A Way of Looking Inward When Reading the 10 Commandments (Adapted from Ed Feinstein's Torah As a Mirror Into Our Souls)

Torah as a Mirror into Our Souls an Adaptation of a work by Ed Feinstein

If you were to hear me tell visitors to this synagogue that the ark contains a mirror, you might stop me and claim that I am mistaken.  You might say it contains the Torah, not a mirror.  Yet, if you think about a mirror which is designed to reflect an image you might indeed realize that the Torah is a mirror that reflects our values, our hopes, our shortcomings, and our accomplishments.

Several years ago, I wrote a message for the Jewish Press entitled Looking Inward and Outward.  It spoke about introspection as part of the process of spiritual growth.  When we look inward we are in a sense looking at ourselves in a mirror, trying to examine our own deeds and fix the wrongs we see. Even the word “to pray” in Hebrew, l’hitpallel, is a reflexive verb.  We pray in the plural but turn inward to examine how the words affects us.  A turn inward, in the words of Rabbi Ed Feinstein, is a reflexive turn and can be used to help us hear parts of Torah in new ways.

Rabbi Harold Schulweiss, z’l, suggested that we use a reflexive turn when we listen to the words of the Ten Commandments because it will help us understand them in a new way.

Here is a way to turn each commandment we heard today inward:

You shall have no other Gods before you, not even yourself. Do you see yourself as the center of the universe? When have your own needs become the measure for all you do?

You shall not take G-d’s name in vain- What promises have you made to yourself that you have let go by the wayside either out of neglect or laziness?

Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy?  How do you sanctify Shabbat within yourself?  Where do you find inner peace and a refuge from competition and conflict?

Honor your father and mother. Do you carry your parents’ love and wisdom within you? 

You shall not murder.  What are the ways you murder yourself?  Is it by self-doubt, poor health habits, by indulging in a life-style that slowly kills you?

You shall not steal.  When do you steal from yourself?  Do you spend time nurturing your soul as well as your body?  Do you spend time doing positive actions to help others because that will also add a level of holiness to your life?

You shall not commit adultery.  How have you betrayed yourself?  In what ways have you put aside moral and ethical decisions in order to take an easier path in life?

You shall not bear false witness.  Do you offer false statements about yourself to others and if so, why?

You shall not covet.  Do you long for things which you no longer possess?  What kinds of attachments do you have to the past that keep you from being fully present in the here and now?

“This week, on the festival of Shavuot, we celebrate receiving the gift of Torah, the mirror of our souls. It is ours, but only if we are brave enough to look deeply and honestly within. Hag Sameach.”(Ed Feinstein)