Chazak! “Be strong, be strong, and let us all be strengthened!”
With these words, we conclude the Torah reading of Vayechi this week, which brings us to the end of Bereshit, the book of Genesis. As with all the Five Books of Moses, when we conclude the entire book, the Torah reader, followed by the congregation proclaim aloud: Chazak, Chazak, v’Nitchazek! “Be strong, be strong, and let us all be strengthened!”
For many in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the winter vacation season. For those like me in South Africa, it is the peak of the summer vacation, with schools out until mid-January, and the masses flocking to the popular seaside vacation spots like Cape Town, Durban and other attractive locations in this beautiful country.
And when on vacation (or, as we call it, on “holiday”), people generally buy books to read during their time off work. Whether at the beach or elsewhere, reading is still a popular pastime, especially during this period. What happens when we finish a book, especially a long one? Generally, we take a break before we start the next one. Even if we are bookworms, we usually need a bit of a breather.
This is why we say chazak. Because the Torah is not just any book. It is certainly not a novel, nor is it merely history. Torah is the proverbial “Book of Life.” We dare not take a breather from its study. After all, can you take a breather from breathing?
So when we conclude Genesis on Shabbat, we will remind and inspire the honorees at the Torah—and indeed, the entire congregation—that we must be strong. We must not take a break from Torah just because we finished this book. Be strong and continue immediately with the next book of the Torah.
And therefore, we do. At Mincha on Shabbat afternoon, we will begin reading the second book of the Torah: Exodus, or in Hebrew, Shemot. There is no break, no pause, no delay from one book to the next.
We all need the occasional break from work to catch our breath and recapture our humanity. Only the rarest few can carry on relentlessly with enduring enthusiasm. Most of us mere mortals need a vacation to refresh ourselves, so as to come back to work rejuvenated and ready to take on the new year and its challenges.
Taking a break from Torah and our Jewish way of life, however, is very different. While it does seem to be unrealistic to expect us to keep on studying without any interruption, the truth is that Judaism is like mountain climbing. If you look down at how far you have climbed, you risk falling back. The trick is to keep your eye on the top—on the peak—and keep climbing until you summit.
I have been to Cape Town many times, where we have children and grandchildren doing work for the community with tremendous commitment and dedication. In my younger years, I climbed the famous Table Mountain and Lion’s Head with my kids on several occasions. I can confirm that mountain climbing takes not only physical fitness but mental fitness to remain focused and not fall back on past achievements.
And so it is with Judaism. It is an infinite, never-ending, bottomless well of wisdom to learn and experience.
They tell the story of a small community back in Eastern Europe that was looking to employ a rabbi. So they went to see the head of the nearest yeshivah in town. When they put their request to the rosh yeshivah, he pointed out to them a young man who was diligently studying the Talmud right there in the study hall: “He would make a fine rabbi for your community.”
“No, rabbi,” said the chairman of the community. “We want someone who already knows the Talmud, not one who is still studying it.”
In their simple ignorance, the townspeople didn’t realize that Torah study is a lifelong experience. One never knows it all.
In fact, anyone—rabbi or layman—who thinks he knows it all hasn’t even begun to appreciate the length and depth of Torah, which is the wisdom of God. We try to gain as much infinite wisdom as is humanly possible. But can anyone truly grasp infinity?
Did you know that each page of the Talmud begins with Daf Beit, Page 2. Why not Page 1? Because as much as we may know, we acknowledge that we have not even scratched the surface of His infinite wisdom. We haven’t even mastered Page 1!
Let us continue with the chazak approach. Let us appreciate the depth of Jewish learning and wisdom. Perhaps we should all be making New Year’s resolutions to begin or increase our Torah studies. Join a class at your local synagogue, Jewish Community Center or elsewhere in your community. If not, there are online options as well.
Be strong—and we will all be strengthening each other in the process.
