DRASH – RE-EH

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio OAM

Senior Rabbi Emanuel Synagogue

This Shabbat in our Torah reading we find a list of blessings and curses. The idea of blessings and curses in the Torah has always intrigued me, especially the concept of words having deep and lasting power. I always think about the story of Isaac believing he was giving his son Esau the blessing of the first born, and then discovering he had been deceived and instead had given the blessing to Jacob, his other son. Now in my mind he could just say: “oops wrong son!” And take back the blessing and confer it upon Esau. But Isaac does not do that, he says he is very sorry but he has already given away the blessing and he can’t get it back. Esau, in one of the most sad and tragic moments in the Torah asks plaintively: “but Dad, don’t you have a blessing for me too?” And Isaac gives him one, but it is nowhere near as good as the one he gave to Jacob.

So, what is that about? Why can’t he just take it back. It was not a physical object, it was words, surely, they can be retracted and given again to the correct son? This week’s portion reminds us that words are more than things which are spoken and disappear into the ether. They have consequences and do bring into effect the matters which are uttered. God created the world, according to the Torah, not with gestures and signs but with words. Words are powerful, they create worlds. So, words of blessing or curse, once uttered, cannot be just erased. They do, in the Biblical mind at least, have a deep and lasting impact. Isaac could not take back his words and give them to Esau instead because they had already come into effect. The words of blessing were more than mere utterances, they matter, they change the balance of the world and the relationship between father and son and the future of the people. Kol Nidrei, the prayer which we will recite in too few weeks time, is a legal formula releasing us from vows that we may have made either not intending to keep, such as in the time of the Inquisition, declaring our conversion and practicing Judaism in secret, or vows that we could not keep, or have forgotten to keep. Vows were incredibly serious matters, so much so, that a prayer was added to ensure we would not suffer consequences of our unfulfilled vows.

So, when we recite the blessings and curses this week, they were more than mere words to the people, they brought about change, they had an impact on their lives and their world. Today, I sometimes think we forget the power of words so by way of illustration I want to share with you a little from an interview about Craig Newmark, the founder of Craig’s List.

Craig built a company that was bringing in $690 million in revenue, it made him a billionaire and as is the case with someone successful, everyone wanted to know what his secret was. He said first of all, he did not set out to make money from Craig’s list. It began as a way for him to create community, to let people know about places to gather and ways to link people to each other. It started with his friendship group and soon expanded and more and more people wanted to join and be a part of it. He did not want to name it after himself but he and his friends agreed that he wanted it to be personal and so they suggested he call it Craig’s List. He said he only realised that it was turning into something which could be profitable when he was approached to place banner ads on his site. He thought about it and turned them down and made the decision not to ever advertise and use the space in that way.

The concept expanded and it became a place for people to connect for many different purposes. He incorporated and began charging for some of the content on the site, a small fee to put a job advertisement there for example, but many things remained free. Craigslist became more and more popular, people say because it remained a relatively kind place for people to meet and create community.

There are so many great things about Craig Newmark but what I wanted to share is that he is one of the greatest philanthropists in America. He gives away large portions of his fortune every single year, and has already given away 300 million dollars. He established a foundation from which he helps others and says he hopes to shape the world into a kinder, more ethical place. When he was asked what it was that inspires him to give, why is he such a philanthropist. He responded, it is all because of Rafael and Rachel Levin, who he still refers to as Mr and Mrs Levin. And who are they? His Sunday school teachers. They were holocaust survivors who were teaching in a small town Sunday school, little Craig Newmark, who said it was they who taught him his core values. It was their guidance and love that inspires his giving to this day. When asked to summarise what they taught him he said: Treat people like you want to be treated” Craig added: “They basically set my moral compass. They did set the direction of my life…know when enough is enough.”

So, two Sunday school teachers inspired one of the greatest philanthropists in America today and they probably had no idea. Their words have led to the world being changed and it is because they shared powerful words of Judaism with him. Craig was with his Sunday School teachers when he was 13 and younger, and their lessons are still inspiring him today. I hope that we can all remember that our words do have power and we can bring worlds into being, I pray that they will be worlds filled with blessings and beauty.

Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio OAM