| Once again I have the unbelievable privilege to be spending another Shabbat in Jerusalem after an excruciatingly hard week. We have just returned from a beautiful wedding in the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and the sun will be setting in less than two hours bringing another dose of Shabbat peace in a horrible, broken world, knowing that for many there will be no peace.
The horrific news of the confirmed identities of the remains of the two beautiful Bibas boys, brutally murdered by their captors in 2023, and the unknown corpse that Hamas claimed was their mother Shiri, has been so devastating to everyone here and to so many Jews around the world. We have had a photo of this family in our sanctuary with the happy faces of Ariel and Kfir, who were just 4 and 9 months old when they were kidnapped, and it is beyond words that Kfir was not even alive to celebrate his 1st birthday. The agony faced by their father Yarden and all the family, is unimaginable. Waking up early to hear these updates, knowing that I was to be a guest at a wedding just a few hours later, was all too much. How can we celebrate, how can we dance in the aftermath of this? And yet, of course, we must and we did, just as we danced on Simchat Torah. Actually I think all of the guests were so grateful to the couple that we had an opportunity for a simcha amidst the pain and the tears. The early morning mood in the streets was definitely somber and everyone was aware and processing it all.
Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz, a liberal Orthodox rabbi and activist, was the officiant of Kezia and Elchanan’s wedding and he brought such perfectly appropriate kavanah (intention) to the chuppah as he talked about and framed the symbols and rituals; the circle of life of the ring, the difference between a house and a home, and of course the breaking of the glass. Before the groom broke the glass, the rabbi invited everyone to pray for the chatufim, for all the hostages and their families, alive and dead, returned and still in captivity. This bride and groom have such strong values and have worked a lot towards peace in the Middle East in various ways, and, of course, there were blessings and prayers for a peace beyond what seems possible right now. At the end of his speech, the groom said in Hebrew, “my eyes are full of tears and yet my heart bursts with joy.” It was a joyful wedding amidst the unending anguish and pain and it really is possible to dance and grieve in the same moment.
I know that so many of us are feeling the heartbreak of it all and there are circles of pain, circles of grief. We are carrying so much, too much. And yet, we go on because we have to; we walk, we march, we dance, we cry.
Rabbi Shefa Gold translates the title of this week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, as “impeccabilities,” as it asks us to be impeccable in all of our dealings and interactions, paying attention to the details, showing up, being kind and compassionate and ready to help out when we can. Let’s take care of one another, hold each other, see each other.
May the souls of Ariel and Kfir, whose bodies were so tormented, be at peace and remembered for a blessing. May their mother be returned and Yarden and the whole family be comforted. Peace also on the soul of Oded Lifshitz and may his memory be a blessing to his family and may they all be comforted among all the mourners.
As Shabbat draws nearer here in Jerusalem and we prepare to have meals with friends, including Bruce Shaffer, may we all find some moments of Shabbat peace and Shabbat joy wherever we are and however broken and defeated we feel
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Marc |
