Dear TBZ community:
How do we hold in the same moment emotions of relief and of pain? How do we hold this measure of optimism for our country upon hearing the guilty verdict in the murder of George Floyd and still cry for the injustice -- the loss of George Floyd’s life and so many other lives lost because of the horror of racism.
Many have called this a moment of justice. Justice would be if George Floyd were alive today.
Rather this is a moment of accountability. Accountability for one police officer in one crime. There is much work ahead.
One of this week's parshiot, is Kedoshim. The Parasha begins with a call to be Holy, to live a holy life and
קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם
You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.
This parasha, includes also the call to love our neighbor as we love ourselves וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖, a kavanah, an intentionality that we include in our prayers, every day, and every shabbat at TBZ.
The concepts of holiness and of love might seem a bit abstract. What does it mean to be holy and what does it mean to love? Torah and specifically in parshat Kedoshim we find several teachings of how this looks in our lives:
We read in Leviticus 19, verses 11-18:
לֹ֖א תִּגְנֹ֑בוּ וְלֹא־תְכַחֲשׁ֥וּ וְלֹֽא־תְשַׁקְּר֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ בַּעֲמִיתֽוֹ
You shall not steal; you shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another.
וְלֹֽא־תִשָּׁבְע֥וּ בִשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְחִלַּלְתָּ֛ אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה
You shall not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God: I am the LORD.
לֹֽא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִגְזֹ֑ל לֹֽא־תָלִ֞ין פְּעֻלַּ֥ת שָׂכִ֛יר אִתְּךָ֖ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר
You shall not defraud your fellow. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning.
לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה
You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ
You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kinsman fairly.
לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה
Do not deal basely with your countrymen. Do not profit by the blood of your fellow: I am the LORD.
לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him.
לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD
Each of these speak to our commitment to fairness and justice, to seeing each human being as deserving of just treatment and deserving of dignity. The call to holiness is the call of commitment to fellow humans.
“With righteousness you shall judge your fellow.”: The verse speaks about the fairness to be applied in the judicial process. Justice must not be perverted. He who applies fair rules thereby strengthens the throne of the Almighty. It is said of God's throne that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne,” (Psalms 89,16); if someone perverts the judicial system he thereby undermines God's throne. This is a demeaning of God's glory.”
In this teaching Rabbeinu Bahya links justice to God’s throne and God’s glory, powerfully suggesting that when we do not live a life that seeks justice, we are diminishing God’s presence.
צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף Tzedek, tzedek tirdof”—“Justice, justice shall you pursue,” the verse from Deuteronomy 16:20 that we find on the banner at the front entrance of TBZ reads fully “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
Pursuing justice is not a choice; it is the condition of moving from surviving to thriving. Derek Chauvin’s conviction is only a beginning of the pursuit for justice. As of three days ago, since George Floyd’s murder, 181 Black people have been killed by police in America. Just as the verdict was being handed down in the Chauvin trial, Makiyah Bryant, a 15-year-old Black girl in Columbus, Ohio, was shot and killed by police.
This week's guilty verdict was the right one, but this case has shed a brighter light on just how much work we have left to do. The work of dismantling systemic racism is nowhere near over; it is just beginning.
We continue committed to this work and to the pursuit of a world and a life of holiness.
May this Shabbat bring renewal and blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, and patience, and open our hearts with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing.
May we have a joyful and restful Shabbat!
Shabbat Shalom,
