In last week’s parashah – Bereishit – as the Torah was mapping out the creation of the world and everything in it, we learned something very important: “God created [hu]man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:27)
In this week’s parashah, we are offered a deeper understanding of the implications of what it means to be created in God’s image: “For your own life-blood I [God] will require a reckoning…Whoever sheds the blood of a [hu]man, by a [hu]man shall his blood be shed; For in His image did God make humans.” (Gen 9:5-6)
Perhaps God assumed at the outset of creation that humans would be so grateful for being created in God’s image that they would naturally understand that to take a life is a direct assault on our Creator and ourselves. Alas, Cain missed that day in school and the course of history was forever changed when he murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy. For future generations (us), the implications of what this responsibility truly entails is spelled out in Genesis 9. As we all know, until this very day there are countless people spanning all religions, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds who fail to understand this critical ethical message.
This past week we welcomed in the new month of Heshvan on Wednesday and Thursday. I encourage you to read “Laissez Faire Security,” a letter written by Anat Hoffman, one of the founders of Women of the Wall – a group of Modern Orthodox women who began holding a service in the women’s section of the Kotel more than 30 years ago for a monthly religious celebration of Rosh Hodesh. After all, according to rabbinic midrash, God ultimately imbued this monthly New Moon celebration with special significance for women.
This letter to WOW supporters shocked me:
“’I hope they die.’ These words were overheard by a French journalist who joined us at the Kotel this morning. The curse was uttered in French by two security guards who thought that no one would understand them. It is no secret that the guards at the Kotel do not protect us from violence, but a death wish?! Abhorrent.” (continue reading here)
In the world we currently live in, the value of human life has become meaningless - both in word and in deed. We should all be ashamed, angry and scared, not only as Jews who cannot believe that people would wish death upon women longing to pray and read Torah in a sacred space, but as Americans whose elected officials cannot put into effect laws that could help reduce the growing number of deaths to innocent victims experienced in this country every year because of reckless gun violence. Don’t even get me started on all the known genocides going on throughout the world right now that most of us do not have the head or heart space to grieve over.
If you missed last week’s inspiring interview with Rabbi Tamar Mannaseh, founder of Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killing (MASK), I encourage you to watch it at your leisure.
“To save one life is to save the world” (Tractate Sanhedrin 37a). Likewise, when an innocent life is taken through murder, this week’s parashah reminds us that a piece of every living soul is killed with it. Each of us, every day, must do what we can to remedy the epidemic assault on human life before us.
“We are not obliged to finish the task, but neither are we free to neglect it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:21)
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Marcia Tilchin
