Most of us find the High Holiday period to be resolution inspiring and my friend Jack* is no exception. When we call congregants up for an aliya in our synagogue, we ask them to make a commitment to increase in a specific area of mitzvah observance. One person might choose to put on tefillin for a week, another to come to synagogue two Shabbats out of each month. The most important aspect of any resolution is making sure it’s sustainable.
On Yom Kippur Jack made a resolution to keep Shabbat, in its entirety, once a month. When I heard that, I was taken aback and sat down with him to make sure he understood what his commitment entailed.
“You cannot use your cell phone, or even carry it with you, on Shabbat,” I explained.
“Really?” he responded, “That’s difficult, but I’ll do it.”
“You know you can’t watch a movie on Friday night, right?” I checked.
“What?” he exclaimed, but committed to do it nonetheless.
“And no driving, or taking a taxi, to synagogue. You have to walk.” I confirmed.
“Oh man!” he sighed. But still insisted on following through with his resolution.
His first Shabbat was rough. He walked 50 minutes to our synagogue with nothing but the brand new suit he was wearing in honor of the occasion. He even showed me his empty pockets. In 2012, when we go nowhere without at least one cell phone or other electronic device, this is a challenge in and of its self. After services Jack came to my house for lunch and when he returned home after another 50 minute walk his family was not there. He had made up to meet them there and was concerned. He eyed the cell phone lying on the table. He was certainly tempted to call and check up on his wife and children. He was worried! What if something had happened to them, G-d forbid? How would he know? He inched closer to the phone, but reminded himself of his resolution. He struggled, but he fought the urge and decided to lie down for a nap. When he woke up, he was still home alone, and began walking the 50 minutes back to synagogue for the afternoon prayers. Of course, as soon as the clock struck 7:10pm – the time Shabbat ended that week – he ran to call his family. Whew, he made it through his first Shabbat intact!
This week we read the first Torah portion, Bereishit, where Adam and Eve sin with the Tree of Knowledge. When we look closely at the circumstances of the sin, it becomes all the more confusing. Adam and Eve were given the instruction to stay away from the Tree of Knowledge late Friday afternoon, and they only needed to stay away from it until the onset of Shabbat: a total of three hours!
Moreover, they were in the Garden of Eden, of all places! Surrounded by ripe, fragrant fruit of all colors and flavors – and the world was entirely new, they had yet to taste anything! So why, oh why, were they so compelled to taste from the one forbidden tree?
It’s also important to remember that Adam and Eve were not just “anybody.” They were the first two humans ever created, formed and fashioned by G-d Himself! Surely such holy people could have waited a few hours and eaten other fruit first.
But the reality is that we are all created with a good inclination and an evil inclination, and both powers have equal pull over us. So as easily as Adam could have overcome the temptation, he had an equally powerful pull to sin.
We, too, feel an intense pull between good and evil, right and wrong. But we can tackle our temptations and strive to overcome them. The most important tool at our disposal is the knowledge that “The mind rules the heart.” Our responses and actions are often fueled by emotion, but we can learn to use our minds to temper our behavior.
As strong as the temptation for sinning is, we do have the power to override that temptation. This is what Jack did. He allowed his mind to take control of his heart. As much as he wanted to reach for that cell phone and call his wife, he pulled his hand back in time. He fought with himself, and he won. And that’s what we need to do. Start with the small things and build your way up – it’s rough at first but with practice (and success) it will become second nature.
*Names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals