And God said: Let there be light. And there was light; and God saw that the light was good, and God divided between the light and the darkness. Genesis 1.3-4
Once again this morning we commenced the reading of the five books of Moses, and heard described in language of matchless simplicity and beauty how order first emerged from chaos. We have heard how formless matter was shaped by God's spirit into the world as we know it today, with all its wonders; how darkness melted before the warm sun, and desolation gave way to fruitful soil. We have heard how the world was created by God, and in his good time reached maturity.
Today you became a bar mitzvah and read to us part of the book which means in the beginning. A fortunate happening, I feel, for today you are making a great beginning, you are bar mitzvah a child no longer, but a young man, ready to take on the responsibilities which Judaism has placed upon you this day. After a long period of careful and loving tuition and guidance from your parents and teachers, you are now able, we believe, to distinguish between the right and the wrong way; you know that you must cling to the principles which Judaism teaches you of love for God and all men, and of adherence to the Torah, which stands at the heart of our religion.
We read that one of the first of God's creative acts was a division between light and darkness. From the very beginning of the world, a distinction was made once and for all between light and darkness, and this division exists not only in the physical world which we can see and touch, but in the world of the spirit, in the way we behave to our fellow men. You and I spent our childhood in a terrible war brought about only by greed and hatred; because certain men chose the way of darkness and evil, instead of following those principles of helpfulness and love towards our neighbors proclaimed by our Jewish teachers thousands of years ago.
You have reached an age when you can decide for yourself to follow the path to which Judaism directs you; the path of love for man, and obedience to God. And you must decide for yourself which you will choose, for Judaism teaches that we ourselves may freely choose to mould our lives as we wish. God sets before us the alternatives, either of setting him and his laws always before us, or of living our lives without heeding him and the requirements of our religion. Nevertheless, he has clearly declared to us that he wants us to choose the good way of obedience and love for him, which leads in turn to our own prosperity and happiness.
The Midrash, the collection of the teachings of the Rabbis, contains a story which may illustrate my point. They tell of a man who built two paths. The beginning of one of them seemed easy enough, but later it became stony and obstructed with briars, giving great trouble to anyone unfortunate enough to walk along it. The other had a more concealed entrance, but later became more smooth and pleasant. The rash and hasty chose the first path and later met with stones and briars; but the clear-sighted chose to walk along the second path, knowing that although it might be difficult at first, it was the right path to take. In all your dealings in life you must choose the second path, the path of uprightness, although it may be difficult at times.
Perhaps to you all this may seem a difficult task; but let me recall to you God's words to Joshua when he laid upon him the responsibility of taking our forefathers into the promised land: "be strong and of good courage" -- for you will not be alone in the difficulties you may have to face as you grow older. You were born into a community, small, but humane and kindly, whose hospitality and friendship -- as I have found myself -- would be hard to match anywhere else. You may be assured of their earnest hopes and prayers for your future success and happiness, and willingness to help you in any way possible. You have regularly attended this house of God, and I trust you will continue to come here, to find spiritual refreshment and comfort in our service. In this you may look for inspiration to your parents. They have been your guide and help to this day and will be so for many years to come. Your father, blessed with the gift of music, has not spared to use it for the beautification of our services. I was interested to learn that you also possess this gift in a different form, and I would express the hope that you too will use it here, as occasion arises, to enhance the beauty and solemnity of our synagogue service.
I hope too that besides participating in our services, you will take the opportunities which will be offered to you of increasing your knowledge of Hebrew and Judaism in general; for as Jews, we always think of prayer and study together. The study of our religion should not finish at bar mitzvah any more than prayer does. It is the constant study which we Jews have always devoted to our religion that has made us realise its worth, and has enabled us to preserve it to this day, in spite of all the persecutions we have undergone.
Finally, may I express the wish that you be prosperous wherever you go.
The author of this page is:
Alan D. Corré