 WHY ARE WE HERE? Rabbis speak of our work as sacred. That work ranges from putting up a sukkah (a direct mitzvah, for sure), to serving bagels, playing ball, scotch tasting and much more.
It is ALL sacred? Why? Because we are sustaining our synagogues, and we are involving Jewish men in Jewish life.
Consider the bagels. Hospitality and serving food go back in our tradition to the very dawn of our beginnings. Abraham and the three strange visitors, Rebecca and the well, all the rules of feeding the priests - all of these relate to sustaining ourselves and others, and in so doing, acknowledging that sustenance ultimately derives from God's providence. We may not say motzi over a bagel, but we have the opportunity to do so. Bensching and motzi - over the acts of eating - are among the most fundamental prayers and berakhot that we can say. So, sharing a shmear with our chaverim, and spending time in the synagogue, or in a place related to the synagogue, is surely a way of living a Jewish life.
Playing ball? The body is sacred. Keeping it healthy is a sacred responsibility, for if one reads Torah literally, it is understood that the neshamah and our physical existence are gifts from God. We must treasure them. Play and recreation are essential elements of a healthy life. And at the risk of being politically incorrect, I believe that a pure yeshiva bucher who never exercises his body, that man is not honoring the entire gift which God provided. In the old days, when our forefathers worked in the fields, perhaps it was almost impossible to be trapped inside the yeshiva all day long. Now, men need recreation to keep healthy. So, play ball, run, walk, fish, jog, bike, whatever. And - when we "play ball", working with others - if this is a Jewish league, organized under the Men's Club or synagogue, it becomes part of Hinei Ma Tov u'Manayim...How Pleasant It Is To Dwell Together in Unity.
Scotch tasting. How can this be considered sacred? Simple. Why do we say a blessing over the fruit of the vine? Why is this a central part of our ritual, every Shabbat, every yom tov? Why has Christianity taken this concept for its mass (the wafer and wine, as the body and blood of their messiah)? Because man cannot live on bread alone. Or on water for that matter. I submit that all societies, and certainly Judaism, recognized that alcohol had the property to influence its user, and therefore was a special object. In our case, we elevated it and created rules - 1 cup for this, 4 cups during Pesah - uncounted cups during Purim or Simhat Torah. In a sense, Judaism was the first religion to regulate this substance. No more worship of multiple Gods at the drop of a hat, no more fertilization rituals involving the goddess Astarte, no more wine everywhere, all the time. Now, Judaism comes along and says you must thank the one and only God, recognizing alcohol as a sacred object. And, remember that grapes were (are) abundant in the land of the patriarchs. So, we developed a tradition around wine. Now, Manischewitz may not be your cup of tea, but for many men, Scotch has a special place. And using Scotch to bring men into services, to bring men to the synagogue, or into the sukkah...why not? Whoever said that the synagogue must be a dull place. We are commanded to celebrate, to sing, and to (sometimes) dance. It seems to me that scotch tasting, so long as it is done in moderation, and in accord with the "kashrut of scotch" (yes, there are considerations of kashrut), is a wonderful way to involve Jewish men in Jewish life. And therefore, just as wine, it can be sacred. Just remember to say the right blessing (not borei pri hagafen!).
And let me give you one practical example of this. I belong to the International Kiddush Club, or IKC. It is a kind of not-so-secret society within FJMC. With my annual membership (costs $36, you know, two chai for everybody who does not belong), I get a nice kiddush shot glass, access to some wonderful Jewish humor,and the good feeling of breaking bread (or drinks) with some really interesting people (ask me in private who belongs to this group). And on a serious note, what does my $36 go for? It is used to buy tefillin for poor Masorti Jewish kids in South America and elsewhere. Talk about doing a mitzvah! You too can belong to IKC. Spread the mitzvah of tefillin and glassfillin all in one shot. And don't forget to say L'Chayim. To Life! (And think of Moshe Rabbeinu, and his last injunction...is this not a sacred responsibility?)
The point I am making is this. All of these activities, under the umbrella of a Jewish group of men, become sacred. They draw guys into the synagogue, into Jewish life, into doing mitzvot, into realizing that being Jewish can be a central part of their life. Ultimately, it is all about happiness. The final paragraph of the Shema includes the following statement:
Ashrei ish sheyishma l'mitzvotecha v'toratcha, oodvarcha yasim al libo.
Happy is the man who obeys (listens to) Your mitzvot, who takes to heart the words of Your Torah.
So, go out and play ball, bring some scotch into the sukkah, gather to kibbitz over bagels. It is all good and it all builds Jewish life and Jewish men. And don't forget that you too can be a member of IKC. To apply, just hit the reply button and enter a secret code in the Subject line:
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