Christopher Alexander, commenting on Thomas Cole's 1840 painting "The Architect's Dream", (above) says, "When a place is lifeless or unreal, there is almost always a mastermind behind it. It is so filled with the will of its maker that there is no room for its own nature."

There are times when it is difficult for me to accept that our community is not perfect.  I picture the Metzorah, the Biblical 'Leper," who has been shut away from the community while stricken with this spiritual disease, completing his purification rites and offerings, returning home. The community knew that God punished him for being a gossip. He was cut off from the community because he was a community destroyer. They prayed for him to repent and so be healed. He walks away from the Temple and returns home. Do people run out and greet him? Do they hug him to celebrate his miraculous recovery? Will they forget that he was stricken with a horrible spiritual plague that precluded any human contact? Will they be able to forget his stigma as a gossip?

In my "Architect's Dream," I envision a warm, heartfelt greeting, hugs all around and a celebration of the power of repentance. In my reality, I imagine that it will be a very long time before he is completely reaccepted into the community. People will long remember that he was a Metzorah, and they will not be able to forget that he was a dangerous gossip.

The Torah paints a picture of a warm greeting, but Torah is never lifeless or unreal. It forces us to confront the realities of life. His friends and neighbors witnessed a physical sign of God's forgiveness and the seed of repentance will be planted in their minds. It will be a while before he is completely reintegrated, but his story will become an important part of everyone's lives. He will long serve as a lesson in Teshuva and forgiveness.

The Foundation Stone and Blog are focused on Torah that speaks of life's realities, not as a dream. Our objective is to learn how to apply Torah's lessons to all parts of life, even the painful and ugly.

My dream painting is not perfect. The colors are often dark and scary, but there is always enough light showing through that affords hope and nurtures beautiful dreams.

This week's favorites: The Judgment of The Birds & The Metamir.

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Thank you & Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg
President          
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