By Janet Kirschner, WLCJ International Vice President and Per Capita Chair
By now everyone has probably put away those Pesach dishes and cleaned up from the holiday. I hope you had a zissen and meaningful holiday.
This week’s parashah, Achrei Mot, means After the Death, specifically the death of Aaron’s sons Nadiv and Avihu. The parashah describes the ritual service of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It then details the prohibitions of offering sacrifices outside of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and of eating animal blood, and ends with a list of forbidden sexual relations.
I learned from Rabbi Margie Cella’s recently published book, “Hindsight is 2020: Torah Lessons from a Turbulent Time” about some specifics from the fifth Aliyah of the parashah. She points out that two forms of the Hebrew verb halach (to walk) are used: telechu (Leviticus 18:3) and lalechet (Leviticus 18:4). They are translated here as “follow.”
“You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws.
My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I יהוה am your God.”
G-d is telling the Jewish people what laws to follow, or in other words, “walk the walk.” In addition to dedicating my body, heart and soul to following the mitzvot, I can also improve my life by literally walking.
In the spring of 2020, as Covid was impacting every part of our daily lives, I started a daily walking ritual. My home in New Jersey is on a cul-de-sac that is 0.6 miles round trip. Every day I walked around six times, thus, walking 3.6 miles per day. I walked in rain or shine, cold or hot. In 2021, my husband and I rented an apartment in Baltimore to be near my daughter and grandson. In Baltimore, I have a route in the city that passes by Starbucks and gives me the same 3.6 miles. Every day I stop to pick up a beverage at Starbucks. For the winter, I bought a balaclava (headgear designed to expose only part of the face) and special mittens. You should see how scary I look in the balaclava.
There were so many benefits to me of starting this walking regimen. It got me out of the house and in the fresh air during the time we were in lockdown. It gave me an hour every day to reflect on everything that was going on in my life and in the world. I often used the time to talk on the phone with family and friends, keeping up the important contacts especially since we weren’t seeing people in person. Of course, there are significant health benefits to walking every day.
According to the Mayo Clinic: “Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. For example, regular brisk walking can help you:
My osteoporosis actually improved from my walking regimen. My doctor was able to eliminate the medication I was taking.
From the American Heart Association: “Adding 1,000 or even 500 steps to your daily routine could lead to a longer life, new research suggests.”
When I walk, I think about my paternal grandparents, who walked everywhere. They never learned to drive. I think their lifelong walking contributed to my grandmother’s living to 97. Her quality of life was excellent past her 95th birthday. I pray that I may enjoy a long and healthy life into my nineties. I think my avid walking will help.
The last verse of the Fifth Aliyah of Achrei Mot, contains the phrase vachai bahem, you shall live by them (18:5).
As Rabbi Cella wrote: “Living a life according to the mitzvot brings life—both physical and mental.”
If you are ever in my neighborhood, please join me for a walk. Or give me a call and we can chat while we walk separately.
Wishing you Shabbat Shalom.
Janet Kirschner
WLCJ International Vice President and Per Capita Chair
jkirschner@wlcj.org
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