Imagine if Hashem hired an advertising agency to promote His values. The mission He assigned was not to promote Judaism or any particular Jewish obligations. Rather the mission was to promote tikkun olam ideas. To define and promote kindness, self-actualization, sensitivity, optimism, beauty, determination, empathy, confidence and myriad other values and traits that if practiced and internalized would make this world a better place and would bring us all collectively and individually much closer to the vision and joy that Hashem expressed when he reflected upon his handiwork at the end of creation and exclaimed that the world was not only good, וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלים כִּי־טֽוֹב (“and Hashem saw that it was good”) but that the world was amazing, וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹים֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד (“and Hashem saw all that he created and it was exceedingly good!”)
Well, as it turns out, as you might notice during this year’s Superbowl ads, there actually is an organization that took up this mission. For if the pattern of past years holds true, among the various companies that pay millions of dollars per second to try to convince the listening audience to invest their money in—cars, or Doritos chips, or computer chips, or insurance, or cell phones, or pizza, or any one of countless other enticing items—there will be one organization spending their millions to convince the listening audience to invest their hearts in values and behaviors that can change the world. The organization goes by two names, which each reflect their mission. The original name was Foundation for a Better Life although it is now more popularly known by its internet address “Values.com.”
I believe I first encountered Values.com when I stopped to notice a bus-stop advertising shelter somewhere in Manhattan that had a picture of Jackie Robinson on it with the tagline “Character. Pass It On.” At first glance I was puzzled by the “ad,” as I couldn’t figure out what exactly they were selling. Was “Character” the novel name of a new cologne being sold by someone who had bought the rights to Jackie Robinson’s image? For a while I let the conundrum sit in the back of my mind and heart, but eventually after noticing the image in a few other places and a few more times, I jotted down the web address and took out a few minutes to check this out.
Although I am a fairly positive person, I approached the website with a good dose of cynicism and caution as I didn’t want to be sucked into either a transaction or a religion. But after spending some time exploring the website I was so impressed and touched by what I had discovered. This website—and organization—was not soliciting money, nor was it trying to get you to join a religion or a cult or join anything at all! This website was simply a place that wanted to get people, all people, all races, all faiths to be the best version of themselves. Its goal was to “advertise” middot tovot, good character traits and good living practices, to help people think about and internalize values that helped one grow both in areas of Bein Adam L’Atzmo and Ben Adam Le’Chavero! I actually couldn’t believe how special this was!
The website had dozens of Madison Avenue quality video clips that promoted: empathy, honesty, caring, gratitude and so many other beautiful values. It chose from popular figures (Jackie Robinson, Mister Rogers) and relative unknowns to express true stories of courage and caring in the world and highlighted these stories in brief videos or posters to try to get the rest of us to adopt these middot.
I have had many favorite clips over the years, but by far my vote nowadays goes to a 60-second video that starts off with a couple of cool teenage boys entering a barber shop joking around while one of them dares his friend to actually “do it.” The friend sits down in a barber chair and tells the barber to start cutting and shaving. As his long hair slowly gets shorter and the barber indicates that he looks great, the friend hesitantly asks the barber to keep cutting, while his friends smirk and grimace in the background. It turns out, he won’t leave the barber chair until every single blade of hair on his head is cut off. He gets up from the chair completely bald, thanks the barber, and exclaims to his friends, “Our work here is done, boys.” The clip continues (spoiler alert) with him ringing the doorbell of a girl in his high school class who lost all her hair because of cancer. After she answers the door to her newly bald boyfriend, he holds up a sign asking her to go to the prom with him. The clip ends with the tagline: “Being There for Others. Pass It On.” That is just one example of so many creative clips and posters on the website, whose goal is to simply promote middot tovot.
Although I don’t usually donate to causes I am not familiar with, I was so moved by what I saw on this website and by what I noticed on billboards around the city and country (there are a few on the New Jersey Turnpike!)I decided that I wanted to contribute and be a part of this amazing effort. I searched the website for a donate button but puzzlingly, couldn’t find one. I eventually found a number to call to speak to someone and told them I was so impressed by the organization, and I wanted to donate, but I was told that they do not accept donations! That was when I started thinking that perhaps, this really was a website run by Hashem.
I did just a bit of research and found out that the website is actually not funded by Hashem but by a very special individual from Denver, Colorado. (This explains the many Values.com ads in the Denver airport.) But I still think that if Hashem would choose a favorite website to share the goals and messages for all of the citizens of the world, Values.com would be His top choice. Each year I take time out of classes to show my students the videos and messages of Values.Com, and they are always mesmerized. And every time I see an ad or billboard with their logo or message I am touched and inspired by the ability people have—Jews and non-Jews alike—to see through the consumerism and self-indulgence of the general culture and distill the beauty and goodness that Hashem had in mind when He originally exclaimed, “And behold, it [creation] was truly awesome.” So this year, when you are watching the Superbowl see if you can find Hashem’s ad!
Rabbi Benzion Scheinfeld is the director of Camp Kanfei Nesharim and a noted educator. He currently teaches in Tenafly Chabad Middle School. He can be reached at: [email protected]
