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This past week has generated a roller coaster of emotions for
so many of us. We wept with grief and horror following the murder of 9
Bible-studying members of the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. We
condemned the act of terror and hatred that ended their lives too soon, while
pondering issues of race, bigotry, violence, and guns. We wondered how a man
like Dylan Roof comes to be - how is his hatred allowed to fester, grow, and
evolve to such a place that he would walk into a church and callously take
lives? His action was founded in fear, intolerance, and, frankly, pure evil.
Many of us wept again today - but these were tears of pride,
relief, and happiness. We celebrate as our Supreme Court bravely allowed
same-sex marriage to become the law of the entire nation. We can now breathe
easier, knowing that our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender friends and
family members are now one enormous step closer to equal rights. GLBT rights
are one of the most pressing issues of our time, and, soon, we won't have to
refer to same-sex marriage. Rather, it will just be marriage. We are alive at a
time of change, where we can be witness to a decision founded in love,
inclusion, and, frankly, pure goodness.
In Parashat Chukat, we witness the
transition of power from one generation of leaders to the next. We are towards
the end of the forty years of wandering in the desert. Miriam the prophetess
dies, and, simultaneously, the Israelites find themselves without water. They
are scared, they are thirsty, and many of them long to go back to Egypt, where,
forgetting they were slaves, they only remember that they had plenty of water
to drink and food to eat.
God tells Moses to lift up Aaron's rod in front of all of the
people, and to speak to a large rock, commanding it to bring forth water.
Simple - lift rod, command rock. Yet, in the moment of action, Moses instead
hits the rock twice, demanding that it bring forth water. Water does indeed
flow forth. But this action, founded in fear, greatly disappoints God. God
tells Moses that his public act of disobedience and lack of faith will result
in his death. He will not be allowed to enter Israel with the rest of the
Israelites, and he will instead die in the wilderness.
Moses and Aaron's roles as our leaders are retired, and the
new leaders are selected in this week's text. Joshua takes the mantel from
Moses, and Eleazar from Aaron. These new leaders are the ones who will enable
the Israelites to continue their development into the civilization, culture,
and people that we will one day become. Moses and Aaron will never see their
people truly live in freedom and security in the promised land.
Tonight, we mark the transition from one group of leaders to
the next. Our tenures always end before we have a chance to complete all the
work, or to see all our ideas through to fruition. Yet we carry on, we dream,
we visualize a future that is fruitful, dynamic, and holy.
In light of this past week's roller coaster, I ask you an
important question - what kind of leader will you be? Will you make decisions
that are brave, that are forward-looking, that are based in righteousness,
Jewish values, and goodness? Or will you default to ideas based in fear,
assumptions, or the mistakes of the past? Will you have faith to get through
the hard times? Or will you strike the rock publicly, and reveal a lack of
groundedness or trust? Will you have the heart to be self-reflective and
self-aware as a leader, or will you charge forth without thought for others and
their feelings?
You all have the power to lead Temple B'nai Torah into the
next chapter of our lives. We have been in existence, lest we forget, for only
seven years. You will help us as we enter our eighth year of life. I encourage
you to be courageous, to be a mensch, to be kind, to be strong. Don't be afraid
to defend what you believe in, and to be confident in your choices to make this
community the best that it can be. Your participation is a holy act, please
don't ever forget it. It has an impact on all of the people around you: your
partners and spouses, your families, your friends. They see that you have taken
upon yourself a leadership role in a religious organization. This is a role to
be taken seriously, with respect, and with honor.
After the events of the past days, I hope we will one day
look back on your leadership with pride. Make us proud, do right by us, and
help us on our journey toward the future of Temple B'nai Torah.
Ken Y'hi Ratzon - May this be God's will.
Amen.
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