So, who is your Friend for the year?

Following in the footsteps of the sage of the Kesher Community in London, Rabbi Rashi Simon who started a global movement of choosing a Torah Commentator for the year to learn and be inspired from, I humbly announce my choice for 5782. I really could not decide on one Teacher to be inspired from. So, I chose 3.

This last year we lost some very influential teachers and thinkers and therefore I want to honour some of them and choose Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Rav Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, and Dr. Meir Tamari as my friends for the year. What they that are had in common was a search for truth, a moral compass, and making Judaism relevant to our lives.

Rabbi Sacks' view is that the Torah created a Revolution in the Moral code of the world. He writes:

“Long ago we called on to show the world that religion and morality go hand in hand. Never was that more needed in an age riven by religiously motivated violence in some countries, rampant secularity in others. To be a Jew is to be dedicated to the proposition that loving God means loving His image, humankind. There is no greater challenge, nor, in the twenty-first century, is there a more urgent one”

Over the few years, I started to learn and write about the Environment, Social Governance (“ESG”) movement that businesses and people are embracing. This is based on the United Nations SDG Goals which is sort of a moral code.

The challenge that I have embarked on is where one can learn about Ethics, Morals, Social Justice in the Parsha and make this relevant to our lives.

So, my practice on (early) Shabbat Morning will be to learn some teachings.

I have 3 books which I have chosen — starting with Rabbi Sacks z’l book — “Essays on Ethics”

Why was Abraham ordered to sacrifice his son? Was Jacob right in stealing the blessings? Why were we commanded to destroy Amalek? What was Moses’ sin in hitting the rock? And how did the Ten Commandments change the Jewish people, and humankind, for good?

Essays on Ethics is the second companion volume to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s celebrated series Covenant & Conversation. Believing the Hebrew Bible to be the ultimate blueprint for Western morality, Rabbi Sacks embarks upon an ethical exploration of the weekly Torah portion, uncovering its message of truth and justice, dignity and compassion, forgiveness and love.

The second book is “Talks on the Parasha” by Rabbi Steinsaltz z’l

Short essays on Parashat hashavua Talks on the Parasha recreates the warm, intimate atmosphere of a personal encounter with Rabbi Steinsaltz. While providing insights that are meaningful for the Jewish collective, it speaks to every individual as well. To Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, the Torah contains within it many worlds. The themes, the language, the myriad ways in which to understand and interpret it all of these are worlds that both exist independently and are connected to one another, inextricably linked from within and from without. What emerges from the totality of the Torah s manifold shades of meaning is that the Torah is essentially the book of the chronicles of man. The Torah addressing, in particular, the Jewish people and the individual helps the reader understand not only what happened in the past and what ought to happen in the future, but also the meaning of his or her own life.

For dessert, I mean the Haftorah I have chosen “Truths Desired by God” by Dr. Meir Tamari.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meir_Tamari

By utilizing the vehicle of the weekly haftarah, familiar to many at least in the abstract, Dr. Meir Tamari is able to introduce the reader to the wider world of the sifrei Nevi im and the valuable lessons contained therein. This volume should serve to familiarize readers with the lives and messages of the prophets, an understanding of Jewish history, and a solid foundation in the important ethical teachings communicated through these oft-overlooked books of Tanach. — Rabbi Steven Weil, Chief Executive Officer, Orthodox Union

Truths Desired by God offers an engaging entry point into the weekly haftarah portion. In so doing, it provides as well an insightful view of the weekly parshah (Torah portion) as well and highlights the variety and richness of the Tanach. This book will serve both the initiate and the newcomer to the yearly haftarah cycle. Meir Tamari s deep knowledge of economics informs this book at numerous points, adding a new and often ignored dimension. — Professor Marshall Breger, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Former Republican lobbyist and adviser

For many years the writings and shiurim of Dr. Meir Tamari have provided inspiration, guidance, and expertise in the halachot of wealth and business. In Truths Desired by God, turning his pen to the weekly and festive haftarah, Dr. Tamari has drawn on his scholarship of diverse sources, his appreciation of history and human nature to teach some valuable and incisive lessons. Each essay is well written and well referenced, augmenting our understanding of the haftarah and its significance. I echo the author s anticipation that his book will encourage us to pay more heed to the prophetic voice; the admonition and encouragement of Israel. The haftarah of Bereishit calls on us to see and heed, to listen and to hear… As Hashem desires for the sake of its righteousness that the Torah be made great and glorious. Truths Desired by God is a valuable contribution to this cause. — Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence, Senior Rabbi, the Great Synagogue, Sydney

All the above descriptions were copied from Amazon. I did not have time to be original. Hopefully, as I learn from these teachings, I will be able to bring original thoughts to make a practical spiritual and physical impact.

It is my prayer that I will merit being inspired by these 3 teachers over the next year.

So, there is one question remaining — Who is your friend for the year?