Dear TBZ community:
Last Sunday I visited
The Touro Synagogue
in Newport, Rhode Island. (You can learn about the History of the synagogue
here
.)
Built in 1763, and the only surviving synagogue dating to the colonial era as well as the oldest surviving synagogue building in North America, what makes this synagogue such a unique place is that it holds within its walls the history of our country becoming a place where people of different faiths can worship in freedom.
On August 17, 1790, President George Washington visited Newport. In honor of his visit Moses Seixas, the synagogue's warden, wrote to Washington,
a letter
expressing the support of the Congregation for Washington's administration and good wishes for him. In response Washington sent
a letter
on August 21, which reads in part:
The Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support....
May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.
May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.
This letter reassures those who had fled religious tyranny that life in their new nation would be different, that religious “toleration” would give way to religious liberty, and that the government would not interfere with individuals in matters of conscience and belief. This letter is a profound statement of religious freedom for all people in this country.
Even in times where hatred, conflict, intolerance, oppression, discrimination, and extremism are becoming more apparent in our modern lives, this letter and our history reminds us that this country stands for something profound and important. Our nation stands for equality and tolerance and pluralism, and that all people can contribute something to this country, no matter where they are from, what they believe, or what faith they hold.
This Shabbat is Shabbat Shekalim, the first of four special shabbatot prior to Passover. Two of this Shabbatot occur in the weeks leading up to Purim and two in the weeks then leading up to Passover.
On Shabbat Shekalim ("Shabbat Of
shekels
" שבת שקלים), we read a special maftir from
Exodus 30:11-16
. In it we read about the requests from each adult male Isralite to contribute half of a shekel for the upkeep of the Tabernacle, , the
mishkan
(משכן).
One understanding of why each person contributes half a shekel (not more or less), is because you need someone else to contribute the other half to make a whole. To build the tabernacle you need a partnership, you need others to create something complete. It is also understood that everyone brings the same amount because we are all equally valuable and we all make equal contributions to our community. There is no half shekel that is more important than another half shekel.
I love thinking about this teaching in the context of religious liberty and President Washington’s letter. We are blessed to live in a country that holds at its core the idea that each person, each individual, each community and each religion has something to contribute. We are blessed to live where freedom of religion is a value and where each of us, no matter where we come from or what we believe, has something to contribute to this country.
I know it doesn’t feel so great lately but reminding ourselves what this country is about and what it was built for can inspire us to continue to fight for it. Our future is at stake and this is why during the times of elections, we can not lose hope, we must continue to shine our light to the world and each of us must bring our half shekel.
May this Shabbat bring blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May our contributions help build a Tabernacle for the Divine to reside with us.
May we have a joyful Shabbat!
Shabbat Shalom,
