On Tuesday, June 15, California officially “reopened.” I don’t really know what that means, for us as a society or for me as an individual. But we are emerging from our fear and isolation to some kind of reopening of our society. What it will look like is still unclear, but this is a moment of transition. We have been taught hard lessons about our vulnerability and our mortality.
Control has been shown to be an illusion, time and again. In this week’s Torah portion the Israelites wander for 38 years and Miriam and Aaron die in quick succession. The Israelites are terrified at these deaths, for Miriam provided them with water (through the miraculous well that followed her wherever Israel wandered, according to the midrash) and Aaron mediated the people’s relationship with God through his sacred service in the Tabernacle. He literally held back death. Now both are dead and the Israelites fear for the worst.
According to our tradition, their fear is so great they cannot even comfort Moses when Miriam dies. Instead, they attack him with questions on how they will get water.
At moments of crisis and transition we always have a choice. Will we act with compassion and empathy or will we act out in fear and anger.
As we come back together as a congregation and a society, It is good for us to remember this choice and rebuild our social connections with empathy and love.
Parashat Chukat, Numbers 19:1-22:1 – Parashat ha Shavuah for Saturday, June 19, 2021
June 18, 2021 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
On Tuesday, June 15, California officially “reopened.” I don’t really know what that means, for us as a society or for me as an individual. But we are emerging from our fear and isolation to some kind of reopening of our society. What it will look like is still unclear, but this is a moment of transition. We have been taught hard lessons about our vulnerability and our mortality.
Control has been shown to be an illusion, time and again. In this week’s Torah portion the Israelites wander for 38 years and Miriam and Aaron die in quick succession. The Israelites are terrified at these deaths, for Miriam provided them with water (through the miraculous well that followed her wherever Israel wandered, according to the midrash) and Aaron mediated the people’s relationship with God through his sacred service in the Tabernacle. He literally held back death. Now both are dead and the Israelites fear for the worst.
According to our tradition, their fear is so great they cannot even comfort Moses when Miriam dies. Instead, they attack him with questions on how they will get water.
At moments of crisis and transition we always have a choice. Will we act with compassion and empathy or will we act out in fear and anger.
As we come back together as a congregation and a society, It is good for us to remember this choice and rebuild our social connections with empathy and love.
~Rabbi Dean Kertesz