Mem Moment | Jewish Joy or Rebuke?
Parashat Devarim “[These Are The] Words” /
Shabbat Chazon “Shabbat of Vision”
Do we lead with Jewish joy, or Jewish rebuke? That is the question that has been filling my heart for the past few months. It crystalized for me during the last program on the Mem Global Disney retreat last January. As we were processing the weekend and our experiences of viewing Disney through the lens of Jewish ritual, we noted how refreshing it was to take a break from Jewish life that seemed to be filled with so much heaviness and sadness around antisemitism, October 7th, and war; and focus on Jewish joy instead. It became like an exhaled breath that we didn’t know we all needed.
That very same question comes up again this Shabbat on Parashat Devarim/Shabbat Chazon. Devarim (words) is the first Torah portion in the Book of Deuteronomy. As Moses retells the events that have happened to the Israelites in the Wilderness, there’s a strong sense of rebuke. Essentially, it’s a lesson of ‘here is where you went wrong and here’s how to do better’. Similarly, Shabbat Chazon is the Shabbat right before Tisha B’Av and consists of words of rebuke from the prophet Isaiah. In fact, this Haftarah is known as one of the “three of rebuke” before Tisha B’Av.
Why all this rebuke? Do we have to be reminded of each transgression in order to do better? Are we more successful when we recount every calamity that has befallen the Jewish people, both throughout history and recently? Or have we been through enough pain in the past few years that our internal moral compasses can allow us to reflect and improve without being chastised? For some, shame is indeed a great motivator. For others, there might be more effective ways of learning lessons. Things such as hearing words that encourage and praise instead of blame and deprecation. Or, searching for joy instead of sadness, finding parts of Judaism that make us beam instead of shrink. As this Shabbat encourages us to think about the future and how we can improve, how do you need to learn this lesson?
What kind of motivation inspires you to do better?
What do you need during this season to be your best self?
What would it feel like to commit to doing three things that bring you Jewish joy in the upcoming weeks?