Our Torah portion this week will state: “For what great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is the Eternal our God whenever we call out?” (Deuteronomy 4:7) The Israelites will experience the closeness of God time and again. God is with them, by their side, along for the journey each day as they navigate the relentless biblical wilderness. The closeness of God brings comfort and solace, especially when life is trying or troubling. Even the most jaded of the Israelites appeared to find great reassurance in this premise, as we might. 

What if, in the midst of it all, there is a divine presence with us? What if, actually, we’re not alone? I choose to believe that we’re not. I choose to believe that there is some bigger force watching over us, the same force that watched over our ancestors.

I have been thinking a lot about God and about gods. I went to see The Odyssey with Noa this week and we’ve been talking about it ever since. There are so many Jewish messages in the movie, some obvious, some less obvious. Here are my takeaways:

1. God is real and God is present. The characters in the movie grapple with and interact with their gods regularly. These figures are to be feared, respected, appeased and heeded. Poseidon, the god of the sea, is mighty and foreboding. Once he finds them, Odysseus learns with and from Calypso and Circe. In some ways, as they alter his thinking, so does he alter theirs. Such gods appear throughout Homer’s epic tale. The message: God is always ready to be in relationship with you. 
2.  We must actively work to remember our story and the story of our people. With trickery, Calypso would deny Odysseus the ability to continue on his way. He fights through the haze in an effort to remember his homeland, his journey and his family. After seven years in her clutches, he manages to finally move forward. The very act of remembering is what fuels him and urges him onward. The message: We must actively turn to and return to the power of our own individual story and the Jewish story as we venture forward in a daunting world.
3. We must remember those who came before us. Time and again, Odysseus will interact with his forebearers. In one striking scene, we find him at the edge of the Underworld, where he encounters countless fallen soldiers as well as the mighty fallen king, Achilles. The dead of The Odyssey live in Hades. They can be seen, heard, and accessed. They have something to teach Odysseus about leadership, about bravery and about misguided ambition. The message: Those who came before us offer us wisdom and guidance. Long after they are gone, they remain in our hearts and are part of the choices we make each day. 
4. Our focus should be on those with the least. The beggars of The Odyssey are often those with the most to offer. They are prophets. They are teachers. By the end of the saga, Odysseus is one of them, saving Penelope from a lifetime of misery and taking back Ithaca from figures who are violent and dishonest. Once and again, the destitute and homeless are overlooked or – worse – highly mistreated. The message: Our duty should be to those who society has pushed to the margins. We should use our privilege to lift up the fallen.

The list could go on to be sure. The story has so much to say about parenting, about hope, about forgiveness, about welcoming the stranger and taking care of one’s mental health. Our task as Jews is to learn from all. We are meant to learn throughout our lives. I pray that even an age-old Greek tale speaks to our Jewish soul, makes us proud to be part of the Jewish people and proud of the teachings offered by our remarkable tradition.