Do you remember your Torah Portion?

I was speaking with my Rabbi about MitzvahArt the other day.  He is a great supporter and helps out proofing many of the MitzvahArt we produce.  He said that he often asks parents of b’nai mitzvah what portion they recited when they were young.  Interestingly, he is constantly surprised by how of them many have forgotten their portion.

I had to admit that I had forgotten mine until my daughter had started practicing hers.  I dug it out and still had a hard time figuring out which verses I studied.

But really, what is the significance of the portion recited at one’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah?  You might say that some portions are better than others.  My daughter and son will both have portions about Joseph with great lessons of forgiveness and leadership, while others talk about leprosy and how to adorn the tabernacle. Is there anything that can be concluded by which portion you get?  Does it say anything about the personality of the young adult? Their potential or their future?

I am interested in your thoughts on the matter because frankly I do not know. Each portion I have studied has many facets and lessons.  And each year there seem to be new ways to look at the same portion and learn something new. And I think that is the point. The politics of the era, your personal life, family life and local happenings all impact how you see things and what the Torah offers in the way of guidance.

So what does it mean to remember your Torah portion? It means you remember that you have a connection to the Torah already and that if you revisit it often it will continue to be meaningful in new and relevant ways.

So try to dig yours out if you have not recently and read it again, read what others say about it and seek to apply it to your life today.  I bet you will be surprised.

If you cannot remember your portion but know the date of your Bar or Bat Mitzvah your more than halfway there. (HebCal has a great calendar that can help you find the portion for a given month and year, click here.)