This week I have found myself writing and rewriting my Torah Thoughts. The streets are filled with protest, our lives are filled with the pandemic, our hearts are filled with pain. There are no words.
Three months into social distancing, a week and a half after the murder of George Floyd, there are no words.
As someone said at a Federation call this week, in a large scale crisis like the one we are now in, inequalities are amplified, not equalized. There are no words.
George Floyd and I were the same age, grew up in much the same environment, and yet lived very different lives. The unfairness of it all and our inability to make things better, leaves me heartbroken. There are no words.
And, yet our Torah portion, Naso, is filled with words, 2,264 of them to be exact, the longest by far in our Torah cycle. Of them, a mere fifteen stand out, those of the Priestly Benediction, “May God Bless You and watch over you. May God shine light upon you and offer comfort. May the divine face be lifted to you and offer peace.”
These are the words we share when there are no words.
To our brothers and sisters in the African American community we extend our blessings. To the family and friends of George Floyd we offer blessings. To all those suffering loss of hope during this difficult time, we extend our blessings. May you be blessed and protected on your journey, may you find light even amidst the darkness of the time we are living, and may you find the face of one another greeting you with love. When there are no words we offer blessings.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 06/27/2020 by Marc Slonim