Thought for the Week
Shabbat Vayetze
24 November 2023
Dear Members and Friends,
I’m certain I’m not alone these days in the act of constantly refreshing my news feed. Waiting to see images of reunited families, praying for their safety and their health and fervently hoping that the remaining hostages will be returned. Unharmed. The faces of the youngest hostages come into my mind throughout the day and in the hours of the night when I awake with thoughts of them. The horror and anguish that their loved ones have been facing without knowing of their whereabouts is unimaginable. Please God may the next few hours, few days bring us more information and bring the return of the most vulnerable hostages. And may the remaining hostages be returned safely soon after.
The mitzvah to free a captive is Pidyon Shvuyim, it is identified as a ‘mitzvah rabbah’ a great mitzvah.
Maimonides has argued that redeeming a captive follows the imperatives that we are given in our sacred texts, he uses as his proof texts:
Deuteronomy 15:7 ‘You shall not harden your heart.’
Leviticus 19:16 ‘You shall not stand idly by the blood of your brother.’
Leviticus 19:18 ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’
The conversations within the Mishnah and the Talmud are reflections of the ethical and practical questions that the rabbinic sages of their time were confronting and those they believed would be confronted in the future. How tragic that our sages needed to write then about returning captives, and that in our day we lean on their writing for wisdom. The discussion around the redemption of captives is furthered by painful texts around the value of redeeming a captive. There are texts around the value of different captives depending on their age and even their Torah knowledge and texts around how much should be given in order to ensure their safe return. The texts are a painful read and even more painful to know that over a thousand years later, whilst discussions around hostages and prisoner exchanges are being discussed, these texts are still relevant.
It is a Jewish custom to include a nechemta - a piece of comfort - in any painful discourse. I’m particularly lucky that one of my roles in the synagogue is to support our young children and their families. Weekly at Rimon I see that nechemta in our young children who learn to love and embrace their Jewish identities and who continue to learn about these imperatives to keep an open heart, to not stand idly by and to love their neighbour. There is hope and there is still beauty. It is so important to hold onto hope and to find your nechemta- whatever it might be. The real comfort, of course, will come when all the hostages are returned and when a lasting peace is found in Israel and Palestine.
Like many within our community I grew up in America, my family is gathering this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. My father sent a Thanksgiving email to his children marking the many emotions of this week- the despair for the continued war, the hope for the return of the hostages, the pensive contemplation on the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the gratitude for what remains sacred and beautiful within our lives even in the midst of such turmoil. With his permission I share with you some of his words for a brighter future. ‘We have so much to be grateful/thankful for. Even so, we appreciate there is much room for Tikkun Olam! We remain hopeful that we as a country, and as a species, can be doing so much more to be looking out for the future, in our hopeful view forward about what life could/should be like for our grandchildren, and their grandchildren, and theirs and so on…, and for the entire biosphere, moving forward.’
This time next week may the children hostages be preparing to share a Shabbat dinner table with their families.
Shabbat Shalom,
Elana
Tue, 28 November 2023
15 Kislev 5784
Archive
November 2023
Shabbat Va-era
The Most Important Teachings of Judaism
Shabbat Tol'dot
October 2023
Simchat Torah
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
Shabbat Noach
Imam and Rabbi in Conversation
September 2023
August 2023
Shabbat Shof'tim
In a place where there are no people, strive to be human
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
Shabbat Va-y'chi
The Book of Exodus
Shabbat Va-era
Mental Health Awareness
December 2022
Shabbat Vayetze
Where is Home?
Chanukkah
November 2022
October 2022
Shabbat Ha'azinu/Sukkot
Simchat Torah
Shabbat Bereshit
September 2022
Shabbat Shof'Tim
A Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Weight of History
Shabbat Nitzavim/Rosh Hashanah
Embracing Uncertainty
August 2022
July 2022
The Meaning of Law
Shabbat Balak
Broken Peace. Can radical extremism be an answer?Shabbat Mattot
Destruction and Responsibility
June 2022
Shabbat Naso/ Shavuot
When leaders are criticised
Shabbat Sh'lach L'cha
Shabbat Korach
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
About Hope
Shabbat Vayikra
Rabbi Igor's Purim message from Warsaw, Poland
Shabbat Shemini
February 2022
January 2022
Mental Health Shabbat
Shabbat B'Shallach/Shirah
The Jewish Response to Hatred
Shabbat Mishpatim
December 2021
Shabbat Mikkeitz/Chanukkah 5782
On Punishment and Forgiveness
Shabbat Va-y'chi
Who is Wise?
November 2021
Parashat Tol'dot
Jewish Women's Aid Shabbat
Shabbat Vayishlach
Favouritism in the Torah and today
October 2021
September 2021
Shabbat Nitzavim
The Book of Life
Yom Kippur
Sukkot
August 2021
Shabbat Re'eh
Shabbat Ki Tetzé
Preparing for the High Holy Days
July 2021
June 2021
Reflections on the Meaning of Life
Shabbat Korach
Crime and Punishment
Shabbat Balak
May 2021
Reward and Punishment
Shabbat B'Midbar
Naso - Everyone Counts
Shabbat B'Ha'a lot'cha
April 2021
March 2021
Ki Tissa
The world without fear
Shabbat Vayikra
Language and our understanding of the world
February 2021
Parashat Yitro
Equality vs Equity
Shabbat Terumah/ Zachor
Turning values into habits
January 2021
Shemot
Identity
The hill we climb
To be the light
December 2020
Dreams of the ideal future
Vayeshev/ Chanukkah
Don't let the light go out
November 2020
The place where we are right
Human fractions and divine oneness
Who deserves to be loved
Vayetze
October 2020
September 2020
Being a hybrid community
Selichot 2020
Rosh Hashanah
To fast or not fast?
August 2020
Shabbat Shof'tim
Approaching The High Holy Days
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
A change of perspective
Coping during Coronavirus
The importance of hope
March 2020
Reflecting on Coronavirus
Support in uncertain times
Reconnecting with the earth during troubled times
The importance of sacrifice
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
Recognising sacredness
Building a future of hope
Chanukah
Reflecting on the story of Chanukah
November 2019
October 2019
Letting go of anger and hurt
Safety and security
Prayer is policital
Hope