By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista recently told me of a conversation he had with a young woman working behind the counter of an ice cream shop. Noting her unhappy expression, he told her that she should be very proud of the work that she does. Customers who come into the store may have had terrible days at their jobs, or at their homes, but every time they imbibed ice cream at her store, their lives were made better with a little bit of tasty sweetness. For that moment at least, they were happy. The young woman behind the counter was among a very select few people in the world who could so positively affect the lives of so many others.
Never having looked upon her job in that light, the young woman was intrigued. And the next time that Rabbi Samuel visited the shop, there she was – smiling!
I found myself thinking about this story while observing the Shavuot tradition of nighttime study at Tifereth Israel Synagogue last night, May 19. Following a Mariv service and a Havdalah ceremony led by the Conservative congregation’s Rabbi Joshua Dorsch, we divided into two groups. The first, which remained in Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s chapel, explored the concepts of yetzer hara and yetzer tov – sometimes translated respectively as every person’s “evil” inclination and “good” inclination. Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, director of spiritual programming at Beit T’shuvah of Los Angeles, had us weigh what rabbis of old considered “evil inclinations”—which seemed to be anything that gave us pleasure, whether bodily or emotionally.
Although it sounds bad, it’s actually good to have a yetzer hara because such things as eating, drinking, sexual relations, all are necessary to sustain ourselves and to create new generations. It’s only when the yetzer hara “runs rampant” that we have a problem, according to Markowitz, who works at Beit T’Shuvah with patients trying to overcome various kinds of addictions.
The idea that such things as eating, drinking, or having sexual relations within marriage could be “evil” caused some consternation within our group. Perhaps “evil” had a different meaning when the Biblical writers were using the word’s Hebrew equivalent. Perhaps instead of calling it the “evil” inclination, we should think of the yetzer hara as our physicality, whereas the yetzer tov is our spirituality. Human beings need both inclinations; the main idea is keeping them in balance.
While our group was considering such issues, the second group followed Michelle Barbour, Tifereth Israel’s director of Jewish Education and Youth Engagement, into the kosher kitchen, mindful that it is a Shavuot tradition to eat dairy meals. In the kitchen, Barbour demonstrated how to prepare, for a special and delicious Shavuot treat, lemon raspberry cheesecake cups that do not require baking. As the holiday already had started and cooking is not done on Yom Tovim, butter called for in the recipe was not melted and mixing was done by hand, rather than by machine. I’m glad that my wife Nancy joined that group because not only did she learn how to prepare these tasty little desserts, she brought home the recipe, which I’m happy to reprint:
Ingredients:
15 lemon Oreos, crushed
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 (6 oz) container, fresh raspberries
1 (8 oz) package, cream cheese, room temperature
¼ c sugar
1 package, instant lemon pudding mix
1 c milk
1 large (16 oz) or 2 (8 oz) containers, frozen whipped topping, hawed
Raspberries and mint leaves for garnishInstructions
In a food processor, crush the Oreos. Add the melted butter and pulse a few more times to mix into the crumbs. Add a heaping tablespoon of crumbs into small jelly jars or 18 lined cupcake cups. Press crumbs into the bottom of the jar. Add 2-3 fresh raspberries to the top of the pressed crumbs. Set aside.With a hand or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Stop to scrape down sides, add the pudding mix, and slowly begin to add the milk while the mixer is on low. Continue to mix at a medium speed until filling mixture is smooth. Add 8 oz. of the whipped topping, and fold into the filling. Stir until completely incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the cups, filling to nearly the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Top with additional whipped topping, fresh raspberries and mint leaves.
When the sessions with Barbour and Rabbi Markowitz ended, both groups convened in Tifereth Israel’s social hall for refreshments, which happily included the cheesecake cups as well as various kinds of dairy cakes, including the Shavuot staple of cheesecake. There were also a variety of cheeses as well as nuts.
Remembering Rabbi Samuel’s story about the young lady behind the ice cream counter, I realized that Michelle Barbour, my wife Nancy, and the other participants in the food preparation class, like her, had brought sweetness into our lives. I smiled knowing that they therefore had much to smile about.
My yetzer hara urged me to fill my plate with a sampling of all that was offered in the generous dessert buffet. But my yetzer tov intervened. So, I contented myself with a modest portion of the goodies.
Before long, the second session of the evening was about to begin. Rabbi Dorsch promised to provide lightning fast discussions of the 54 parshas of the Torah in a total of 54 minutes. He even had a former president of the congregation, Jerry Hermes, time him. From each parsha, Rabbi Dorsch had selected a verse that particularly resonated with him. Then, taking turns, those of us in attendance read a verse, and Rabbi Dorsch delivered a mini-drosh on its meaning.
Based on Rabbi Markowitz’s lecture, verses from two successive parshot captured my imagination.
Ki Tisa 32:19 reads: And it came to pass, as soon as he came near to the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.
Vayakhel 36:1 relates: Then, Bezalel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all kinds of works for the service of the sanctuary, did according to all that the Lord had commanded.
Fine examples, respectively, of the yetzer hara run rampant, and the yetzer tov.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com