Shabbat Forshpeis
A Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat
PARSHAT VA-ETCHANAN
EVEN THE SMALLEST CHANGE CAN MAKE
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE OR
THE CRITICAL LESSONS OF TWO SIMPLE LETTERS
AUGUST 8-9, 2003 / 10 AV 5763
Perhaps the most famous sentence
in the Torah is found in this week's Torah portion - "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Interestingly, the last letter of the Hebrew word for "Hear" - Shema - is written large in the Torah scroll (Ayin), as is the last letter of the Hebrew word for "One" - Ehad (Daled). Different readings of the combination of these two letters (Ayin and Daled) may reveal why the text calls specific attention to them.
The letters Ayin Daled can be read ade which means "to bear witness." In reading the "Hear O Israel" one is in effect testifying that God exists. This is similar to the time that Ya'akov (Jacob) and Esau make a treaty of peace near a mound of stones called gal-ade, literally a mound (gal) of testimony (ade). (Genesis 31:46-48)
Alternatively, the letters Ayin Daled can be read ahd, which means "until." In other words, no matter one's belief in God, it can never be perfect, and fully conceptualized. One can come very close and come until the Lord, but never quite reach God. This is similar to the use of this term in describing repentance - "and you shall return until (ad) the Lord your God," (Deutemomy 30:2) we can return toward God, but no one can ever return fully to God.
Finally, the letter Ayin Daled can be read ode, meaning "still." This is perhaps to accentuate that against all odds, Jews throughout history, in the darkest of times, still declared belief in God. This is similar to the the use of the word ode when Yosef (Joseph) reveals himself to his brothers when he asked, "ha'ode avi hai, is my father still alive?" (Genesis 45:3) In amazement Yosef rhetorically was saying - 'having endured so much, is father still alive?'
These three ideas deserve mention during this Shabbat, the first of the seven weeks leading up to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. After all, the High Holidays are days when we serve as witnesses and proclaim the kingship of God, creator of the world; when we seek to repent while knowing that we will never realize it fully; and when we recognize no matter how far we've strayed, how much we have endured that against all odds, our relationship with God is strong. We believe in God and God believes in us.
One more thought: Maybe the letters are large to teach us that even the smallest of changes could pervert the meaning of the text. For example, if one would read the Shema as having an Aleph as its last letter instead of the Ayin (after all the Aleph and Ayin are both silent letters) the word Shema would mean "perhaps" (sheh-mah). This would change this firm declaration of belief into an _expression of doubt.
And if the Daled would be mistaken for a Reish (after all, there is only a slight difference in the writing of a Daled and Reish) - the word ehad (One) would be read aher (other). This would change the critical Jewish belief in One God into a belief in two gods.
It's been noted that baseball is a game of inches. The difference between hitting a single past the shortstop and hitting into a double play - which of course could translate into being a hero or a goat - is infinitesimal.
Sometimes the smallest thing makes all the difference; in baseball, and le-havdil in Torah and in life itself. As we move towards Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, all of us ought be careful with every word, every gesture and every action. You never know where the smallest changes may take you.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Avi Weiss
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