CLERGY CORNER: We are all special

Posted on 19 February 2015 by LeslieM

I was scheduled to officiate at a funeral for a young man who, in the past, we would have referred to as “mentally retarded,” but that is not just a politically incorrect term to use, it is a downright offensive one.

So what is the proper term? Well, it might seem open to debate, and, since I wasn’t sure, I asked some professionals and I also asked the family of this young man. The American Psychiatric Association would chart it as intellectual developmental disorder” or “intellectual disability.” One member of the family used the term “mentally challenged,” and several others said that he was “special” and used the term “differently-abled.”

This young man used to live in Philadelphia, but moved down here for several years before going back to The City of Brotherly Love to live near family.

And his family did something that was so loving, so touching, that it tugged on the strings of my heart.

You see, it would have been very convenient for them to bury their brother up in Philadelphia. But they traveled with that casket that held their baby brother and they brought him back here to be buried in Florida. They did so, because this young man adored his parents, and his parents are buried here. So they made sure to fulfill a promise that he would be laid to rest right by them.

In the Torah, we find a similar promise being fulfilled as when Jacob passes away it is up to his survivors to fulfill a pledge that his remains be taken to be buried alongside his ancestors.

Before Jacob dies, we read about him calling family members to his side to bless them. When most people think of getting a blessing, they think of words that someone says to them or of prayers recited on their behalf.

But one of the things we learn in the Torah is that we, each and every one of us, should be a blessing.

Each of us has our own individual strengths and our own individual weaknesses. In other words each of us is “special” and each of us is “differently-abled.”

Just before the funeral of the young man, one of his cousins said, “Of all the people in the world, I never thought I would learn so much from him.” The Talmud asks, “Who is wise?” and answers, “The one who learns from everyone.”

In keeping with this lesson, I chose to focus on the blessings that each person at that funeral could learn from that young man. For instance, The Talmud tells us that, in order to be happy, you need to be content with what you already have.

This young man never asked for more than he had. He was happy with his lot. This young man never had a bad word to say about anyone, and Lord knows the rest of us could sure learn from his example.

He lived a simple life and he was content, and, get this, while for much of his life, his parents assisted him, when his father passed, this young man (who many would assume incapable of much of anything) took on the role of primary caregiver for his mother, doing whatever he was able to see to her comfort, and doing so with the greatest of love and devotion.

Let us learn from Jacob in the Bible and let us learn from this young man whose name also happened to be Jacob … regardless of our weaknesses, we all have the ability … no, we have the Biblical imperative, to “be a blessing.”

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (201 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442). Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Don’t forget!

On Stage at Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach:

Feb. 22 – 1 p.m. – The Holocaust Survivor Klezmer Band

March 3 – 3 p.m. – The Ramat Gan Israeli Dance Theatre

Tickets – $18 per event for reservations, call 954-428- 0578.

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