Was it a cat I saw? A Toyota?
No, I don’t need my eyes checked. I can tell the difference between a feline and a four-door. Each
of the above questions is an example of a palindrome -- a word or phrase whose letters read the
same forward or backward. Some palindromes are short and easy to remember, like radar or
Hannah. Then there are the more creative phrases, like the words with which the first man
introduced himself to Eve -- "Madam, I’m Adam."
Palindrome also applies to numbers, so this secular new year is a treat for all palindrome lovers.
Although it has only been a decade since 1991 ended, how many were around to see 1881, and
how many will live until 2112? On the Jewish calendar, we only need to wait 13 more years until
the arrival of 5775. Actually a true palindromic date just recently passed, corresponding to my
wife’s birthday, October 02, 2001, the first of its kind since August 31, 1380!
A possible order in a Chinese restaurant: Wonton on salad? Alas, no, not now!
Palindrome can also be understood metaphorically. I would apply the term to any situation
marked by a comforting balance from beginning to end. For example, consider the champion
marathon runner, who maintains a steady pace over 26 miles. Think of the child who was raised
by loving parents, who now has become the caregiver for those same parents, bringing their lives
to a peaceful conclusion.
I wonder in what kind of restaurant this order was placed: Go hang a salami; I’m a lasagna hog.
Think of how a Jewish week is supposed to be -- beginning and ending with Shabbat. Or the
structure of the Shabbat itself, starting and finishing with the sanctity and tranquility of wine and
candlelight. I think of the way that Mr. Ralph lived his life -- from beginning to peaceful end -- at
his advanced, though secret age, still very childlike with his enthusiasm for performing mitzvot
and interacting with people.
Are we not drawn onwards, we Jews, drawn onward to new era?
I hear too many stories from people who used to go to shul, used to observe mitzvot, used to
read Hebrew and study the texts. Our goal should be to keep up with, or bring back, the rich
Judaism of our past. As a generation of Jewish people, we should not cause ourselves to feel
inferior to our ancestors. If we were to write the history of the Jewish people, the book would
begin with greatness and great people -- like Abraham, Sarah, Moses and Miriam -- but the
book must also conclude with the strength of character and purpose that ought to describe every
generation of Jewish people, including our own.