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Shabbat Shalom -
"Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit," this is a quote from this week's hatorah portion. Some of us are familiar with the more modern phrasing from a line in a Debbie Friedman song, "Not by might and not by power, but by spirit alone, we shall live in peace."
I'd like to think about peace, not as the opposite to war, but more in terms of tranquility. And, I would like to think of spirit, not as religious practice, but as how we govern our souls.
It has been in many ways a sad week in the Jewish world, not a peaceful or tranquil one, especially in light of the event at the Holocaust museum in Washington. An 88 year old man, full of hatred, intended on harming people who were honoring the memory of the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust. A brave security guard lost his life preserving the memory.
Federation screened The Case For Israel this week to an audience of approximately 160 people. This movie spotlights Israel's right to exist and is a "proactive defense of Israel in the court of public opinion." This movie, which is a follow up to the book of the same title, serves to educate its readers or viewers on the modern day issues Israel faces in the media, in politics and in the peace process.
In looking at the quote mentioned earlier, I can't help but wonder in both of these cases, isn't it a bit overly optimistic to think that our spirit will bring us peace - both in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and in securing Israel's future. In regard to Israel, despite which side of the political spectrum one sits on, I think most would agree that Israel needs to be a strong country. Therefore, in some cases, is it not might and power that make a difference? Where does our spirit fit in?
In thinking about this, I decided that this quote is much more about our own individual lives, rather than Jews as a people. I believe that we need to be strong and mighty even if it is just for self preservation. But, for our own personal well being, we need to have strength of spirit and character. Perhaps individually it is not might and power that bring us peace, but the spirit by which we choose to live our lives. Tranquility as a people may indeed come from our power. How these work in tandem is quite curious and I am quite certain that this topic could be a part of a much larger and broader conversation.
For now, I wish you a peaceful Shabbat.
Meredith
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Sincerely,
Meredith Dragon
Executive Director
Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts |
