“Shedding the Garments of Captivity”
With clothes ready to get dirty and a determination to make a difference, I joined fourteen other Jewish Federation employees to paint the second floor of the Cornerstone Manor on North Street in Buffalo. A dedicated shelter for women and children, it provides long term assistance for dozens of families in need. As it celebrates its twentieth anniversary this summer, a fresh coat of paint was just what the doctor ordered. Of course, none of the Jewish professionals had much in the way of painting experience, so a professional painter was brought in to show us the ropes. Andrew demonstrated how to cut the top and bottom sections of the wall, how to lather paint on a roller and not drip, and how to properly tape the molding. Far from experts we dove in and in four hours had completed the entire floor.
The beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitzei, describes the abduction of a woman in war. And as awful as the situation is, the Torah commands that she be treated fairly. Her hair cut, her nails cleaned, her dress of captivity removed, and she had to be given a month to mourn her losses. Despite her cruel circumstances, the Torah commands that she be treated as a human being.
While it was not much, I like to think that our efforts at Cornerstone Manor helped brighten the day of the residents there. It was our way of demonstrating care and compassion to these families who had gone through so much in their lives. It is little things like this that help all of us feel like human beings. I am grateful to have done my small part to improve the lives of all those who make their homes there.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex