A School Kitchen Manager Teaches Us TOV!

The ancient Rabbinic Sages Taught: "Ayne Kemach, Ayne Torah", essentially, if there's not food (bread), there can be no learning. A school kitchen manager in a Denver school district was fired recently. Her terrible Crime? She gave free lunches to some hungry students who did not have any money, some who were chronically hungry without funds. Others, she paid for their lunches out of her own money. This woman lives her Values!

She could have been safe just "Following Orders", instead she chose to Do TOV. This is what distinguishes one person from the next. This is what makes real heroes -- people who first recognize the need and then respond – either as individuals or with a group who are willing to act together to change or correct something for the common good.

Further. All of our "Religious Memes" (beliefs) are WORTHLESS, unless we practice them! Especially when it comes to Feeding Hungry Children and taking care of the Most Vulnerable Members of our Society.

The article about the kitchen manager did not specify if these were local laws or just the school’s rules, but in the Cherry Creek School District, students who fail to qualify for the free lunch or reduced lunch program receive "A SLICE OF CHEESE ON A HAMBURGER BUN AND A SMALL CARTON OF MILK." It would be interesting to give the person or persons responsible for creating that rule "A SLICE OF CHEESE ON A HAMBURGER BUN AND A SMALL CARTON OF MILK" – and nothing else – and send them on to work.

You know, there is one thing that come up repeatedly when we look at things “programs” that are supposed to help the most vulnerable people in America – the program comes first and the people second. Think about this mentality for a moment. The school board saw a violation of a rule and acted to punish the kitchen manager. Did they see the hungry children? What did they do about them? Will they go to their house of worship and smugly Be Right With God?

The greatest struggle America faces today is this – as a nation we place value (money) over values. The kitchen manager placed Life over value. She said," I'll own that I broke the law. The law needs to change.” Hopefully, she will be able to form a "collective of people that Value the wellbeing of the children” and change the law. That my friends, is how TOV works!

Which should come first – values or laws? Our Founding Generation answered this question in our Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Our laws are supposed to reflect the above values, which include “promote the general Welfare.” Did you notice that it doesn’t say – “if it’s in the program”? This woman's Values reveals much about her character and her sense of TZEDDEK (Justice and Righteousness), taught in Jewish & Christian Traditions. Her words, thoughts  and actions PRESERVED LIFE, PROTECTED LIFE, MAKE LIFE MORE FUNCTIONAL AND INCREASED THE QUALITY OF LIFE. I know the Creator likes what she did – and I bet the Founding Fathers would too!

Every day I thank my Higher Power for putting ordinary people who do extraordinary things in this life to teach us. Blessed Be The TOVMAKERS!

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Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor