Torah Connection - Chayei Sarah

Quick catching up on the Torah Connection.

Last week's reading was Chayei Sarah, which is an account of Abraham's life after his wife Sarah dies after the near-sacrifice of Isaac.   It is often understood that it was Abraham's willingness to kill their son that caused Sarah to lose her will to live. 

And what does Abraham do at this point?  Well, coming face to face with mortality in his immediate family, he realizes that he must provide for the next generation, and seeks a wife for Isaac. Rebekah distinguishes herself by not only offering Eliezer water, but taking the extra effort to draw as much water as necessary to take care of his camels.  It is this going beyond the basic requirements that makes her worthy of her role in Jewish history.  I was impressed to see this message right after speaking to my own children about the need to learn to take initiative to help out before being asked.  Timely Torah!

24:18	'Drink, Sir,' she replied. She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink. Vatomer sheteh adoni vatemaher vatored kadah al-yadah vatashkehu.
24:19	When he had finished drinking, she said, 'Let me draw water for your camels, so they can [also] drink their fill.' Vatechal lehashkoto vatomer gam ligmaleycha esh'av ad im-kilu lishtot.

It is also the message we need to hear when faced with human needs.  Whether it is victims of a hurricane or of unenlightened social systems, we must fight our natural tendency to let someone else deal with it.  Let us, like Rebekah, draw water for the stranger's camels, until they have drunk their fill.

I'm back!

I've been a bit out of the loop for some reason the last 2 weeks.  Just kinda preoccupied with stuff on the home front, and worrying about victims of Sandy, and rocket attacks in Israel, and so on.

The long-awaited meeting at my congregation arrived today, when we were supposed to outline an agenda for this year, and I hoped to get special needs children on the agenda.  Didn't happen. The meeting got a huge infection of committee-itis. Lots of talk about how we really should have lots of conversations about the stuff that's important to us instead of.... having those conversations.  But the food was good. 

Torah Connection - Vayera

This past week my congregation participated in Global Hunger Shabat, joining congregations around the world to raise awareness about those who do not enjoy the abundance that we take for granted.

Part of the reading for this event is taken from this week's Torah portion, where Abraham argues with G*d on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  How much "collateral damage" is acceptable when destroying these bastions of evil? Not 50, or 40, or 30, or 20, or even 10 innocents must perish together with the guilty.

What can we learn from this?  First, that a small number of people can, in fact make a difference.  A small group of people banding together for justice against an unjust society can sway the course of events, whether we consider that to be a divine intervention or not.   Today, as we vote, we can think of those as the swing voters who ultimately determine the outcome of the election.

Second, that a small impact is worth making!  When we look at all the troubles in the world, whether it be global hunger, or institutionalized orphans, or oppressed people of all sorts, we can be overwhelmed.  If we cannot make a significant impact, why tilt at windmills?  This passage says, no, it is important to advocate even on behalf of a small number.  Saving even a single soul is like saving the whole world.

Finally, there is a subtle point that I noticed while reading this passage during our study session.  Abraham asks G*d for justice: "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"  G*d, however, responds to Abraham's plea with mercy:  "If I find within the city of Sodom ... innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake."  Abraham's request for justice is in fact denied -- the innocent and guilty will ultimately fare alike in this case.  Here is the tension between the "conservative" and "liberal" points of view.  Both seek to create a better world, but some seek to achieve it through justice, while others through mercy.  Judaism has a longstanding tradition of not choosing between them, but instead grappling with that very tension.  It is useful to remember, as we argue with each other over the political issues of the day, that our political adversaries are not evil incarnate, but just people with different opinions.

Vote!

Vote!

Why do children with disabilities do so much better when they come here?  For the same reason that adults and children, with and without disabilities, of all races and creeds, do well here.  This is a free country, where our basic rights are protected, and where the government belongs to us, not the other way around. 

Unless we let it become the other way around. 


Vote!!!

Down Syndrome WON'T ruin your life!

My sweet husband sent me this link today.  Enjoy the bonus cute baby pics, and check out the discussion in the comments, too!

Orphan Sunday

I didn't realize it was "Orphan Sunday" until I saw some other bloggers post about it.   I can't think of anything new to say about it right now, but I have a tag for it.

Fall Back!

Ahhhh, an extra hour of sleep!