Elul 4 5781

 Elul 4, 5781/August 12, 2021

Rabbi Alan Cook 

In 1979, singer Harry Belafonte appeared on season three of The Muppet Show. Though I didn’t know of Mr. Belafonte at the time, I did watch the show regularly. Thus I was introduced to a song by Mr. Belafonte, reportedly based on an African melody he had learned during his

travels. The song “Turn the World Around” was widely acclaimed; Jim Henson considered that

Muppet Show segment to be some of his best work. Jewish musician Dan Nichols has adapted the song, updating the lyrics with a verse about Torah.

The refrain “Turn the World Around'' reflects many possible meanings. It could suggest that it is our responsibility to consider the world from a variety of perspectives—that we must be mindful of the fact that others may experience a particular situation differently. This echoes the teaching of the sage Rabbi Ben Bag-Bag in Pirkei Avot: “Turn it [the Torah] and turn it, for everything is in it.” The more we return to Torah, and consider the world in which we live, the more we learn new things.

The lyrics might also mean that each of us has the power to Turn the World Around, finding strength from the world’s resources to create powerful transitions that will serve l’taken olam b’malchut Shaddai, “to transform the world under the Sovereignty of God.” Fire, water, mountain, Torah all give us the tools we need to make a difference. As we work to do good in the world, as we “see one another clearly,” may 5782 be the year in which we Turn the World Around.