How many times do we see people offering “thoughts and prayers” after tragic events? The Torah this week reminds us that perhaps it should be “actions and prayers.” Yes, we can have both a belief in something greater than ourselves and the imperative to take action to create a world that is a picture of justice and mercy.
In the southeast corner of Oregon, there is a sparsely inhabited swath of land known as the Outback. It is a place every Oregonian should visit at least once, for as the sun drops below the horizon, the night sky there becomes one of the darkest places left on the planet. Staring up there when the moon is small is to gasp in wonder at a vision of the stars most modern people no longer have access to.
Free will plays a role all throughout the Torah, but it’s especially evident when individuals rise up against injustice. Today too there are bystanders and upstanders, and the upstanders are the ones who know we’re in this together.
As many are aware, South Africa brought charges of genocide against the State of Israel in one of the legal bodies of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice. Arguments were heard, beginning yesterday. Because of time constraints, I want to make two quick points at this time: if this is a topic in which people have interest, it would be possible to explore this legal case more deeply and to explain more thoroughly my own evolving thinking on this historic and pernicious case, while also providing more sources for those who want to continue their own investigation. If this is a topic on which you would like to hear more, please reach out.
Interestingly, the secular new year, Tu B’Shevat, and our reading about the Exodus in the Torah all happen around the same time, so needless to say fresh starts are on our minds in January. Whether it’s a new food, a new exercise routine, or a new hobby, it’s helpful to have an excuse like the new year to explore those unchartered waters in our lives.
This week, much of the Jewish and general social media universe have quickly written about the meaning of Claudine Gay’s resignation as the president of Harvard University. There are people who view this as a victory in the war against antisemitism on college campuses, while others think this is a terrible result for Jews as it will be used by our enemies to exaggerate the strength and reach of Jewish power.
Here’s a question to ponder about our biblical narrative: what would have happened if, at any point, God had decided that the Jewish people were not worthy of redemption? Or worthy of receiving the Torah? It’s a question without an answer because it hypothetically negates the existence of Judaism altogether.
