Philip Roth was a controversial Jewish author, to say the least. I enjoyed reading his writing, and one of his books, in particular, was very impactful in my youth. It was the collection of short stories entitled “Goodbye Columbus.”
The title story tells the tale of a lower-middle income young man from Brooklyn who meets an upper class young woman from Long Island and the relationship that develops between them over a summer. In one scene he is invited to stay the weekend in Long Island with her family. Right away he notices the differences between dinner with her family and with his. They employ a woman who has cooked and serves the multi-course meal to all seated at the table, which is covered in a fine linen tablecloth with matching napkins and upon which are fine china plates, a full complement of silver flatware and crystal goblets.
At dinner the young woman’s father, perhaps inspired by their guest from Brooklyn, recalls the days when they, too, resided in Brooklyn, contrasting what they had then with what they enjoy today. There is a faint hint of nostalgia as he recalls the early days as he established his plumbing business with one truck and himself as the sole employee. They lived in a small apartment and had to institute many cost-cutting measures to be able to live on the income he made in those early days. His wife and his daughter soon inquire as to why he feels compelled to mention the old days. After all, they live in a beautiful mansion, belong to an exclusive country club, enjoy the finest of food, wear the latest haute-couture fashions, attend wonderful private schools, and more all due to the plumbing empire which he built over the years. Why mention the old days and the hardships of the past?
This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, begins with a very similar soliloquy. When the people enter the Land, their lives will change significantly. No longer will they be living in temporary shelters in the wilderness; rather they will build permanent homes in a lush, verdant land described as “flowing with milk and honey.” Their status as runaway slaves will change to that of landed gentry. They, their fields, and their herds will be fruitful and multiply, and even so, they will produce more than they can possibly consume. Therefore, the portion prescribes that as an expression of gratitude, they are enjoined to bring as an annual offering of their best produce from the fields and from the herds to a central location as yet unnamed but which will be one designated by God.
As the people present their offerings to the priest of that time, they are to recount their inglorious past as a nomadic family, who had wandered to Egypt and were subsequently enslaved by the Egyptians after their population had grown geometrically. After hundreds of years, they escaped Egypt through Divine intervention to wander in the wilderness for many years and sustained once again by God, Who provided food, water, shelter, protection and clothing that lasted through the entire experience, despite a number of lapses of faith on their part. Finally, they reached the Promised Land in which they would enjoy every blessing, provided that they remained loyal to God and preserved the way of life prescribed by the Torah. The first fruits offering was an indication of their gratitude for all with which they had been blessed over the course of their history.
Whether or not Philip Roth chose this Parashah as the model for that dinner scene, the two recollections of the past contrasted with the present are intended to produce the same result: an attitude of gratitude. In Jewish tradition an attitude of gratitude is best expressed through acts of Tzedakah, sharing one’s blessings with others, especially with those less fortunate and lacking the means to produce for themselves.
The High Holy Days, the time of fresh beginnings but also of introspection and of examination of one’s own personal history, are just a couple of weeks away. We are taught that Prayer, Tzedakah and Teshuvah are the formula for mitigating whatever the future holds in store. Prayer is an opportunity for self-reflection, Tzedakah is a means by which one can express gratitude for all with which one has been blessed. Teshuvah is the means by which one can make course corrections based on a review of one’s history. Reflection, gratitude and a return to the right path contribute to a life of meaning, of contentment and of blessing.
Shabbat Shalom and Shanah Tovah!
Rabbi Josef Davidson serves Congregation B’nai Amoona and is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the weekly d’var Torah for the Jewish Light.
