Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

This week’s Torah portion contains a favorite lesson.  We read in Devarim/Deuteronomy 26:5-9 what is essentially our story - a story which is the most succinct reading of the Passover story.  What is most important is what precedes these verses, and the verse that follows. In 26:1-4, we bring the first fruits offering to the Kohein - to the high priest who makes the offering on our behalf. After, we read “our story” in 26:5-9; we take the same first fruits offering and make it for ourselves. We no longer need the Kohein to be our intermediary in making the offering.

When we understand our story, our history, and our values, we can interact more directly with G-d. We all join together as a “kingdom of priests,” small “d” democratic in which we all have a voice and all have an obligation to work for a better future. 

The key piece here is to show up ourselves to do the work of fighting injustice. We can not leave it to someone else. The latest injustice facing us is the effort by the Missouri governor and legislature to take away our votes and our voices through illegal gerrymandering - specifically to chop our 5th District and lose even more of our voting voices and representation in a state this already illegally gerrymandered. Yes, I have been hammering on this for a few weeks now, but to not see it for what it is -  an authoritarian attack on our democracy - is to normalize actions that we would never have  considered normal up to this point.

The latest opportunity to fight back is a rally in Jefferson City at noon this Wednesday, September 10, on the steps of the state capitol. I know not everyone can get off of work for the day, or let other obligations go unaccomplished, in order to make the rally.  However, if at all possible, please try and be there, to make our voices heard in order that we not lose our voices at the ballot box.