Swainson’s Hawk : And What is Good?

This is a Swainson’s Hawk. It was soaring through the air at my usual park with a majestic beauty that was absolutely compelling. The photograph came out well, and I shared it to much acclaim. Nearly every morning at the park someone asks me if I’ve seen anything good. And by “good,” they really mean rare or unexpected - like this Swainson’s Hawk. I know what they mean, and it’s challenging to answer both truthfully and meaningfully. Because, “I saw a luminous Cardinal,” or “An exultant Northern Mockingbird,” isn’t the response they want. But for me - rare not rare, expected unexpected - I inevitably see something good, always.

Talmud teaches about the order of blessings we offer. On Friday night, we first make kiddush over the wine. Then we say the prayer sanctifying time, concluding with the words, “Who makes Shabbat holy.” There was (unsurprisingly!) a debate which should come first: the blessing for wine or time. The Sages decided that the pride of place should be given to the more frequently made blessing, the one over wine, followed by the prayer that is said only once per week. As a general principle, they concluded that that which occurs regularly is given preference over that which occurs less frequently.

The Talmud’s lesson is more than simply a Hillel vs. Shammai debate. Literally how we perceive the world evolved to keep us alive; we focus on the extraordinary, dismissing the background, highlighting possible threats. Talmud teaches precisely the opposite: we are to give pride of place to what is always there for us, operating in the background, frequently taken for granted, but without which our lives are diminished. Examples abound: a parent’s love, trust in HaShem, the ambient support that flows from a holy community. Yes, we should marvel at the soaring Hawk, but we mustn’t overlook the beauty of the constant sky.