Ekev - Rabbi Mark Diamond

The Company of Colleagues

Rabbi Mark S. Diamond
Executive Vice President
The Board of Rabbis of Southern California

Torah Portion: Ekev ("In consequence of…"), Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Haftarah Portion: Isaiah 49:14-51:3

Therefore impress these My words upon your very heart: bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, and teach them to your children---reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; and inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates---to the end that you and all your children may endure, in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to assign to them, as long as there is a heaven over the earth. (Deut. 11:18-21)

These verses impress upon us the mitzvah of talmud Torah---Torah study as a lifelong endeavor. It resonates with special meaning for me this week, when the Board of Rabbis hosted its annual High Holy Days Seminar at Stephen S. Wise Temple. 120 rabbis gathered together for a day of Torah learning and sharing as they prepare homiletic materials for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Colleagues were treated to two outstanding keynote presentations by Rabbi Stephen Pearce, Senior Rabbi of The Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, a choice of six workshops taught by Board of Rabbis members and guest rabbis, and an update on Israel's political and strategic challenges by Consul General Jacob Dayan.

In my remarks, I commented on a troubling Talmudic passage that reinforces the centrality of Torah study and also the importance of rabbinic fellowship and collegiality: "Rabbi Assi said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: Everyone is required to contribute to the repair of the town walls, including orphans, but not rabbis, because rabbis do not require shemira (guarding, watching, protection)." Talmud Baba Batra 8a

In my analysis of this rabbinic halakha (law), I told the assembled rabbis, "We could probably spend several hours unpacking the nuances and implications of this passage, from humorous interpretations to the deeply troubling abuse of this notion by Israeli rabbis and rabbinical students who opt out of service in the Israel Defense Forces (arguing that their Torah study protects Israel and they need not participate in their nation's compulsory military service). For now, I share two brief reflections.

"First, we should feel very well guarded today at Stephen S. Wise Temple. For this seminar is the largest annual gathering of rabbis and rabbis-in-training in California. There are great Torah teachers and there is great Torah learning in this synagogue everyday, and especially today. Now I'm not suggesting that my friend Rabbi Eli Herscher dismiss his security staff or tear down the Temple's security walls. However, if talmiday hahamim (Torah scholars) and talmud Torah are key ingredients of our community's survival and defense, then we are well defended today, tomorrow and for years to come.

"Secondly, I do not completely agree with Rabbi Yohanan that rabbis have no need of shemira (guarding, watching, protection). The rabbinate has its own unique problems and frustrations. Rabbis need and deserve hizuk (support), nehama (comfort), menuha (rest) and shemira. As rabbis, we need to watch, guard and protect ourselves, our colleagues and our profession. Throughout my career, I have always found that the company of colleagues is a rich wellspring of wisdom, insight, comfort and support in a profession that is often lonely and always challenging. This is what it means to part of our Board of Rabbis."

Scholarship and fellowship are essential components of a successful and meaningful career in the rabbinate. This prescription is vital for our community as well. Jewish learning is not the exclusive purview of scholars and rabbis. The message of this week's Torah reading is the mandate all of us share to learn Torah, teach Torah and embrace the fellowship of Torah in our lives. Setting aside fixed times for Torah will enrich your life and your work. It is good medicine for the heart, soul and mind.