D'var Torah

Parashat R’eih begins with Moses presenting the Israelites with an important choice that God has given to the Israelites - the path of blessing or the path of curse through the following of the mitzvot, or commandments. Moses urges the Israelites to choose life and blessing by following God's commandments and living justly. Moses then continues to outline various laws and commandments that the Israelites should follow. Some of these messages, like destroying idols and performing sacrifices, appear foreign and strange to us today, but many of them may still feel relevant.

One of the ideas that Moses shares is the idea of false Gods or false idols. Moses cautions against prophets and dream-diviners, as they distract us from God and God’s commandments, taking ourselves away from our true selves and our purpose. While we may not run into many of these characters in our everyday lives, we all have things in our world that take us away from our true purpose and best selves. 

I think social media can be one of these modern-day idols or false prophets. Sometimes these sites can be a blessing - a way to connect with friends, learn about life updates, and share and receive important news. But in excess, social media can also be harmful. When I find myself mindlessly scrolling on social media, I know I enter an echo chamber of my own thoughts, fears, and anxieties. When I step away and enter the “real world,” I feel I sometimes face more challenges when we are faced with more diverse opinions, and complicated relationships, but we also there’s  have a much higher chance of achieving our goals, being our best selves, and sharing in sacred moments.

As we approach the season of Elul, (the Jewish month leading up to Rosh Hashanah that begins on September 4^th) we are called to begin the process of introspection. I encourage us all to think of the things in our lives that aren’t serving us, and think about how we can embrace the things that bring us challenge, light, and joy. Shabbat Shalom and an early Chodesh Tov.