It seems that everywhere you look people are talking about courts. They’re talking about judges, juries, grand juries and courtrooms. They’re talking about plea deals and about special counsels. I wish I could give provide a reprieve from all this but this week’s Torah portion is called שופטים/Judges and opens with the words “Judges and officers you shall appoint…” The famous verse “Justice… Justice… you shall pursue…” is also from this week’s reading. The portion is mainly about the obligation we have to put a court system in place and how that system shall be administered. I don’t want to talk about the ins and outs of all that’s happening in our country at this time though. I want to talk about the importance of a legal system.
Judaism isn’t a religion meant to only touch a person’s ritual life. By this I mean that Judaism is supposed to encroach on every aspect of a person’s life and no sector should ever be left out of this religious expression. This makes Judaism quite intriguing because it has civil/secular laws for this religious system. In fact, many of the books of Jewish law are dedicated not to Shabbat, holidays and kashrut but to laws about lost objects, murder, theft and so much more. This value is something that allows for us to refrain from compartmentalizing our lives into our Jewish life and our secular life. We’re called upon to live singular lives that apply our religious self to all that we encounter and do.
America’s legal system is based primarily on the outcome and doesn’t always have the process into mind. When a person attempts to murder someone but fails, they’re held to a very different standard than someone who is successful in their pursuit of being a murderer. This leaves me dumbfounded as I don’t understand how someone who simply “screwed up” in being a murderer is rewarded by a lesser sentence than someone who was able to actually commit the murder. We have a similar case in Judaism but for a different reason. The case of the of wood chopper, found in this week’s portion, is about a man who goes out with his friend and is chopping wood and the axe flies out of his hands and/or the head of the axe goes flying off of the handle of the axe and ends up in the head of his friend and his friend dies. That’s the case of the wood chopper. He’s not to be seen as a murderer but as an accidental killer and his punishment is that he must flee to a city of refuge where he will be protected from the deceased’s next of kin who otherwise can kill him for vengeance. On the surface this is basic, the wood chopper accidentally killed his fellow. But what if he loosened to the head of the axe to make it appear like an accident? What if he had told other people he hated this man who now is dead with an axe in his head? What would this mean? Well, it would change things. But what I love about this example is that it paints a picture of Judaism being obsessed with the pursuit of a just society and a just world. It’s obsessed with a world in which people who are wronged cannot go without justice and people who have wronged cannot be punished in too severe a way that does not match the crime.
Justice must be at the root of every society, for without justice, there’s no way for people to live together in this world. Without an understanding of the rules by which we live, we’ll be incapable of holding each other accountable. We need laws and rules in order to work together and to live together. We cannot merely choose which way we want to drive on a road. We need to all agree to follow the traffic laws as determined by our system. We cannot choose to take items from stores without first paying. We need to understand in order for there to be goods to purchase, the people who make them need to make a living in order to continue making them. We cannot live without laws. The laws are, in essence, what enables us to live in community because they set up a structure… a contract… by which each of us needs to live. It’s for this reason that I feel laws are sacred and beautiful. I believe laws provide us with so much more than they take from us. We each need to remember we’re in this together. We each need to remember America is the incredible country it is because each of us agrees to surrender a piece of ourselves for the good of our country. We each need to see that America, and Judaism, are sacred in large part because they’re rooted in law and laws are incredible.
FunRaising Trivia Night Motzei Shabbat, Nov 23rd 7:00p to 9:00p Hosted by Michelle Rich, Debbie Cohen Sobel & Leah Kaplan. Featuring NYC Trivia Host Gabe Rich. An Italian vegetarian dinner will be served. All proceeds to benefit Congregation Or VeShalom.
Community Service Projects Thanksgiving 2024 Sunday, Nov 24th 9:00a to 1:00p OVS is partnering with JF&CS to prepare Thanksgiving meals for people living in group housing and care packages for care givers.
Learn to Chant the Torah Wednesday, Dec 4th 7:00p to 9:00p Learn to chant the Torah with Rabbi Gutierrez. This series begins on Tuesday, November 12 through January. There will be no classes Thanksgiving week or during winter break. RSVP requested. Class is offered free of charge.
Town Brookhaven Holiday Kickoff Thursday, Dec 5th 6:00p to 8:30p Join Rabbi Hearshen, friends & family from OVS and the greater community of Brookhaven for this special event. There will be a Giant Hanukkiah, Dance & Musical Performances, Merchant Specials, Character Meet & Greet, and More. No RSVP necessary. Be sure to stop by the OVS table for some goodies!
Cash Raffle 2024 Sunday, Dec 8th 11:00a to 4:00p Enter to win our 50/50 cash raffle. Winner will be drawn at the end of the Sisterhood Bazaar on Sunday, December 8. You do not have to be present to win.
Hanukkah Bazaar and Food Festival Sunday, Dec 8th 11:00a to 4:00p The OVS Sisterhood Hanukkah Bazaar & Food Festival will feature food, shopping and lots of games and activities for children.
Comedy Night FunRaiser Motzei Shabbat, Dec 14th 7:30p to 10:30p Join us for a fun night of comedy featuring our very own Louis Galanti & Lily Maslia providing opening comedy sets for Atlanta legend Jerry Farber. All proceeds to benefit OVS.
Annual General Membership Meeting Sunday, Dec 15th 10:00a to 11:30a The meeting this year is being offered in person and on Zoom. We need a quorum to vote at the Meeting. Please make every effort to attend.
