Weekly Thought For Shabbat Friday, July 25, 2014, 27 Tammuz 5774 Parashat Masei This week’s Torah portion, Masei, outlines a system for ensuring the safety of those who have unintentionally killed another human being. Cities of refuge, arei miklat, were established so that the perpetrators could be safe from relatives of the victim who, at the time, had the right to avenge those who had killed their loved ones. These cities were a necessary sanctuary, but they did not get to the core of the problem. For that, there needed to be a fair trial and a paradigm shift, which occurred only after the death of the high priest, when people would be faced with their own finitude and, perhaps, question their own need for revenge. In these days of violence and fear, the word miklat is too familiar to people living in or visiting Israel. Modern Hebrew uses this biblical word, miklat, to describe a bomb shelter. Day in and day out, Israelis are mindful of the nearest miklat so that when they hear the warning sirens, they can, without delay, seek refuge there. Like the cities of refuge, the miklat of today is a necessary sanctuary. But the core problem remains – how to bring a paradigm shift that will enable all people to reflect on the ultimate value of life so that innocent men, women and children can be safe without having to seek out a specially designated space. One answer, I believe, can be found not in the Torah text itself, but in what Jewish communities world-wide say on this Shabbat, when we complete the reading of the book of Numbers… Chazak, chazak v’nitchazek Be strong, be strong and together [as a community of resolve in a never ending pursuit of peace], we will be strengthened.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 18:40:57 +0000
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