February 2005 Each Of Us Has A Debt To Pay By Rabbi Alvin Kass In ancient times the Israelites were commanded by Moses to pay a ransom to God for their souls. It is a strange law. After all, why should a person have to give a ransom for himself? The legislation is based on the assumption that a man's soul was holy and that everything holy belonged to God and the sanctuary. Since the soul was in actuality God's property, it could only be used by an individual if the appropriate ransom was given to the Almighty in exchange for it. This is in line with the injunction requiring the payment of redemption money for the first born children and the sacrificial offerings of the firstlings of the flock since these were regarded as belonging to God. Although the practice of giving a half-shekel to the sanctuary as a ransom for one's soul has fallen into disuse, it reflects a valid intuition about the relationship of people to the world about them which is still relevant today. Human beings should recognize that they owe a debt to life, the payment of which ought to constitute a top priority. Unfortunately, all too many people walk around with a chip on their shoulders feeling that life owes them a living. They complain about being shortchanged in one regard or another. In reality, to be alive in any shape or form is the greatest privilege and benefit that can be conferred on anyone. We owe a debt of infinite gratitude for the physical substance of our bodies alone. We are eternally indebted as well for the social resources available to us that represent the flower of mankind's culture and civilization as they have evolved from the beginning of time down to the present day. We have to pay for the privilege of living and we should be glad to do so. But how? As the Israelites were instructed thousands of years ago to Òappoint their ransom for the service of the tent of meeting,Ó so we should endeavor to pay our debt by serving God, each in his own way. Not all of us are cast in the mold of heroes, but every human being on the level of his individual capacity can contribute to the truth, beauty, and goodness of our surroundings. One does not need to be involved in the spectacular, the unusual, and the unique to live a dedicated, meaningful, and fulfilling life which satisfies our sense of obligation both to ourselves and to God for the privilege of being alive. Each of us has a debt to pay, and it can only be paid by taking our rightful place as builders of the sanctuary of God.