Special CyberTorah from Rabbi Graff
As this week comes to a close and we prepare for shabbat, I want to acknowledge the trauma we and our country experienced on Wednesday, seeing fellow Americans attack our capitol, disrupt our democratic process, and threaten the safety of our leaders.
By nighttime on Wednesday, Scott and I were drained and depressed, yet still drawn to the media for more film footage and articles on the events of the day. Our daughters, however, took a different approach. They decided, as they often do, to listen to musical theatre and sing their hearts out. Interestingly, the album they chose was Hamilton. And the first song that came up was “One Last Time,” the song in which George Washington tells Alexander Hamilton that he’s not going to run for a 3rd term as president.
Shocked and saddened, Hamilton sings, “Mister President, they will say you’re weak.”
Washington: “No, they will see we’re strong.”
Hamilton: “Your position is so unique.”
Washington: “So I’ll use it to move them along.”
Hamilton: “Why do you have to say goodbye?”
Washington: “If I say goodbye, the nation learns to move on. It outlives me when I’m gone.”
The juxtaposition of the song with the day’s events was painful, but also powerful. As the girls continued to sing along with the Black and Latino actors portraying America’s founding fathers, I couldn’t help but marvel at the brilliance of the democratic institutions they created.
Every morning I try to study a bit of Torah as part of my daily prayer routine. Yesterday, though, after I put on my tallis and tefillin, I got my computer and pulled up the Constitution as my morning Torah. The site I landed on had little boxes that would pop up when I hovered over a law that has been amended. I found it moving to read the exact wording of how slavery was abolished, and how women and people of color were given the right to vote. I also found it moving to see all the laws that haven’t changed – the details of our electoral process, of our legislative process, of our judicial system, and of so many other facets of our government that still continue as they were originally designed over 230 years ago. Our constitution is the Torah of our country. It is a gift, and it is worthy of our study.
In the real Torah, we begin the book of Exodus this week. Our parasha, Shemot (Exodus 1:1 – 6:1) has one story after another of people facing difficult situations with courage and humility. Pharaoh decrees that all Hebrew baby boys must be killed, yet the midwives, “fearing God,” defy Pharaoh and enable the babies to live. Moses’ mother refuses to accept death as the only option for her baby. Then Pharaoh’s daughter knowingly adopts this Hebrew baby, in flagrant violation of her father’s order. Moses stands up for a slave being beaten by an Egyptian, for a Hebrew being wronged by another Hebrew, and for Midianite girls being harassed at the well. But he is unsure of his ability to go to Pharaoh and lead the people out of slavery. He reluctantly accepts the job, with God’s assurance that “I will be with you.”
There is so much we can take from this parasha this week – the courage to stand up for what we believe is right, to risk our lives to save others, to lead in a time of a crisis. I am struck by a sense of common humanity that comes through in these stories. An Egyptian princess, a Hebrew girl, a midwife, a Moses – they are all human beings, with their own needs and fears. Yet they’re somehow able to feel the humanity of others and reach out across a divide. May our leaders find inspiration in these stories, and may we as well.
Finally, a reflection from our prayers. The daily morning service begins with 3 profound statements.
Thank You God for making me in Your image.
Thank You God for making me a Jew.
Thank You God for making me free.
The last two days I’ve found extra meaning in pausing after each of these statements, thinking about what these words mean to me.
Thank you God, for creating me in Your image. Help me to see Your image in me and in every person: in those closest to me, and in those who seem most different.
Thank You God for making me a Jew. For giving me a history, an identity, and a community to turn to when events seem overwhelming. Help me to live by our Jewish values and help heal our country and make it a better place.
Thank You God for making me free. For the gift of living in the United States. For the ability to speak freely, to vote freely, to practice Judaism freely. And for free will to choose in each moment, a path of blessing, of compassion, of gratitude, of goodness.
As we enter into shabbat, I encourage each of us to turn away from the appalling events of the week. Turn away from our devices and the media, and turn instead to our sacred texts: our Torah, our prayer book, and our Constitution. Reflect upon the values on which our country and our Jewish traditions are founded. And reflect upon the values that are most precious to you.
Sing, rest, laugh, pray. Connect with other human beings, and with your soul.
May you be blessed with hope and healing and courage and peace and vision for a better future. And may our country and leaders be too.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Graff
