The Torah omits words of thanks from the Cohanim and Levites to teach an important lesson: we are to do the right thing because we want to stand in the presence of God and say: “I’ve done as well as possible.” Our self-worth is not to be determined by what others say or don’t say, but by what we can say about ourselves before God.
The Torah commands us not to harbor endless hatred for those who have persecuted us. It also teaches us that there are really wonderful people who overcome the hateful anti-Jewish stereotypes of their families/societies, and who embrace Judaism and the Jewish People. And we embrace them for their wisdom and courage. We need more of them.
Strange as it may seem, it may be easier to have faith in God than faith in humanity. The Holocaust is a notorious example of how bad human beings can be. But if we look at humanity today, we still see hatred, violence, anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism, terrorism, vicious conspiracy theories, lies, crimes large and small.
Yes, we mourn on Tisha B’Av for the destructions of our ancient Temples in Jerusalem. But we then take off our sneakers, dress in our Shabbat clothes, and celebrate God’s consolation for the future peace, security and happiness of Israel…and all humankind.
We are to see life as a journey with an unfolding road ahead. When we reach one goal, we should then look ahead to our next goal. Once we stop this process, our lives stagnate and regress into the past.
The commandments are given as a sign of love and caring; they provide a path to a meaningful, constructive and moral life. The “Thou shalt not”s are as important as the “Thou shalt”s. "No" sometimes means "Yes, I care about you."
A positive worldview helps us to see beyond the negatives of life, to aspire and work for a better future. Optimism is one of the secrets of Jewish success!
We often face dilemmas that seem to have no good way out. We feel trapped and endangered. The Midrash teaches us to think again, to think beyond, to imagine what now seems impossible.
In a traditional religious setting, there need not be a generation gap, where alienation sets in between the generations. In some unique, mysterious way, the different generations see themselves as contemporaries. We share a spiritual outlook, a set of ideals, a style of living according to the mitzvoth.
Religious life entails participating in a community, observing shared rituals, following traditional patterns. It can happen that one’s individuality may seem compromised or lost in the process. The priestly blessing reminds us of the need to be part of the community…but to retain our own distinctive individuality.