Shabbat
Shalom. My Bar Mitzvah torah portion is
Lech Lecha. The readings which I just recited are found in Chapter 16 of
Genesis. Though we would like to think of Abraham and Sarah, the first
Jews, as being perfect in every way, this portion teaches us that is most
certainly not the case. They were humans just like you and me, capable of doing
good and bad and making the right choices.
In Chapter
16, Sarah, heartbroken by her inability to have a child, offers Abraham her
maidservant, Hagar, as a concubine by which he would have an heir. Lo and
Behold, Hagar is impregnated, and Sarah now has a huge problem on her hands.
No, not finding out who the baby daddy is, but rather the fact that her former
maidservant is now her equal. Overcome with jealousy and spite, Sarah begins a
campaign of abuse towards Hagar.
Tormenting her endlessly, Sarah pushes Hagar over the edge and eventually she
is forced to run away.
In the
desert, an angel confronts Hagar and tells her that she must return to Sarah
because her son is destined for
greatness. The Rabbis pose the question: Why would an angel of god tell Hagar
that she must not only stop running away from Sarah, but return to her for what
they acknowledge will be even more brutal treatment?
This just
may be one of the first cases of bullying in recorded history. Judaism teaches
us that bullying is a cancer that must be crushed, lest it continue and grow
more intense. In the next parsha, Vayera, Sarah takes her hatred of Hagar to
the next level by expelling her and her son, Ishmael, into the wilderness. If
bullying is not stopped at the source, the seed, a truly evil tree will grow in
the ground instead of the Tree of Life.
These same
values hold fast in today's society as well. Throughout my life, I have tried
to step up to the plate and make sure that bullying has been batted far out of
the park. In first grade, I stood up and was the sole defender of a student who
was being picked on. The values impressed upon me by my parents are nothing
unique to my family. The best gift a person can give is friendship to another. Whether it's between adults or children, there
is bullying all across the world, It's our job as good people to ensure that we
do not find ourselves acting like Sarah and insulting, teasing, humiliating,
tormenting, or torturing others no matter who they are or what they look like
or believe in, because we all seek the same things in life. Whether its hitting
a home run or running a touchdown, or just doing well in school, we all have
the same goals in life and should not make it our business
to impede anyone
else's attempts at achieving those goals.
So tonight,
when the party starts, I hope you will
talk to strangers, make some new friends, and even try your hand on the dance
floor. Just have a great time!
My Mitzvah
Project, "Books and Baseball," has had a profound effect on me, and I
hope, an even more profound effect on the Islanders of Anguilla. I, as many of
you may know, have been vacationing to the Island of Anguilla in the Caribbean
since I was an infant, and I have loved the time I spent there. When I found
out about the wonderful opportunity to give back, I was enthralled. The over
400 books that I donated to an elementary school library there will serve as
educational tools, teaching the students not only to read, but educating them
about the greatest gift a man can give. The second aspect of my project
actually allowed the children to make friendship and come closer as a
community. I donated five bats, nine gloves, and dozens of baseballs to a
little league on the Island. In playing these games, the children have the
chance to make meaningful and lasting friendships.
No comments:
Post a Comment