Today, on this solemn day in your life, you read to us as your haftara [prophetic reading] part of the book of Isaiah. It is not the first time that you have read to us from that prophet, for in accordance with our custom of allowing boys to read haftarot , we have already heard your rendering of another chapter of that book. You are lucky, I feel, to have had the opportunity so early in life to utter the words of one of the greatest prophets and religious thinkers which Israel has produced, and I should like to tell you something of the lesson which may be drawn from what you read to us today.
"This people I have formed for myself that they may declare my praise." Isaiah 43.21 The prophet affirms that Israel has been created for a special purpose, namely to declare God's praise. This you have been doing today, and thereby sharing in what the prophet considered to be the duty and privilege of all Israel. You have declared God's praise in the words of the beautiful barmitzvah prayer which you recited. You have declared God's praise by reading from the sacred scrolls some of the words of God's Torah, his precious gift to mankind. You have declared God's praises by reading too from the book of Isaiah, one of his servants the prophets.
But much more than this is implied by the phrase "that they may declare my praise" used by Isaiah. It is not sufficient to stand and declare God's praises with the mouth. It must be your endeavor to see that all your thoughts and doings are devoted to the Almighty, and they must be such that, in effect, you are prising God through your deeds, as well as through your words. And how can this be achieved? First, there is the rich heritage of Jewish religious observance. All these observances are designed to show how much we depend on God, and how we thank him for his mercies towards us. Let us consider as an example the approaching Passover festival. Our abstinence from unleavened bread on that occasion shows in a practical fashion how we remember the mercy God showed to our ancestors in delivering them from the bondage of Egypt, and how we recognize that God is ever with the persecuted rather than those who persecute. Every detail of the Haggada service [home service on Passover, also known as seder ] has a lesson to teach us, and so indeed have all Jewish precepts. By performing them, we link ourselves with the general object of the Jewish people to set the Lord always before us, and declare his greatness.
Do not think that your observance of the practical side of Judaism will mark you out as being strange, or different from others. You will find that all right-minded people, Jewish or non-Jewish, will understand and respect your observance of Jewish laws, and you will thereby bring credit on yourself, your parents, your people, and your Creator.
Next, there is the need for living an upright and honest life. It is related that our father Abraham was a man who would always do a good turn to another, whoever he might be. The heathens at the time, astonished at the treatment they received, used to declare: "Blessed be the God of Abraham!" What a splendid example that is of declaring God's praise, that even the heathen idol worshippers were forced to recognize the greatness of Abraham's God, on account of the generosity of the man who worshipped him! You have reached the age where you can distinguish clearly between right and wrong, and henceforward you are responsible for seeing that your life will be one of which you can be proud. Remember that God is just; he hates the evil as much as he loves the good. He loves those who are kind, generous, considerate; but he turns away his favor from those who are mean and thoughtless of the well-being of their neighbors. Your portion, as you know, was from the book of Leviticus, which deals mainly with the sacrifices that were formerly offered in the Temple. Strangely enough, we know that this rather difficult book was, in the olden days, one of the main works studied by the young. It taught them the important lesson of the need for sacrifice in our daily lives, for sometimes giving up things for the benefit of others. When the people of Israel were living on their land, their means of sacrifice was to bring part of their flocks or produce as an offering to God, as prescribed in the book of Leviticus and elsewhere. We, under changed circumstances, have to make our sacrifices, symbolising our devotion to God, in a different way, whether of our time, or our money, or our comfort. In the same way as you are ready to accept the sacrifices of others, you must be willing to make sacrifices for the benefit of others.
Remember too, that Judaism is essentially a cheerful religion. Any troubles and sorrows that come upon us during the course of our lives -- and no one is free from them -- are meant ultimately for our good, and to make us into better men and women. Often, on looking back, we see this for ourselves, but even when we do not, we must have faith in God's goodness, and leave ourselves to his mercy. If you have this faith in God's goodness, you need never feel alone. God is always your friend, whatever others may be. He has told us: "I am with him in trouble," and this applies equally to all of us. If you remember it, it will help you during your life which now opens before you.
It is my hope that you will make the ideals of Judaism your ideals, for it is only by knowing and believing clearly that which Judaism teaches, that you can live a happy and satisfying life, secure in the knowledge that it is pleasing in the eyes of God, and honorable in the eyes of men.
May God prosper you in all your ways, and put it into your heart to do his will. And may he bestow upon you the blessing promised through Aaron the priest.