others is part of a spiritual journey and that journey leads to wholeness of spirit and body for the individual who puts themselves second and reaches out to help somebody else. And amazingly, it works, it really does.

As a rabbi, spiritual journeys are important to me and I am blessed to be witness to so many people’s spiritual and religious paths. I found myself an onlooker for such a journey this morning after our daily minyan.  As always, the morning daveners joined together after the service for coffee in the Cohen Pavilion. Rabbi Gold turned to Barbara, the coordinator for our Tuesday morning women’s prayer group and informed her of his upcoming absence from the Minyan next Tuesday. He asked if she could make phone calls Monday night to the Tuesday morning regulars and those listed as observers of a Yahrzeit.  Barbara accepted this opportunity by saying “yes” to Rabbi Gold’s petition for help. With this single three letter word, Barbara began a spiritual journey. Both Rabbi Gold and Barbara might not have experienced the exchange as spiritual but the Big Book considers it a spiritual journey. And by Big Book I am of course referring to the Torah.  

This week we begin our Torah reading with a command from God to Moses specifically for Aaron. The Torah states:

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him, “When you mount the lamps, let the seven lamps give light as the front of the lampstand.” Aaron did so; he mounted the lamps at the front of the lampstand, as the Lord had commanded Moses. (Numbers 8:1-3)

There are several questions that stem from this seemingly simply exchange. The Torah has recorded several instances where God spoke with Aaron. Why doesn’t God just tell Aaron himself? Additionally, why does the Torah record Aaron’s actions in response to the command. This seems superfluous since Aaron simply followed the commandment as he was told.  A simple, “and Aaron did it” would have been sufficient. In the book, the Esh Kodesh, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira (1889–1943), explains the words of Rashi on this verse as exalting and praising Aaron. By repeating Aaron’s actions, although simply a repetition of the command given to him by Moses, Aaron actually receives the merit as if he had been ordered by God personally. This is the power of service. Although it might seem that Aaron was simply doing what his younger brother Moses asked of him, in truth, Aaron was on his own spiritual Journey with God.  A journey helped along by Moses.  

So Tuesday morning, as I was sipping my coffee, I was lucky enough to witness the first steps in a spiritual journey. It seemed like a simply exchange, as request to help out by making a few phone calls and be of service. But in truth, Barbara was tasked with a holy obligation. We can only pray that those people receiving phone calls from Barbara on Monday night will be able to see the light from the menorah she is kindling.  

Shabbat Shalom.