May 30, 2014

I’ve chosen the story of Ruth, found in the Ketuvim, which means simply “Writings,” in the third section of the Tanakh, There is nothing simple about these “writings” which are rich with meaning, poetry and lessons about life that are still relevant today.  Ruth is one such story.
As you all know, Ruth uttered the famous words to her mother-in-law, “whither you go, I will go, wherever you lodge, I will lodge, your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”  Obviously, Ruth had a Mother-in-law much like mine.

For I will follow my Mother-in-law anywhere!

 

Seriously, Ruth is an interesting woman.  After losing her husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law, all the men in her family, she chooses to leave her own family and religion behind and follow her Mother-in-law back to Bethlehem.  The choice for her seems forthright.  However, she does not know what lies ahead in her future.  All she does know is the life her Husband’s family has shown to her.  And she chooses this life.  Quite notably, her sister-in-law does not.

 

As a Jew by choice, this story has deep meaning for me.  People always ask me why I chose to convert to Judaism.  There would be no children to bring into my marriage to Dave.  No reason to provide a Jewish home, other than the fact that I longed to live in a Jewish home.  The culture and the religion spoke to me.  So I made a choice in favor of conversion.

 

In life we make thousands of choices.  Some impact us greatly, like our religious beliefs, or where to go to College, what to study, where to live, whom to marry, and how many children to have. Other choices are more mundane like what’s for dinner?

 

Like Ruth, who makes the choice to stay with her Mother-in-law, not knowing if this choice will lead to a life as a widow, sometimes we are faced with making choices not knowing if our choice will have a positive outcome.  That type of choice takes courage.

 

 

I’d like to speak on a third spectrum of choices that we all have in our capacity and sometimes forget.  These are the choices that take courage but also they define us.  I’m referring to the choice to be kind, moral, forgiving, loving and charitable of spirit.   Easy?  No, I don’t think so.

 

 

If someone we love does us harm and we have the opportunity to gain revenge, what do we choose to do?  Do we forgive this person?  Can we offer this person a charitable heart if they needed help?  Can we still love this person?

 

Believe it or not, this choice is completely under our control.  Hard as it may be, the choice to be kind, not always easy, is still a choice.  Our actions in difficult situations speak to the very nature of our soul.   As the French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sarte, so aptly put it, “We are our choices.”

 

Taking the higher ground is often the road less traveled.  In Ruth’s choice to join her Mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, she knows she will be the stranger in this new land and it will be hard to find her place.  Her sister-in-law did not have the courage to make that choice.  Ruth did. Her courage and commitment to both her Mother-in-law and her religion shows us her integrity and her charitable spirit.  Did she do it out of love or longing?  No matter what or why, she forges her destiny by this courageous choice.

 

Another favorite quote of mine found in Dr. Shad Helmstetter’s Book entitled, “Choices,” is “The end result of your life here on earth will always be the sum total of the choices you made while you were here.”

 

I feel as though the choice I made 8 years ago to convert to Judaism has changed my life dramatically.  “Choosing to be Jewish is just not eating lox and bagels” … that is another famous quote from our very own Cantor Sussman.  Choosing Judaism means that you define yourself by living a Jewish life and doing Jewish acts, like attending Torah Study, Shabbat Services, participating in the High Holy days and other days of Jewish observance.  Bringing Judaism into my life has given me a new perspective.  Tikun Olam, being at the very center of Judaism, can act as our guide when we are confused about the choices we make.  As a Jew, you are given many choices to express your faith.  However you choose to define yourself as Jewish, Tikun Olam should be at the foundation of your faith.

 

If we look back at the story of Ruth, her choice to follow her Mother-in-law, not only defines her as a committed and courageous woman, it also leads her to her destiny to marry again, have a son and become the ancestor of King David.

 

So I leave you with this thought.  And another quote from the author Ka – “Life is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.”  So let’s try and make these choices reveal our true beings.  We are Jews, either by birth or by choice.  We can choose to live a Jewish life by becoming involved with our religion in whatever way we feel comfortable.  We can show our neighbors and our community how we choose kindness and forgiveness, how we can show love to all of our neighbors and how we can be courageous in doing so. Let’s take the road less traveled.