The Torah tells us. Noah was a "righteous man in his generation". He "walked with God". There was a lot of really bad stuff happening - a lot of EVIL and WICKED behavior. God just couldn't take it anymore and decided to bring a flood and destroy the whole world (except for Noah and his family and pairs of every animal).
Noah built the Ark according to God's instructions and loaded up his family and all of the animals. The flood came and it rained (like sheets of paper coming down) for 40 nights and 40 days. The water retreated and Noah and the animals left the Ark.
In the end, God declares that this is the last time the world will be destroyed (by God). The rainbow becomes the sign of the covenant between God and humanity.
Somtimes, it feels as if we are experiencing a flood in regards to the issues our city, country and world are facing. Poverty, homelessness, violence, poor education, war, global warming, the list seems endless and overwhelming. Big things are happening and there will continue to be huge consequences and tremendous impact on our city, our country and our world.
What are we willing to do? What are we willing to say? What are we willing to share? What are we willing to give up?
Can we be like Noah, "righteous in our generation"?
Can we be like Noah and "walk with God"?
This Tuesday, by voting, we are fulfilling a mitzvah (a responsibility, obligation and privilege). Voting is one way to voice our ideas and thoughts about how issues should be handled and contribute to determining various outcomes.
This Tuesday, may we be guided by the morals and ethics of our heart and our tradition. May we be mindful that we are part of the issues that our city, our country and our world continue to face. We may not be able to solve the problems but we are not permitted to remove ourselves from the process of change.
As we move into Shabbat, may we take some time to honor our freedom and all of our privilege. May we use this freedom and privilege to help address the challenges ahead.
Shabbat shalom u'mevorach,
Laurie
A Meditation on Voting (from T'ruah)
May it be Your will, at this season of our election, to guide us towards peace.
By voting, we commit to being full members of society, to accepting our individual responsibility for the good of the whole. May we place over ourselves officials in all our gates…who will judge the people with righteousness (Deut 16:18), and may we all merit to be counted among those who work faithfully for the public good.
Open our eyes to see the image of God in all candidates and elected officials, and may they see the image of God in all citizens of the earth.
Grant us the courage to fulfill the mitzvah of loving our neighbors as ourselves, and place in our hearts the wisdom to understand those who do not share our views.
As we pray on the High Holidays, “May we become a united society, fulfilling the divine purpose with a whole heart.”
And as the Psalmist sang, “May there be shalom within your walls, peace in your strongholds. For the sake of my brothers and sisters and friends, I will speak peace to you.” (Ps. 122:7-8)
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יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת זְמַן בְּחִירוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתָּדְרִיכֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם.
בְּהַצְבָּעָתֵנוּ, אָנוּ מִתְחַיְּבִים לֶהֱיוֹתֵנוּ בְּנֵי הָאֲגוּדָּה, לְקַבָּלַת עוֹל אַחֲרָיוּתֵנוּ לְטוֹבַת הַצִּיבּוּר. שׁוֹפְטִים וְשׁוֹטְרִים נִתֵן לָנוּ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֵינוּ... וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם מִשְׁפָּט צֵדֶק, וְנִזְכֶּה לְהִמָּנוֹת בְּתוֹךְ "כָּל מֵי שֶׁעוֹסְקִים בְּצָרְכֵי צִיבּוּר בֶּאֱמוּנָה."
פְּקַח עֵינֵינוּ לִרְאוֹת כָּל מָעֳמָד וְמָעֳמָד וְכָל שַׂר וְיוֹעֶצֶת כִּי הֵם נִבְרְאוּ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים, וּפְקַח עֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁיַּרְאוּ שֶׁכָּל יוֹשְׁבַי תֵּבֵל נִבְרְאוּ גַּם הֵם בַּצֶּלֶם.
אָמֵץ אֶת לְבָבֵינוּ לִשְׁמוֹר מִצְוַת "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ", וְתֵן בּלִבֵּינוּ לְהָבִין אֶת אֵלּוּ הַחוֹלְקִים עָלִינוּ.
כַּכָּתוּב בִּתְפִילַּת יוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן, "וְיַעֲשׂוּ כּוּלָּם אֲגוּדָּה אַחַת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם,"
וְכָּכָּתוב עַל יְדֵי דָּוִד עַבְדְּךָ, "יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילֵךְ, שַׁלְוָה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָיִךְ. לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ."
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