Rabbi's Message

Temple Solel-We Serve

I have, for some time, been intrigued by altruism-doing something that benefits others, with no expectation of reciprocity, often at our own expense. We witness this phenomenon in nature. Take worker bees, for example, who devote themselves to feeding the offspring of the hive's queen, instead of trying to reproduce themselves.

In opposition to altruism is survival of the fittest-do what you need to do, often at the expense of others, to get ahead, to thrive, to survive. Side-by-side, no doubt, survival of the fittest reflects the cultural norm.

It is the place of religion, in large part, to breathe life into altruism. Yet, I would argue, with the help of evolutionary biologists (read Oren Harmon's The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness), that altruism is misunderstood. Doing for others without reward, is not only a poor sell for altruism, it's simply not true.

As it is in nature, so is it true for human beings-that acts of kindness to others have everything to do with our survival. And survival is a legitimate self-interest! Research backs up the claim that doing for others gives us a sense of self-satisfaction and meaning (read Dunn and Norton's Happy Money: The Science of Spending and Lynne Twist's The Soul of Money). Living a life, not just for ourselves, but for the welfare of others, is good for our health; it makes us much happier; it gives us a purpose. It instills trust and goodwill between human beings.

It's no coincidence that the Hebrew word for "worship" and "service" are one and the same - Avodah. Judaism is the intersection of worship and deeds. Prayer and ritual that don't inspire or obligate us to care for the earth and one another have missed the very essence of Judaism. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us, we are to pray with our feet.

One beautiful manifestation of praying with our feet is Temple Solel's monthly trip downtown to St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), whose programs include feeding the homeless of Phoenix. Solel's volunteers, led by Barry and Phyllis Leshowitz, understand the profound impact that serving others can have, on everyone concerned. For those of us blessed to be on the serving end, it is humbling indeed. If you ever take for granted the abundance in your life, serving the clients at SVdP will quickly bring you into realignment. But by the grace of God-this is all that separates those giving and those receiving.

Yet, reinforcing this fresh perspective on altruism, those giving of themselves come away with the realization that we are receiving far more than the homeless we are serving. Part of the deep sense of satisfaction is in knowing that we have instilled hope and faith in those we serve, that they are not forgotten, that they too are created in God's image. We love one another as we love ourselves, not only because it's the right thing to do-it ensures our survival.

The shirts worn by our SVdP volunteers say it all: "Temple Solel-We Serve." There's a lot at stake in our commitment to serve-for the wholeness of our souls and the welfare of the world. Let's serve together!

Rabbi John Linder