October 2000 Walking By Rabbi Alvin Kass Edward Rothstein, the New York Times critic, wrote an essay entitled "Journeys Where the Means Are the Ends." The article was inspired by Rebecca Solnit's recently published volume, Wanderlust: A History of Walking. As an inveterate walker my whole life, I found Rothstein's observations fascinating. I also learned a great deal, including the fact that many of history's most famous personalities such as Aristotle, Rousseau, and Dickens shared my passion for walking. Apart from the physical exercise, walking for me is a chance to meditate, clear my mind, assess my priorities, find solutions to problems, commune with nature, discover the world around me, and get the creative juices flowing. It is obvious from reading Rothstein's piece, that these benefits of walking were already known to mankind thousands of years before I discovered them. The rewards of walking may have inspired the Talmud's restriction on Sabbath travel, especially by means other than ankle express. To be sure, I am quite aware that the Conservative Movement sanctions riding to the synagogue on the Sabbath when a family resides beyond a reasonable walking distance, or physical disability would rule out the possibility of getting to the synagogue by a person's own locomotion. This is a ruling with which I wholeheartedly agree. It flows from the recognition that although one may worship at home in accordance with Jewish law, the practice of private prayer has fallen into such disuse that were it not for synagogue attendance on the Sabbath most people would not pray at all during the week. Moreover, the average Jew gets his knowledge of the Torah and his Jewish information through the synagogue, most particularly the sermon which both instructs and inspires co-religionists to live in accordance with our faith. Hence, regular synagogue attendance is a prerequisite to the preservation of Judaism. The achievement of such an overwhelmingly important objective certainly justifies the use of the automobile on the Sabbath. I am also cognizant that all Jews sanction driving on the Sabbath where the preservation of life is at stake. All of these cases, however, are exceptions to the general principle that where possible the means of movement on the Sabbath ought to be restricted to the use of our feet. The Sabbath is unquestionably an institution whose goals and purposes can be enhanced through walking, particularly when it is done in a relaxed way and within the geographical limits established by our tradition. The Sabbath can bring the Jew close to the eternal and basic issues of life. It can move a person to explore the world's noblest meanings. The Sabbath proclaims the cosmic dignity of the human species and the unique worth of every individual. Through study, prayer, and walking, these sanctified aspirations can achieve a far fuller measure of realization. Conversely, when riding is carried on for purposes other than synagogue attendance, it detracts from the spirit of the Sabbath. Apart from halachic considerations, driving generates tensions due to traffic congestion, noise, and waiting in line. In addition, there is the everpresent possibility of a flat tire or other mechanical failure. Surely, the rest and serenity of the Sabbath require minimal mechanized travel. Unfortunately, walking in general is in decline, especially in the suburbs. Indeed, in most suburbs there are few, if any, sidewalks because it is assumed that people will travel everywhere by car. One of the great benefits of living in New York City is that almost everything is so accessible by foot. It is often more convenient to walk than to drive to your destination, given the usual traffic congestion and paucity of parking spaces. I'm also always amazed at the prodigious capacity of people to defeat and outwit themselves. Take, for example, the treadmill, an object which permits you to expend the same physical energy as regular walking without the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of God's universe. Even in the rain or the dead of winter, walking outdoors can be a priceless experience if you're properly attired. By contrast, the treadmill, according to Ms. Solnit as quoted by Rothstein, is just "a device with which to go nowhere in places where there is nowhere to go." In spite of modernity's conspiracy against walking, the benefits and joys of walking are so overwhelming that I suspect walking will still be around and even flourish for as long as there are people in the world.