The Lake Norman Rabbi

When I was once asked to think about what attributes I value in a rabbi, I immediately thought of a number of Rabbis that radiate out a vision of what rabbi should, or perhaps more accurately could be, and how they each, in their own way give immeasurable gifts to their congregations or constituents.  In my mind there is a three-fold formula that encapsulates on, a meta-level, the criteria that a rabbi must meet in my mind to be considered a great rabbi.  It is a three pronged approach that would help lead a congregation to a place where they could truly be called a Kehillah kedosha.

The first characteristic or prong of the formula is the sense of tzedek, righteousness, with which every rabbi must approach each member of the community.   There is a sacred obligation to treat all people in this way, no matter what problems, challenges they bring with them.  All people deserve this righteous treatment simply because they are human.  They may not receive it anywhere else and the obligation is on the Rabbi, the cantor, the educator, the executive director, the youth director, the temple president, the community to provide it.

Second, a rabbi must reveal the ‘lev’, heart of the community.  A clergy member brings love into the synagogue.  The message constantly sent out to the members of the community is, God loves you and we love you, without question, unconditionally.  One of the rabbis from my list, Richie Address puts it something like this: “If you have nothing to say from the pulpit on the parasha or about some current problem in the world, at the very least make you sure you continue to infuse your words with the heart, the love that God and community have to offer.

Third, a rabbi should inspire and help people recognize a sense of mitzvah in their life.  There are obligations without measure that one must fulfill and there are obligations others must fulfill for us.  The shared sense of commandedness helps a community embark on a holier path that embraces all.

Tzedek, Lev, Mitzvah. ‘Tzelem’:  Every person enters as an image; an image reflecting the divine.  Each soul that enters reflects the need exposed in Ecclesiastes.  They want, they need to be part of something greater than themselves.  Rabbi Address points to Genesis 3, the story of Adam and Eve as representative in some way of the story of every person.  We all come with three essential questions that we need answered:  1) Why was I born?  2) Why must I die and, 3) Why am I here?

If as a rabbi I can respond in some way to the challenge embodied in ‘Tzelem’, Tzedek, lev, and mitzvah, if we can provide some sort of humble teaching that helps them along their path, then we can consider our spiritual mission(s) a success.  What we cannot do is let anyone be truly alone.  Genesis 2:18 issues this charge and we must answer hineini.

Rabbi Address is one of the rabbis that would make my ‘fave-5 of Rabbi’s if you will. He travels the country teaching and learning, always guided by the sanctity of his calling.  Another rabbi embodies the above formula from the pulpit, and that is one of my rabbis, Josh Davidson.  Unlike many rabbis today, he has not forgotten that ‘with a pulpit comes great responsibility’.  He takes this responsibility seriously and uses the pulpit, his position as rabbi to guide the ‘tzlamim’ in the congregation.

I hope that I can be a teacher and leader in a community that embodies the three-fold formula of love, righteousness and mitzvah laid out above.  It is our job to be cognizant of the members of our kehillah.  All people want to be noticed.  In their own way, based on their own circumstance they are saying, “don’t forget me”, be it the 92 year old woman in the nursing home who has outlived her children and her husband, or the seventeen year old girl battling anorexia.  We can say ‘hineini’ and make our job much more than a job, or we can clock in at 9 and out at 5.