D'var Torah

In this week's commentary on Devarim, Rabbi Francine Roston reflects on the need to understand and process trauma before moving forward.

“Standing at the border of the Promised Land, God declares that [Moses’ deeply human chronicle of the Exodus] belongs within the eternal text of Torah. The messy, contingent experience of history is revealed to have been Torah all along."

As we mark 250 years of the United States, T'ruah offers these Jewish resources on democracy to inspire, challenge, and expand your thinking.

Clearly, if the laws which govern our lives are promulgated by and in the interests of the privileged in the majority, then those who are insufficiently represented will be harmed.

This, to me, is the Torah: It is liberation. It is the release that comes from being seen, truly seen, in our whole, struggling, imperfect selves.

Each of us contains a Divine spark of holiness, but if our thoughts and actions aren’t directed toward holiness and channeled toward a redemptive vision, toward something larger than ourselves, then our sparks don’t connect and align.

We are responsible for one another. A society cannot call itself just while the sick are impoverished. It cannot call itself prosperous while the vulnerable are denied basic health care.

There is nothing more energizing and hopeful than walking with hundreds of others in a Pride parade and seeing the myriads of flags held high, a brilliantly hued tribute to the resilience and courage of those who continue to fight for their right to exist.

Hashem does not desire a polished or fictional version of ourselves — an image untouched by failure… The joy of confession is knowing that we deserve to be loved for who we are, not who we are able to present ourselves as.

There are ways for us to practice solidarity right now. We can listen, bear witness, and refuse to normalize cruelty.