Writings from Rabbi Glickman

I’ll bet you didn’t know that Tacoma appears in the Hebrew Bible. I was reminded of that recently when Sam asked me a question I couldn’t answer.

More about Sam below. First, let’s find the name of our fair city in Scripture.

Leviticus 26:37 is part of a long list of Bad Things that will happen if Israel disobeys God. This particular verse warns, “You will not have the ability to stand your ground before your enemies,” The single Hebrew word meaning “the ability to stand your ground” is … (read it carefully) … t’koomah.

Hebrew vowels are malleable, and t’koomah’s “oo” can easily morph into an “o.” T’koomah thus becomes t’komah, and for us vowel-lazy speakers of English, Tacoma isn’t very far behind.

However, we know that Tacoma has a common variant - Tahoma. This word, too, has a Hebrew meaning. Chapter 1 of Genesis tells us that, on the eve of Creation, darkness covered the face of the abyss. Abyss is t’hom in Hebrew - add an “a” at the end and you get direction. Tahoma, then, is Hebrew for “to the abyss.”

Strange, isn’t it? They are almost opposites. Tacoma is Hebrew for “the ability to stand one’s ground,” while Tahoma means “to the abyss.” Standing your ground and stepping into the abyss tend to be mutually exclusive activities.

Of course, Tacoma and Tahoma are Native American names for Mount Rainier - they are very un-Hebrew in origin. However, I can’t help but wonder whether the weird convergence of these two ancient words in the name of our modern city is more than just a coincidence. Maybe there is an important lesson to be learned here - a Big Thing.

Enter Sam. I call Sam the Über-Yuppie. He has a good, position with a local corporation, drives a nice car, and works hard for our Temple and for civic causes. Sam has a great sense of humor, a wonderful wife, and three well-adjusted children.

But something is bothering Sam. Lately he’s been feeling burnt-out, as if the spark that has gotten him so far in life is beginning to fade. His degree is in education, actually, and he’s considering becoming a teacher. He is ambivalent about taking such a step. There would be summers and vacations with the family, but not to Hawaii any more; it might be more meaningful, but the hours that would probably be just as long as they were previously. Dealing with a demanding boss is one thing, but facing a class of unruly seventh graders can be really difficult.

Sam’s greatest hesitation is the fear of change. He spent the past 15 years becoming a corporate guy, and leaving that identity behind for a new and unknown one is really scary. What if it doesn’t work out? Then what?

Should Sam stand his ground, or step into the frightening abyss? Tacoma, or Tahoma?

We all have to make these Tacoma-Tahoma decisions: Should we do what is right and scary, or what is easy and comfortable? Switch jobs, or stay at the old one? Report my co-worker for cheating, or stay silent and mind my own business?

Do I stay where I am, or should I risk it all for the possibility of making it better?

If only these questions had easy answers. If only I could have told Sam what to do. Alas, I could not.

But there was one Big Thing I could say. Tacoma and Tahoma don’t have to be mutually exclusive. In the right hands, staying put and stepping into the unknown can both be tools for making our lives good and holy. The hard part, of course, is knowing which to do when, for there are countless situations that call for each response. Perhaps what we need most is the ability to listen and look for the clues that often lay unseen right before us - the Little Things in life that can guide us along the path God wants us to take.

Life well lived is a dance with pauses. We move; we stop; we move; we stop again. When all is said and done, we hope that we did it well.

Tacoma or Tahoma? Look and listen carefully, and maybe the answer will become clear.

“Sam,” I said, “you’re a wonderful person. You’ve already made something good of your life. Keep your mind and heart open now, and I’m pretty confident that you’ll figure out what you should do.”

Tacomans hold their ground. Tahomans step into the abyss. No, I couldn’t answer Sam’s question. But he’s a good guy from a good place, a place with names rich in meaning and wisdom. With God’s help, he will find that answer, and he’ll do what he should. And doing what he should, after all, is the Very Big Thing to which he and the rest of us can all aspire.

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