D'var Torah

What does it mean to be part of, or connected to, the Jewish people?

The Book of Esther, which we read on Purim (and what a wonderful Purim celebration it was!), posits that sometimes it means taking risks – like the risk Esther took when she approached Ahasuerus to ask for his help saving her people, even though she knew he might take her life.

And the Torah portion Ki Tisa, which we read this week, posits that sometimes it means choosing to believe in the possibility of future compassion and societal healing when the main thing you can see in the present is brokenness and pain. (This is what Moses chooses, when he urges an angry God to respond with compassion to the Israelites who built an idol out of fear.)

Both of these choices can be so hard to make.

Like many of you, I have been watching the recent news out of Israel with great concern. As the Knesset has advanced a number of bills that would impede the independence of the Israeli Supreme Court and Members of Knesset have made public statements inciting violence, I have been grateful that so many people (including leaders in the Israeli and American Reform Movements) are speaking out in support of democracy and human rights, and against racism and incitement.

Here at TRS, we have also had several meaningful opportunities to meet with and learn from members of our sister congregation in Israel, Kehillat Ra’anan, many of whom have told us they are heartened by our support during a very scary time for them. Most recently, we joined them on zoom to hear about the work of the Israel Religious Action Center (the social justice wing of the Israeli Reform Movement) to advance democracy. (The recording of that conversation is available here.)

Next week, forty-eight members of our Temple family will visit Israel – the first Israel trip for our community since COVID. We will explore and learn and pray … and we will also spend time meeting people working for peace, justice, human rights and democracy, and hearing from them about how we can support them. Meanwhile, here in Northern Virginia, so many people in our community care so deeply about Israeli democracy and human rights, and will continue to offer support from afar.

May we, like Esther, rise to our moment, with an awareness that we are all interconnected, and responsible for one another -- kol yisrael aravim zeh ba’zeh.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Stein

 ¹Babylonian Talmud Shevuot 39a. “All Israel are responsible for one another.”