Parashat Devarim
July 16, 2021
7 Av 5781
Parashat Devarim
Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22
Words From the Rabbi
Dear Friends,
As Tisha B’Av, a time of mourning and grief, approaches this Saturday night, I find myself in a place of hope and possibility. It could be that after two weeks of rain and thunderstorms, the simple appearance of a blue sky is conducive to hope. However, there is hope even in the darkness -- a glimmer of light that illuminates a path forward. It is not a simple path by any means, but it is necessary if we are to create a better world.
We are taught that the destruction of each of the Temples in Jerusalem (especially the second Temple) occurred because of baseless hatred, Sinat Chinam. Tragically we currently find ourselves living in a time where Sinat Chinam has become a reality everywhere we turn. It is a form of rage that has the capacity to devour from the inside out. Extreme anger or rage can become addictive, similar to other thrill seeking activities, triggering dopamine receptors in the brain. Those in a consistent state of anger may lose the ability to discern what is real and what is not.
All of this has been amplified by our inability to have “normal” social interactions over the past fourteen months. Yes, we have much to mourn this Tisha B’Av -- not only the destruction of the Temple, but illness and the loss of life over the past year that engendered a sense of dislocation and, in some cases, impaired the ability to see one another in the fullness of their being.
We are at a crossroads and the choice is ours, whether to follow the light or sit in the darkness allowing rage to consume us. When we realize that we are on this journey together, then there is hope and light. Our roads may diverge, but the respect and kindness we share with one another will keep absolute destruction at bay for another time.
Each of us has so many facets and so many stories. Let us take the time to hear and see even as we mourn.
May the source of all give us the strength and wisdom to see that which is
good in the world and to build upon it together.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn