Kol Nidre 2000 - 5761
Congregation Betenu, Amherst, NH
The positive comments to my Kol Nidre Sermon, "Mad River Glen - Judaism: Ski it if You Can - Be it if you can" was so overwhelming, that I am presenting it below.
We are taught to get along with other people with whom we share the world and to spend our lives making the world a better place. For this we have been shunned, hated and exterminated -- and yet, we are here today. Obviously, we must believe that it is worth it.
The totality of the Jewish experience came into focus as I skied at Mad River Glen last January. For those of you who don't know Mad River Glen, a brief description is in order. Mad River Glen was built in the 1940s as a counter-culture ski area to the commercialization and glitz of the burgeoning post-World War II skiing industry. Mad River has always had a small, but dedicated following. The trails are difficult. The snow is natural. The grooming is minimal. The amenities are spartan.
Their advertising slogan is: "Mad River Glen, Ski it if you Can!" In addition to the hard core Mad River Skiers, Mad River's reputation draws many wanabes who want to know if they can successfully negotiate the black diamond runs that any other area would call super-expert runs or in the parlance of skiing: double or triple blacks!
The truth is, that despite all the hype, Mad River has an area within their area which they refer to as the "beginner area". It is called Birdland. All the trails in Birdland are labeled as novice runs. However, there are many viable ski areas that would rate some of the Birdland runs as expert and most of the Birdland runs would be rated as intermediate.
However, many intermediate skiers, don't want to be fettered by their own abilities. It is much easier to go to another mountain that allows the intermediate skier complete access to the views of the mountain and even the ability to do a low end expert run if snow and weather conditions are right.
Okay: What does all this skiing-talk have to do with Judaism? We, in our lives have mountains to climb. We Jews are told to participate in "tikun olam", the repairing or fixing of the world. We Jews give our lives their ultimate meaning thru our good deeds, our children, our communities, and by leaving this world with the realization: the world is a better place because I was here. The path of life is different for each of us. There are many ways to enjoy life so here is the first parallel with Mad River. There are many paths up and down the mountain. Some are easy. Some are hard. Some are prettier than others, but there are many paths up and down the mountain.
Other non-Jewish religious traditions say, we do not have to go up to God. And they bring God down to earth, in some cases -- in human form. All of a sudden it becomes easy to say, I do not have to ascend this mountain. The peak will come down to me. It is no small wonder that we Jews have remained a small core while other religions have memberships that have grown to be 100 times or more our size. It is tough to be a Jew. It always has been; it always will be.
Since the mountain will not come down to us, the Jew must carefully learn what it takes to get to the top of the mountain. The formula is potentially simple: Make a reasonable set of goals based on God's commandments (also known as Mitsvot) and then try to attain them. The book of the Mishnah known as "Ethics of the Fathers" says: "lo a-le-cha ha-me-la-cha lig-mor ve-lo a-ta ben cho-rin le-hi-ba-teil mi-me-na. It is not your obligation to complete the goals of a lifetime, but just because you can't, do not refrain from starting." Sometimes we set our goals too high and instead of being satisfied with Birdland, that lesser peak, we wind up frustrated and disappointed. Some choose to abandon Mad River for lesser places, which cater to what they already have, rather than what they should become.
Sometimes it's nice to just view what it is like to see what it means to have "made it". For some, it is sitting in front of the TV watching the Olympics. At Mad River, several very exciting expert runs terminate at the top of Birdland! So at Mad River, one can both watch and participate, which brings me to my second point:
Help is available, through the schools, whether we are talking skiing,
life in general or Judaism in particular. There is a category of skier whom
we refer to as a "terminal intermediate". This is that individual who has
some mild appreciation of the sport, will continue to ski occasionally, but
will never do what it takes to make the break-through to become an advanced
skier. Many Jews become spiritually speaking, "terminal intermediates".
They know that Judaism is good and that they want to participate at some
minimal level. But they are not willing to take the steps, which are
available through most rabbis and most synagogues to reach beyond Birdland
and move to the Summit of Stark Mountain, that tallest peak within the Mad
River complex.
---
So I reached the peak of Stark Mountain. At most places, that means walking
on a flat surface to a trail head. Not at Mad River. Getting to any trail
requires climbing up another 10 to 20 vertical feet, depending on the run. I
climbed through the woods to a trail called Paradise. The beauty was
awesome, but Paradise is not an easy gift. The descent was steep over rocks,
stumps, huge moguls and frozen waterfalls. The message was, Paradise is not
a gift without challenges, which brings me to my third and final point: To
enjoy Paradise, whether the trail at Mad River or the perfect place of the
mythical o-lam ha-ba, the world to come, requires careful preparation, work,
skill and commitment.
If you are ready to break out from the world of average, whether a skier or a Jew, whether at Mad River Glen or the synagogue: aspire to the peaks. Don't expect to receive something for nothing. The gift you will receive will be the ability to handle whatever life or death throws in your path.
Mi ya-a-leh be-har A-do-nai u-mi ya-kum bim-kom kod-sho? Who will ascend the mountain of God and who will stand in God's holy place? The one whose hands are clean and has a pure heart.
One of the great difficulties of passing Judaism to the next generation is that it is complicated. It begins with a God we can't see; a culture that we must experience to appreciate; a history that spans thousands of years; a set of customs that include learning another language and much more.
There are many easier paths in life than Judaism. But we are here today. Either we are all crazy or we must believe that it is worth it.
If what I said here today inspires one person to move beyond the stage of "terminal intermediate" as a skier, that is all well and good. God gave us a body as the physical container for our spirit. In that capacity, part of our obligation as Jews is to nurture and care for our bodies.
However, if what I said here today inspires one person to move beyond the stage of being a "terminal intermediate" as a Jew; if what I said leads someone to a transition into a path of spiritual discovery which results in a higher spiritual existence; if you can add one more mitzvah to your life; that is the real purpose of my rabbinate, Congregation Betenu and my message to you, today.
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