Parashat Eikev—Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
2nd Haftora of Consolation—Isaiah 49:14-51:3
What an honor last Shabbat for our community to host the East Bay renewal communities’ GLBT annual Friday night service! Song, dance, prayer and profound teaching left a lasting imprint on our sanctuary’s walls. And so it is all the more poignant that we mourn with our brothers and sisters in Tel Aviv the senseless murder of two young gay people there on Saturday night (and the violent injury of 15 others).
Our Torah portion begins with a profound statement: “eikev tishm’un eit hamishpatim haeila u’sh’marem v’asitem otam…the consequence of your listening to and fulfilling these laws will be the ongoing covenantal love relationship between you and your God. You will be loved and blessed - you and your land will be fruitful.” (Devarim 7:12-13).
Soon thereafter, however, our text continues with a painful recounting of the destruction to be wrought by the Israelites on the Canaanite tribes.
How deep is the worldview of self and Other seared into our communal psyche!
Isaiah, in the section from the prophets we chant week, promises that Zion will never be forgotten by the Holy One, that she is engraved on the palms of the Divine hands....and that the children she thought she had lost will be returned (49:14-22).
We pray together this week that this promise to Zion be a promise we make to every child. Let each child receive the assurance of a brit— covenant—we make with each other and with All of Existence not to rest until each is loved, accepted, honored and celebrated as an essential and unique incarnation of Divinity.
With blessing to always see and act from a place of hokhmat ha lev—wise heartedness,
2nd Haftora of Consolation—Isaiah 49:14-51:3
What an honor last Shabbat for our community to host the East Bay renewal communities’ GLBT annual Friday night service! Song, dance, prayer and profound teaching left a lasting imprint on our sanctuary’s walls. And so it is all the more poignant that we mourn with our brothers and sisters in Tel Aviv the senseless murder of two young gay people there on Saturday night (and the violent injury of 15 others).
Our Torah portion begins with a profound statement: “eikev tishm’un eit hamishpatim haeila u’sh’marem v’asitem otam…the consequence of your listening to and fulfilling these laws will be the ongoing covenantal love relationship between you and your God. You will be loved and blessed - you and your land will be fruitful.” (Devarim 7:12-13).
Soon thereafter, however, our text continues with a painful recounting of the destruction to be wrought by the Israelites on the Canaanite tribes.
How deep is the worldview of self and Other seared into our communal psyche!
Isaiah, in the section from the prophets we chant week, promises that Zion will never be forgotten by the Holy One, that she is engraved on the palms of the Divine hands....and that the children she thought she had lost will be returned (49:14-22).
We pray together this week that this promise to Zion be a promise we make to every child. Let each child receive the assurance of a brit— covenant—we make with each other and with All of Existence not to rest until each is loved, accepted, honored and celebrated as an essential and unique incarnation of Divinity.
With blessing to always see and act from a place of hokhmat ha lev—wise heartedness,
Rabbi SaraLeya
13 Av 5769
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