By Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

Last week we encountered Noach. Noach was a righteous man who lived in troubled times. His generation is described as a wicked one. Noach was assigned the difficult mission of trying to influence people to improve. Try as he might he couldn’t influence even one person outside his immediate family.

Contrast Noach’s failure with the success of Avraham. Maimonidies writes that Avraham had thousands of adherents. Many devoted disciples latched on to his teachings of monotheism and service of G-d. What was it about Avraham’s approach that surpassed Noach’s in such a dramatic way?

I believe that the key difference between their approaches is that Noach was marketing the seven Noachide laws. Seven laws are very hard to market. For that reason he failed. In contrast, Avraham was marketing a system of observance that was destined to become 613 commandments. For that reason his preaching was more appealing and he succeeded.

Lest you think that I forgot my math, let me assure you that I am well aware that seven is less than 613. Nevertheless, I maintain that Noach was doomed to fail, because he was only marketing seven basic laws. Allow me to explain.

When Noach preached observance of just seven laws, he was saying that people can do basically whatever they want. As long as they don’t violate the cardinal sins, they are okay. In terms of quantity, his teaching was much easier than an all-encompassing system. But his teaching of just seven laws was severely lacking in motivation and meaning.

Avraham on the other hand preached a devotional system that would eventually result with people observing 613 commandments. From morning to night, from kitchen to bedroom, at home, at work, and when travelling, a person would be guided by spiritual principles. In times of death, and in times of joy, the adherent would be provided with guidance. It was a system of purposeful living that granted meaning from cradle to grave, and beyond. Such a system is one that is worth being dedicated to.

A few months ago a couple approached me to speak with their son. He was dating a non-Jewish girl, and they hoped that I could influence him to reconsider the relationship. We met, and one of the young man’s comments struck me in a most profound way. He said, “If my parents had offered me a system of Judaism, then I would respect their objection to intermarriage. But in the home I grew up Passover was nothing; even Chanukah was next to nothing. They are just fixated with the cardinal sin of intermarriage. There is no system here for me to respect.”

What struck me was that the parents undoubtedly thought they were doing their child a favor by only demanding of him one cardinal observance: Not to intermarry. But to the young man, the demand was torture. He would have much preferred some level of growth in Judaism, from which the commitment not to intermarry would result naturally.

Often in Jewish education we think that if we just focus on “the biggies” like murder, stealing, and intermarriage, we will find it easier to market Judaism. But religion isn’t a business. It is a devotional experience. The more complete a religious system is, the more compelling the reason for someone to remain dedicated to its principles.

Avraham taught that every person should develop their full spiritual potential. Not only was stealing prohibited, but with time a person would give money to others as charity, and would observe “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Not only was a person commanded to refrain from idol worship and rejecting G-d, but there would be a mitzvah to love G-d, and Bitachon, through which a person would perceive G-d in every facet of his life.

Sometimes when teaching Judaism to students or children we think that we are making things easier for them by teaching less mitzvos. Certainly, one who is new to observance has to take mitzvos one step at a time. But even as one is growing, one should always aim to someday reach full observance. A human being has an enormous capacity for devotional service. To preach less mitzvos is actually more burdensome because it deprives the person of a comprehensive sense of purpose.

This Shabbos, as a result of the Shabbos Project,  Jews throughout the world will be paying extra attention to Shabbos observance. For some it will be a new experience; for others it will be an opportunity to make it more meaningful. Certainly we will celebrate every effort made to increase our connection and appreciation of Shabbos. But, in a greater sense, Shabbos is an eyeopener to the entire system of Torah. It is the awareness that Hashem didn’t just dictate a few “biggies” and require us to observe them. Shabbos is an opportunity to recognize that the full spectrum of Torah can impact and guide us in every facet of our lives.

With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos!