I don’t like to be told what to do. How about you? A friend and I were just talking about setting our workout routines for the fall and I confessed that the minute I set a schedule, my rebellious nature urges me to abandon said schedule. It just feels better to choose what to do rather than feel an obligation.
Judaism has a unique perspective on obligation versus personal choice. We see this often in the Book of Genesis which we are reading now.
The Hebrew word brit usually translated as covenant appears 270 times throughout the TaNaKh (Jewish bible) and frequently throughout the Book of Genesis.
So what is a covenant and why is it so foundational to Judaism?
Rabbi Yitz Greenberg defines covenant as “voluntary self limitation.” He teaches that human beings and God are partners in a covenant which means that both parties voluntarily limit themselves in order to maintain the relationship.
If God used God’s mighty powers to destroy humanity, there could be no real relationship with people. People would only comply out of fear of destruction and that is not the relationship God desires with humanity.
And at the same time, if humanity is given total free choice with no consequences, then the spiritual growth of individuals and Tikun Olam (Repair of the World) could never happen.
Therefore the Torah introduces this revolutionary concept of covenant. Humanity and God each give up certain powers and freedoms in order to be in relationship with each other and to cooperate in the joint mission of perfecting the world.
We first witness a covenant after the flood in Noah’s generation. God promises never to wipe out humanity again. And in return, humanity agrees to the Seven Noahide Laws (see below) that are binding on all people – both Jews and non-Jews.
But the real revolution is not what the laws are but the concept that limiting choice and free will elevates relationships and thus elevates our world. And God was the first to self limit.
It may be unpopular in our modern world to advocate for more obligations and less free choice.
But the Torah takes the long view. Only by entering into relationships – which by definition require compromise and give and take – only when we can see the benefit of giving up a little to be part of something bigger – only then can our spirits really grow and reach towards our full potential.
Shabbat Shalom & Love,
Rabbi Amy