Serenity now!

Does anything come to mind when you hear that expression? Maybe a specific cultural reference?

It’s from Seinfeld, Episode 159. That is the one with a Bar Mitzvah boy disappointed at receiving Boggle as a present and the expression “shiksa-appeal.” It also featured the phrase “Serenity now!” as a way to calm down in stressful situations. The plot was inspired by the real-life events of one of the writers, whose father was advised by his doctor to shout “Serenity now!” at the top of his lungs as part of a rage controlling exercise.

We live in a world that can use a little more “serenity now.”

Here in the US, there is an incredible amount of tension and noise in the Presidential campaign. Recent weeks have seen an increase in racial tension, specifically with regard to the relationship with law enforcement.

In Israel, there are strained connections between different segments of society over various social and economic issues. There is the continued political divide between right and left. There are voices from the religious community that are creating wedges between religious and secular as well as divisions within the religious community itself. There is also a small matter of diaspora conversions not being recognized by Israeli rabbis. Maybe you heard about that one?

With so much noise and so many distractions, we can all use a little serenity now.

So did Pinchas.

Pinchas zealously defended tradition by killing Kozbi, the prince of Shimon, who was engaged in a forbidden relationship with a Midianite woman. God rewards him.

 הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם: - I will give him a covenant of peace.

What exactly is this covenant of peace, the brit shalom?

Ibn Ezra explains the brit shalom as a necessary consequence of Pinchas’ actions. Since Pinchas had assassinated an important personage, there was reason to expect that the latter's blood would be avenged, and therefore God promised him His covenant of peace in order to protect him.

Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin of Volozhin, the Netziv, understands the brit shalom as a calming influence.

שלא יקפיד ולא ירגיז.

ובשביל כי טבע המעשה שעשה פינחס להרוג נפש בידו

היה נותן להשאיר בלב הרגש עז גם אחר כך

אבל באשר היה לשם שמים משום הכי

באה הברכה שיהא תמיד בנחת ובמדת השלום.

Pinchas was engaged in hot-headed behavior. He, quite literally, “stuck it to” the sinners. Once the heat of the moment subsided, Pinchas might still feel anger and righteous indignation without a positive strategy going forward. As a reward for his actions for the sake of heaven, God blesses Pinchas with a brit shalom, the blessing of being able to move beyond the act of passion and always be able to find peace of mind.

The brit shalom is the blessing of serenity now.

Pinchas acted in a very bold, aggressive way. Sometimes that kind of action is needed. At the same time, God’s postscript is the blessing of a quiet, focused, calm mindset.

This mindset is something Jewish law values.

One of my Shalom Hartman Institute colleagues, Rabbi Eliana Yolkut of Washington, D.C., discussed how the Netziv’s understanding of brit shalom connects with a religious requirement of peace of mind found in Orach Chaim 96. The Shulchan Aruch is discussing proper etiquette during prayer. A person should not hold to anything while praying – not even a pair of tefillin or a holy book. One should certainly not hold on to a plate of food or cutlery or money. Holding any of these items may cause a distraction from the task at hand. During prayer, the focus must be on prayer.

Jewish law recognizes how easily distracted we may become and sets guidelines regarding what we can and cannot hold so that we don’t divert our attention from the tefilla. Judaism values a focused mindset and calm, quiet focus.

I know I am sometimes guilty of violating these rules. In an effort to avoid distractions, I am, personally, uncomfortable davening from my iPhone.

We live in a blessed age when the phones have a full Siddur application. Some are even synchronized with the Jewish calendar, so that, on Monday or Rosh Chodesh, the right prayers for the day as well as the Torah reading appear. (I wonder what happens if the app is used on Shabbat!) 

At the same time, praying this way also makes it tempting to just swipe and access email or the internet.

Pinchas received the brit shalom to help him find quiet and focus in the aftermath of his bold yet violent action. Judaism values such a mindset as is evident from the laws of prayer. Each of us needs to find the peace, calm, and serenity of the brit shalom within our busy lives and in an overly zealous world.

One way to do this is to put down and free ourselves from those devices that connect us to the fast-paced frenzy of the outside world. Can we spend less time looking at our phones?

There are some places, where you have no choice.

Green Bank, West Virginia is located a few hours south of Pittsburgh and has a population of 143. The town has no cell phone service or wifi, and car radios don’t receive any stations. Residents and anyone passing through still use land lines and payphones, and internet must be land-line based. Even microwave ovens nearby must be kept in special boxes.

Why? It is not a community of Amish people or some cult. The town is part of the National Radio Quiet Zone, an area in the vicinity of a government radio telescope trying to pick up faint signals from outer space. The mechanism is very sensitive, and no devices may be used that will interfere with its activities.

Some of you may be thinking, “These people are nuts!” How can anyone live today without a cell phone?

Most of the time, I would tend to agree.

Upon further reflection, it would be nice to have a little more peace of mind without as many distractions. I could just put away my phone, but it would be much easier for me if it simply didn’t work.

I suggest we work on trying to access the brit shalom by creating “Green Bank, West Virginia spaces.” Thank God, we have Shabbat and holidays which create such moments of peace and quiet. We should introduce other such times – like mealtime or Sundays. We should consider leaving the phone home now and then. We used to get along just fine without them at all. We should be able to put them down sometimes.

The serenity of the brit shalom doesn’t have to come by putting down the phone. That would be nice, but I recognize how hard it can be.

Pinchas engaged in bold, zealous action and received the blessing of being able to move forward b’nachat – with tranquility.

The world around us is often loud, brash and full of discord.

Our response should be the brit shalom. Rather than rushing to judge and condemn others or trying to shout louder than those with whom we disagree, we should stop and analyze the situation. Maybe we can find another side of the story. Maybe we can disagree without delegitimizing. Maybe we can even come to realize that we agree more than we disagree. Maybe we don’t have to say anything.

Based on the tone of the arguments today and the polarization that is out there, this seems like a very tall order.

That is why the brit shalom is such a blessing.

Serenity now!