Weekly D'Var Torah

Parashat Shoftim

by David Aston

Parashat ShoftimA few years ago, a nearby congregation asked me to sound the shofar for them on Rosh Hashanah. Being Baal Tokeiah is a responsibility that I take very seriously. The sounds must be made correctly and in the proper order. That is the duty of the one who sounds the shofar! On this occasion my precision was not flawless. While I concentrated diligently on how to sound correctly, I made one sound out of order. Despite years of study and practice and experience, I had offered a “sacrifice” with a “serious flaw!” I knew well the verse from this week's parshah that commands us, “You shall not sacrifice to Adonai your God an ox or a sheep that has any serious defect.” (Deuteronomy 17: 1) I had offered to God a flawed sacrifice. I was devastated.

Of course God demands us to give our best, but Adonai created us human! What if one of our ancestors had brought to the Temple an ox with an invisible flaw? Or the priest who examined the sacrifice missed the flaw and offered it anyway? The sacrifice is unacceptable, but there are means for the offender to make amends. Our sages have discussed in detail the means for correcting such unintentional errors. Torah is not a way to discover our flaws, but a guide to grow and improve. We will never be perfect, but our “sacrifices” - our prayers, our service to the community, our relationships with God and our fellows – can be. That is the ultimate goal of a Torah life. When we fall short of the ideal, Torah offers us a way to correct and improve even the most serious defects.

For months I studied and practiced my sounding of the shofar. I wanted to assure that I never made such an error again!  A year after my blunder I was honored to sound the shofar for a family who could not attend the synagogue service due to illness. I joined the them for their private Rosh Hashanah worship. One of their young daughters recited the blessings before sounding the shofar with flawless precision. What an amazing accomplishment for one so young! I was deeply moved. With a renewed sense of purpose I made the sounds with precision and in the proper order. Afterward the mother said to me, “Your sounding the shofar meant so much to her.”  I was merely the one who “offered the sacrifice” on their behalf. But by offering a sacrifice without serious flaw, I had accomplished what the Torah intended. It was such a  humbling experience.

Do you ever feel that you can't do what God requires? Can't chant the Kiddush properly?  Don't understand the Hebrew? Can't follow the service?  Perhaps you feel like I did – I tried and failed. Let the words of this text challenge you to learn and improve! Check out the Adult Education offerings. Contact the Hazzan or the Rabbi and tell them what you need. Learn Torah. Join the beginner Hebrew class. Attend services or minyan, in person or on line.  Whether in ritual or life, become the best you can be. Most importantly, offer Adonai your God, your very best.