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Bírit
(Covenant)
Bírit ñ (Covenant) ñ Belonging and Commitment
The Hebrew word ìbíritî means ìcovenant.î A covenantal relationship enables us to partner with others in pursuit of shared vision, to grow, to risk, and to communicate with honesty. Like many relationships typical of business and politics, these relationships are enacted through mutual understanding of specific rights and responsibilities. But covenental relationships are valued in and of themselves, not just as a means to realize other ends. Our lives revolve around our inescapable relationships - to our environment, our families, our friends, our colleagues and our world. Both our personal and professional lives are enriched by binding relationships in which we feel a true sense of security; relationships in which our individuality is honored, our opinions are heard, our needs are considered.
The first covenants were those forged between humanity and the Divine and, rather than representing mutual contracts, were agreements passed from God to us for our own protection and definition. God places a rainbow in the sky following the flood, as a sign of a covenant - the world will never again be brought to this level of destruction. In relation to Abraham, God enters into what is called ìthe covenant of the piecesî (the sign being an elaborate layout of animal sacrifices), in which God makes promises to Abraham of longevity and land. This is followed by yet another covenant - that of circumcision - the sign of which is placed upon our reproductive organs. In a relationship as seemingly lop-sided as that between a human being and God, a sort of ìtzimtzum/contractionî takes place - the more powerful agrees to self-limitation, smaller definition in relation to the less powerful. These covenants create and ensure, as do ours today, a safe space for ongoing relationship, risk, growth and fulfillment.
Covenantal relationship carries with it a sense of eternality and obligation. The covenants of the rainbow, circumcision and Shabbat - each one is defined as a ìbírit olamî - limitless in terms of both time and space. The reiteration of the covenant in the book of Deuteronomy (Parshat Nitzavim) defines it as one made ìnot with you alone ... not only with all those standing here with you today before God [but with] all those who are not with you today.î We have a responsibility beyond ourselves and our own time, and are mindful of how the quality of our current relationships will affect those who come after us. Additionally, we share something deep and eternal with all those who enter into this covenant with us, and commit ourselves to preparing future generations to honor these relationships as well.
Covenental relationships also carry with them the experience that the 20th century philosopher Martin Buber called ìI-Thou.î Neither party serves as a means to an end, or an object to be used in pursuit of a more significant ultimate goal. When conflict arises or difficulties surface, the value of the relationship itself enables us to more effectively see it through. I-Thou relationships require that we make ourselves available to each other and listen carefully to one another ñ through the realization of the transcendent possibilities of our specific interactions all partners are enhanced. When the first Aron/Ark of the Covenant was constructed in the desert, God tells Moses to fashion on top of the cover two kíruvim (winged angels) who face each other with wings spread in protection of the covenant. God then tells Moses, ìI will meet you there and I will speak with you from on top of the cover - from between the two kíruvim that are on the aron I will command you for the Children of Israelî (Exodus 25:22). God models for us the idea that there is something unique and sacred in the space ìbetween.î The face to face encounter has its own commanding presence.
Relationships of this sort are not only nurtured between individuals. It is possible to be part of a covenantal community. Through participation in such communities, we accept certain standards of behavior ñ we agree to communicate honestly, treat others with respect, understand our individual needs in light of the needs of the community, work toward our shared visions, and create space in which others are able to do the same. Two common Hebrew words for community are Kahal and Kehillah. The first is more of a ìgathering,î possibly of those who come together circumstantially for a specific purpose or short-term task. By contrast, the word kehillah is often used in conjunction with the adjective ìkídoshah/sacred.î The difference between kahal and kehillah lies in the addition of two letters, yod and heh, which, when taken by themselves, spell one of the names of God.
Relating to others in a covenantal way elevates the partners, the vision, and the community in which these kinds of relationships take place. Even as we may have terms of agreement or professional limits and conditions enumerated in a written contract, the quality of our interactions regarding those agreements is enriched and enhanced through the idea of covenant. When we intentionally raise the level of our interactions with others, our shared vision is more clearly articulated and communicated, and our community becomes more than just a random gathering of souls. We become bound to each other over time, mundane obligations are elevated to the level of sacred responsibility, and trusting, secure partnerships are nourished.
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