Dear Friends,
As Passover concludes, we embark on the journey to mark the days until the festival of Shavuot. This period, known as Sefirat HaOmer—the Counting of the Omer—is accompanied by the study of a small section of the Talmud known as Pirke Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers.
Each year, as I reread Pirke Avot, I am continually amazed by the enduring relevance of its wisdom from two millennia ago. This is particularly true if we can overcome the sexism that was unfortunately deeply ingrained in our tradition until recently.
One teaching in particular stood out to me this year. It comes from a sage named Ben Azzai, who taught:
“One commandment leads to another commandment, and one transgression leads to another transgression…”
We often dismiss the significance of small acts of goodness. However, Ben Azzai understood the opposite to be true. He recognized that each act of kindness, regardless of its size, not only matters but also sets the stage for future acts of goodness. Moreover, each time we perform gemilut chassadim, acts of loving kindness, we not only make it easier to perform the next one but also inspire others to do the same.
Of course, the opposite is also true. Even the smallest of harsh words, acts of callousness, or selfish behavior can lead to larger or harsher words or actions.
In essence, kindness and love are choices, just as are crassness and cruelty. And the choices we make lead to similar choices.
His advice remains as pertinent today as it was in his time. In a world that increasingly feels cruel, our choice to be kind and loving has a profound impact. It makes additional acts of kindness easier and in the process can inspire others to do the same.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said,
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
And the more love we cultivate in the world, the better.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Daniel Cohen