"What's the Deal with Your Torah Scroll?"

I write the following column in honor of my dear uncle and aunt, may they have long lives, who are fortunate to bring a Torah scroll into the city of Jerusalem this Monday, 9th of Elul.

There's nothing like the air of Jerusalem at this evening hour in the month of Elul. You might laugh, but I love the Jerusalem atmosphere so much, especially in the Jewish Quarter of the city, that when I want to reflect, it's enough for me to find a quiet corner near the old Hurva Synagogue, sink into my thoughts, and...that's all I need.

My head is filled with exciting thoughts about the Torah scroll I'm supposed to bring in tomorrow, G-d willing. I've invested a lot to reach this moment. As you know, it's not just the money and trips, but mainly the pressure I faced with the scribe for a year and a half. Luckily, I know and trust the scribe, which eased things a bit.

And then, in the middle of my thoughts, I hear a surprised call, "Daniel! I can't believe it! I haven't seen you in years! What's happening, dear man?"

Even before I raise my eyes, I respond, "Rafi! In the most unexpected place!"

You know, this is where the hug comes, and the words try to cover the many years of not meeting. Rafi is a childhood friend, one you never forget. And so the conversation rolls on to what I want to share with you.

"Well, my good man," Rafi affectionately calls me this, "you're sitting here, and if you haven’t changed over the past decade, something is occupying your mind, right?" Rafi's familiar tone in his question brings a smile to my face. And yet, how do you explain to an old friend who doesn't know much about Judaism, the excitement you feel...

So simply: "Tomorrow I'm bringing in a Torah scroll!"

"What...in handwriting, on leather...?" he processes, he does know something. "But tell me, Daniel, you're a rational guy...this isn't cheap, is it?" he carefully phrased.

"Indeed. You're right. And I'm really excited!"

"But what's all this about?" he exclaimed, words spilling out without restraint. "Don’t tell me you spent all that money and hassle just for a piece of Judaica! What's the story?"

I knew it would come to this. I was glad, because even though he doesn’t live within Judaism like I do, I welcomed the chance to explain my feelings to him. He always tries to be straightforward.

"Listen, Rafi, you said it yourself, I'm a rational person, you know me as someone who doesn’t make gut decisions, and you're right," I responded excitedly. "You have no idea the story I got myself into. It's not just the money, it's the anticipation and following up with the scribe for about a year and a half. It’s a big project. Even the ceremony itself of bringing in the Torah scroll. And if I am indeed a rational person, then perhaps for me, it's not just an emotional thing, just a piece of Judaica, it's more than that, isn't it?"

"Mmm... I could think of it that way... if I wanted to respect you...but really, what's the point?"

"You know, all my life I have observed the Torah. I love it and appreciate what it adds to my life. But it's not only that. The Torah for me is a value! Look, people invest a lot of time, energy, and money on values that are here today, and tomorrow, when they leave this world, they are disconnected from those values. For me, the Torah is the center of life! And when it's so important to me, I express it through this action of writing a Torah scroll. Precisely because it is so not simple, it leaves an impression on me and a sense that I am doing something great. Knowing the investment I made in it, I live it more. It’s also a part of my legacy to my children. It's important for me that they too will live their lives in the light of the Torah, a life of spirit, valuable life, not shallow life where fleeting pleasures dictate the course!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Are you suggesting that my life, for example, is shallow?" Rafi angrily inquired.

Oops, I didn’t mean to talk about him at all, I was passionately speaking about my feelings and I understand how it might have sounded to him. "I don’t mean that. I know you as a person with values, but... look, Rafi...", now I am phrasing it carefully. "These are different values. I'm talking about spiritual values. A person, whether we like it or not, is built of material and spirit, I assume you feel it once in a while. We are much more than a sophisticated machine. Even you, when your leg hurts, you don’t say 'I am in pain in the leg', you say 'my leg hurts'. Because you know if they took away your leg, you would still be you. You understand that your body is yours, it is not you, it is your instrument. That 'I' is not material, and it demands its own! Without spiritual nourishment, people feel emptiness, some more, some less, and that’s why we need spiritual values. I absorb it in abundance from my life of Torah, from its study! And 'this is why' I invest so much in this mitzvah of writing a Torah scroll. It is an act of loving the value of the Torah. As I said, this is the message I feel in myself, and I pass on to my children. Understand?"

It’s not easy to explain to an Eskimo what forty-degree heat feels like... Did he understand? Actually, it’s not a good example, he’s Jewish just like me. And listen to what he said, "Look Daniel, I understand there is something here. And you know what? If I try to think of how we would have been, we Jews, without this mitzvah... with all the troubles we went through over thousands of years, I don’t know what would have remained of our values. Don’t take me the wrong way, the Torah is important to me as well, not the way you 'interpret' it, but as it is, it’s important to me too. It’s part of our heritage and uniqueness. This is the message that came into the world, and brought morality down to humans. Yes, the world would look different. Many universal moral values are drawn from our Torah. Do you think I would give them up - on it?! Great. People like you throughout the generations, responsible for the morality that has reached all humanity, and for our Jewish identity and uniqueness. I appreciate it!"

I smiled. He understood more than I explained. I've already told you he's a serious guy. "Actually, the Jewish sages addressed the logic of this mitzvah and said similar things. And by the way, without our 'interpretation' - the Oral Torah, if you were to look at the verses of the Torah that command its writing, the mitzvah could be understood differently, and everything would have been missed out! Without the Oral Torah, the Written Torah would appear unclear, and even pointless. The Oral Torah provides the correct, logical understandings that lead to happy and satisfying lives, as proven by research again and again, that the happiest people are those who observe the Torah. And with all that, the mitzvah is on the Written Torah, in which all the Torah is 'encoded'. But we're digressing. Maybe we will sit down on this sometime, but do you understand my excitement?"

Here comes Rafi's first smile in the last few minutes. "When is it, the bringing in of the Torah scroll? Whatever it is, I’m coming with my whole family. I also want to convey a message to my children, in my own way. You won’t object, right?" his smile widening.

"Of course! It will be joyful and exciting!"

A meeting that started with a broad smile, and ended just the same.