Dear B’nai Shalom members, friends, and families:
With summer upon us, many families begin to view the calendar through the eyes of teachers and students. That is to say, family members who-despite the fact they are obligated by the requirements of their employment to work throughout the summer (as with all other months of the year)-celebrate the summer as a time when one’s existence is far more enhanced by virtue of blue skies, sun shiny days, pleasant weather, and opportunities to be with family.
I can recall, in my days of serving students and families while in the field of education, that teachers anticipated and celebrated the summer with far more excitement than their students could ever imagine or believe. This was encapsulated in a gift I received (among the many, appreciated but typical presents for teachers of pens, pencils, and of course, coffee mugs [usually inscribed with, “World’s Best Teacher” or similar expressions of a gift of stationery that had a large headline at the top of each page reading, “THE BEST THREE THINGS ABOUT TEACHING…” accompanied by the partner statement at the bottom of each page, “JUNE, JULY, and AUGUST!”
As joyful as teachers and others receive and exult in warm summer days, I can recall reminding my students, near the end of the school semester, to “not take a vacation from performing mitzvot (fulfilling the Torah’s commandments) and maasim tovim (acts of goodness and kindness).”
While students were subject to, and within the influence of Jewish stimuli, reminders, teachers, lessons, and the parameters of the Jewish calendar that coincided with the school calendar, it is likely that the students were far more mindful of their Jewish obligations and their Jewish identity. It is likely that students were reminded by ALL their teachers “not to take a vacation” from their Yiddishkeit.
So I offer at this time the identical message for our B’nai Shalom members, families, and friends: Do not to ”take a vacation” from your Yiddishkeit! This is no different from the children (and teachers) who count down the days until their long-anticipated break from school. For those who have long anticipated a joyful, restful, and meaningful vacation or trip during that time, the excitement that comes with this time of celebration lends itself to “losing ourselves” during this special time of the year-and possibly becoming looser with our adherence to performing mitzvoth (commandments) and maasim tovim (good deeds).”
I present this reminder, with all due respect, in order to recall that the mitzvot are on a year round schedule. The expectations and obligations of the Torah apply to us throughout the year and are meant to be part of our lives wherever we are-and at all times throughout the lifecycle of our Jewish people.
Lighting Shabbat candles on time, remaining strict about kashrut (paying close attention to what we eat and those things forbidden to us), davening three times a day, giving tzedakah on a regular basis, visiting and checking on friends and others who are not yet well, wearing tzitzit, putting on tefillin, remaining true to the laws of family purity, reciting brachot (blessings) before and after we eat (and following the use of the washroom) — these all are examples of typical, daily, routine, mitzvot that surround us regularly but from which we could, if we allow it, “take a vacation” during these long and carefree summer days.
The adjective “carefree” is the key. While it is not unusual for us to think of our blissful summer days as “carefree,” that truly is antithetical to Jewish thought. At no time in our lives, nor at any time on the Jewish calendar, may we find ourselves “carefree.” Quite the opposite. We are always expected to remain careful, not carefree. We are to take care of ourselves, our families, our people, our Torah, and all the tenets of a Torah-directed life.
Whether our travels take us to Honolulu, Key Biscayne, San Diego, or Paris, Amsterdam, London, or Eretz Yisrael,-or even a “staycation” at home-we should take great care to continue to fulfill the mitzvot– the laws, traditions, customs, and values of our Torah at all times, wherever we find ourselves.
Be healthy, be safe, travel well, and have a marvelous summertime.
With Torah blessings,
Rabbi Dr. Yaacov Dvorin