Where On the Mountain Are You?

The purpose of this blog is to reach new elevations at the Shabbat table. Please print and share.
In memory of Dovid ben Eliezer, whose 16th yahrzeit was observed this week.

Dovetailing on last week's missive about Seaside, Florida, if you've been a subscriber to this email long enough, you may have heard this one before.

Ask any rabbi, "What's the most important mitzvah in the Torah?"

What do you expect them to say?

Try this at your table.

The "correct" answer is of course, "Love your neighbor."

Today, in memory of my father (mentioned above in the dedication), I'm going to qualify that answer in two ways.

First (and again, try this at your table): What does "love your neighbor" really mean?

Like, um, what if your neighbor isn't a very nice person?

(I'm trying to use the phrases "like, um" and "I mean" more because I'm hearing it every day coming out of the mouths of many NPR hosts and reporters, so I take it to be a new trend in American English.)

To my father, love your neighbor meant truly wanting what is best for them, and rejoicing in their achievements as if they were his own children.

Here's the second qualification to "love your neighbor"....

I mean, while emulating my father is a huge leap for many people, and someone who achieves it has achieved greatness, it's really the first step to achieving personal greatness.

I compare it to climbing a mountain. Love your neighbor is base camp.

Question for your table: What's at the top of the mountain?

Another lesson from my father: Never speak falsehood - including always doing what you say you're going to do.

A person who cultivates careful speech is very near the top of the mountain.


Shabbat Shalom

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