Sermons & Stories

Shabbat Shalom!

At GFC they don’t do a lot of camping, but each unit will do a cookout around the campfire with s’mores. It’s a part of the camp experience. This year, Erez was the cook for cookout. He’s the director of high and low ropes, an Israeli who lives just a few kilometers from the Gaza border, and he’s working at camp and teaching our kids while remotely running his business. He’s a really cool guy.

For cookout, he tells the story of stone soup. It’s an old tale from Eastern Europe about an old beggar carrying a large pot. She’s turned away every time as she goes door to door in the small shtetl. It’s been a long, cold winter and one after another the townspeople tell her that they can’t spare anything.

That’s when the woman sets up in the open area in the middle of the town. She collects wood and starts a fire. She carries water, fills the pot halfway, and places it on the fire. By this time, the members of the shtetl are curious – what is this poor beggar doing? So they ask her… what are you doing?

She looks out at this small crowd of people and explains, “I’m making stone soup. It is the most amazing soup that you’ve ever tasted.” And with that, she drew a few clean, round stones out of her pack and slid it into the water.

The people couldn’t believe it. “Stone soup! That’s ridiculous! How do you make a soup with a stone?”

They were doubtful, but they listened to the woman talk about the wonders of stone soup. They became more curious as she stirred the water. And by the time she acknowledged that while stone soup was really good on it’s own, it was even better with some celery, one family was curious enough to bring some. And into the pot they went.

And so it went. The woman would talk more about the amazing dish and all of the villages she’s had it and then admit that it was even better with one more ingredient – some carrots, some onion, some chicken leg, some tomato, some barley, and more. And one of the families would say that yes – they had a little to spare. Everyone brought something and by the end they didn’t even need to be asked. And into the pot they went.

Before long they had a beautiful, hearty soup. Bowls were passed and portions were ladled and everyone agreed that it was one of the best meals they had ever had. The old beggar was welcomed into the town and lauded for her wisdom, for who would have thought you could make soup from a stone.

This is a classic Jewish tale – appropriate whether it’s told around the campfire or within the congregation. It connects with this week’s Torah portion from Deuteronomy where we are instructed to cut away the thickening about out hearts, care for those without power, and befriend the stranger (10:16-19). It’s a story that teaches not only how to make a soup, it also teaches us some of the ingredients of community.

Community works better when we all contribute. Community works better when we know that everyone has something to contribute. It’s not enough to have a leader or leaders. Trying something new is hard and it takes one or two or more who are willing to risk it – willing to be the first followers – like the families that brought the first couple ingredients. And before that, people were curious – they were willing to listen. They didn’t just throw the old beggar woman out. They gave her a chance. And most importantly – in any community, we need people. Here at CBI, please know that your presence – in person and online – your presence means the world! Shabbat Shalom!