Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash
Parashat BeHar “On the Mountain”
By Rabbi Loren Berman, Jewish Life Specialist
I recently hiked ‘Angels Landing’ in Zion National Park, named as such because the Methodist minister in 1916 said it was so high that only an angel could land there. But in our tradition, the angels (so to speak) are not only in the lofty heights, but down in the day-to-day details as well.
The parashah introduces the many laws of the Sabbatical Year (Shemitah) with “God spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying…”, which leaves our sages wondering, ‘Why specify that these laws were spoken at Mount Sinai? Weren’t they all?’ They answer that, “All of the rules and details of shemitah came from Sinai, and that is also true for all other mitzvot. All their rules and details came from Sinai too.” In other words, like a piece of art or literature, revelation didn’t just focus on higher level mitzvot or ideas, but rather ensured details were included in equal standing as well. Our tradition teaches we can find spirituality and meaning in the nitty-gritty details, too! (Did you know we even have laws for clipping toenails and which shoes to put on first?! Gross and smelly, maybe, but still!)
For those among us who connect more to the main principles and ideas of Judaism, and maybe a little less to each detail, this may be tough to absorb. But perhaps some reflection might help us connect more:
1. Where in your professional or personal life do you pay attention to details? How does attention to detail serve you well?
2. Where do you wish you paid more attention to details? Why? How would more attention to detail change things for you?
3. Where in your Jewish life do you love the details, and where might you challenge yourself to be a bit more detail-oriented? How might a focus on details actually enhance your experience of Jewish learning or ritual?
