From Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein Friday, August 21, 2020
Dear CBO Family,
One of the most powerful gifts of our portion is the pursuit of a system of vengeance in place of a system of justice. We are familiar with "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." We see it in our own Torah as well as other ancient sources like Hammurabi's Code. There is no nuance or betterment, just blood for blood. In the words of Gandhi, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
Our portion teaches about cities of refuge, where someone guilty of manslaughter can flee from a revenge killing. It was understood that if someone killed a member of your family, with intent or by accident, they would go after you. The concept of cities of refuge described this week in our portion is a departure from vengeance. It protects us from a natural urge to destroy the life of someone who destroyed one of your own. We think that more blood will only make things right. Over and over again, the Torah lays forth a path that takes the essence of an urge yet implements it in a way that leads to a society built on growth and peace, rather than perpetual bloodshed. We might ask ourselves to not only look at our own justice system and locate where it allows for vengeance over justice.
We can also look more locally to our own families. When we notice the urge to emotionally go for the jugular of another, trying to tear them down, even if we feel we are justified, this portion encourages us to pause and ask ourselves, "is the vengeance?" Even stopping to ask the question can loosen the grip that vengeance has on our brains to ask for clarification of a situation that is hurting us. We are more together with our immediate family than ever, and this encourages us to consider establishing rooms of refuge to cut down on the atmosphere of vengeance that might be building.
May we continue to be aware of destructive forces around us and make a choice for blessing rather than curse.
Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Bernstein
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The Truth About Safe Singing for Cantors and Congregations with Dr. Edward Septimus, Infectious Disease Specialist Monday, August 31 at 2:30 PM
While our clergy partners and lay leaders make plans for how they think we should be leading our congregations safely, what really constitutes safe singing for us and our congregants from a scientific perspective may be a very different matter entirely. Dr. Edward Septimus, a leading expert in infectious diseases, will provide us with the latest guidance.
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