Korban

Generations.  Each one shapes and frames the thinking of its time and then beyond.  Reading a colleague’s sermon from many years ago he wrote that there ought to be an “Eleventh Commandment.”  What would such an addition state?  “Thou shalt survive.”

For those engaged in statistical studies or just pondering who are children will bring home for Passover this is a compelling idea.  The concept of ongoing survival is also compelling for those obsessed by the Holocaust.  Yet that is insufficient.  Survival alone is not a measure of success.  Is life simply about finishing the race?  I hope not.

Can we measure life at all?  According to an obscure passage in the Talmud we will be held accountable for three things when brought to final judgment.

-Are we guilty of having brought great pain into the world?

-Have we lived a life that is prescribed by the Torah?

-Did we take advantage of the gifts God has provided along the journey of life?

When the Beyt HaMikdash stood in Jerusalem our ancestors would bring a Korban to show their love for God. Undoubtedly, some people thought that the real task was meted out when they brought the Korban. I think that they missed the point. Too bad for them. The best part was left out.

The word Korban means to “draw near.” The purpose of the Korban was to come close to God. For the person actively seeking the Lord, the gift of the Korban was the vehicle, not the end.

In our time too, the act is not not enough. We need more. Our generation seeks meaning. The life force of existence is to find holiness in every living thing, in every moment. These are gifts, which God has left for us to elevate our lives and appreciate the allotment of time.