{"id":36454,"date":"2017-05-19T05:16:31","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T11:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=36454"},"modified":"2017-05-19T05:16:31","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T11:16:31","slug":"off-the-pulpit-the-key-to-the-treasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/off-the-pulpit-the-key-to-the-treasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Pulpit: The Key to the Treasure"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE<\/p>\n

In his short story \u201cScheherazade,\u201d novelist John Barth writes that \u201cthe key to the treasure is the treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Wolpe_edt\"

The Rabbis understood and dramatized this lesson. We are told that when the ancient Temple was burning the Cohanim climbed to the roof and threw the keys to the Temple toward the heavens, and a hand emerged to receive them (Ta\u2019anit 29b).<\/p>\n

Many years ago I heard my father comment on this Midrash that while the Priests threw the keys to the Temple, they did not throw the keys to the Torah. That remained in our hands, because with it we could one day rebuild what we had lost. Learning is our key, as precious in itself as the lessons it unlocks.<\/p>\n

(Rabbi David Wolpe is the spiritual leader of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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