Looking after it for the next generation

“You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” 

Some might say that Patek Philippe’s famous slogan is almost as impressive as the watches themselves. It is brilliant marketing because it sells much more than a timepiece. It sells the idea of legacy. Deep down, we know that so much of what we own in this world is temporary. Possessions come and go, fashions change, and even the things we treasure most will eventually belong to someone else. Yet we are drawn to the idea that something we value might outlive us. 

On Simchat Torah, as we reach the final portion of the entire Torah, we read the famous words, “Torah tziva lanu Moshe, morasha kehillat Yaakov, The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Yaakov.” 

The Torah is described as a morasha, a heritage. 

There is something significant about that word. A gift becomes yours. You may use it, preserve it, change it, or even neglect it. But a heritage is different. A heritage connects generations. It comes to us from those who came before, is entrusted to us for a time, and carries with it a responsibility to pass it onwards. 

That is perhaps why Simchat Torah is such a powerful celebration. We not only study Torah. We dance with it. We hold it close. We bring our children into the celebration. There is a beautiful custom for all the children to stand together under a tallit for the Kol HaNe’arim aliya, allowing us to visualise the next generation gathered around the Torah. 

The Torah has survived not simply because it has been carefully preserved in an Aron Kodesh, but because generation after generation has chosen to make it live. 

Having recently begun a new chapter at Great Park Synagogue in Johannesburg, this idea feels particularly real to me. There is something very special about seeing a community with deep roots, filled with positive Jewish energy and with families of all ages who share a genuine desire to build for the future together. 

That is the challenge and privilege facing every Jewish community. We do not merely inherit Judaism from our parents and grandparents. We are its custodians. We may not own the Torah in the way we own our possessions. We have something far more precious. We have the privilege of looking after it for the next generation. 

• Rabbi Yisroel Binstock – Great Park Synagogue