Torah, Wasabi and Sushi

By Dovber Chaiton

Sometimes it’s a metaphor or perhaps posing as a simile. It is a sure crowd pleaser in the form of personification and equally adequate when dressed as a parable. What is it about this analogy that adds such verve to a piece of common information?

Perhaps it’s because it’s  is like the correct highway, it will bring you to the brink of your destination and yet leave you far enough way to have you feel that you made it there own your own.  Or maybe it’s because it’s factual but not rigid and therefore the benevolent host of multiple interpretations.  Possibly it is that luminous green piece of Wasabi, oozing exuberance and zest amongst the black and white sushi.

One ought to be careful though. It is only there to help and it must be allowed to go when it is no longer needed, or else it is like the correct highway without any off-ramps. Or maybe it’s being factual but not rigid will leave it to be the subject of abuse from ludicrous interpretations. Possibly it will be like perfect rolls of luminous green Wasabi without any of the black and white sushi. That’s called being caught up in the analogy.

Often a bold man has ventured to say what life is like, and then there were those who were even bolder who actually stated what life is. One thing all these bold and bolder men had in common was that they made life analogous to something less meaningful. It meant that life would be predictable and stereotyped; static, clichéd and up the one-way street of uniformity.

So how is it that we make sure we make the most of this analogy but don’t get caught in it? Simply add, Torah.

Torah is the correct highway it will bring you to the brink of your destination and yet leave enough self work for you to do, to have you feel that you arrived there on your own. Torah is factual but not rigid and therefore the benevolent host of multiple interpretations. Torah is that luminous green piece of Wasabi, oozing exuberance and zest amongst the black and white of everyday life.

But be careful because here Torah differs. Torah is there for you always and must be allowed to go wherever you go, or else life will be like off-ramps without any highways. Without Torah, our existence lacks eternity and what yesterday was exuberant and zesty is today bitter and sharp. 

Dovber Chaiton has studied at Yeshivot is South Africa and Israel. He is currently an intern at the Coral Springs Mesivta in Florida.