Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

Last week, I had the honor of being one of the speakers at a program honoring the late Congressman John Lewis.  He was the civil rights leader who famously and courageously crossed the Edmund Pettis bridge in Alabama, suffering physical harm to fight against racism in the south, and coining the now famous phrase - “Good Trouble.”  Last Thursday was his “Yahrzeit.” I was gratified to see so many different, diverse communities represented, knowing that the way forward for us as Jews is building coalitions with others who have endured historical trauma. 

As I waited for my time to speak (I was second to last, with my friend and civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Rodney Williams, appropriately bringing the program to an uplifting conclusion), I reflected on the long journey toward justice reflected in this week’s double Torah portion: Parashat Matot-Masei. Ending the book of Bamidbar - bringing our forty years of wandering in the wilderness toward its conclusion - the journey has hardly been a straight line forward, yet we persevere.

We read this week a continuation of the story regarding the daughters of Zelophechad.  The daughters pursued their rightful claim to their father’s inheritance notwithstanding that women back in antiquity did not inherit. They were successful in their advocacy, yet this week the win is tempered by the requirement that their inheritance is contingent upon marrying someone within their tribe. In other words, their striving for justice is an instance of two steps forward and a definitive step back. From our vantage point, we know that their struggle for equal rights will need to continue many centuries down the road and is still ongoing.

The story of Zelophechad's daughters reflects the story of so many seeking a more just world. Gains are made only to meet a setbacks that follow. The vital message conveyed at the John Lewis program was to keep moving forward, and to not be discouraged (even with plenty of things to be discouraged about last week as democratic rights are further diminished, or paralyzed apathy). This goes in tandem with the example set within the program: that we gain hope when we engage with so many others working for a better world.  

We carry forward with hope the example of Zelophechad’s daughters, and to honor the memory of Congressman John Lewis.