Mattot-Masei & Say It To My Face

We can take the Bible literally…

Or we can look at its lessons.

We can look for ways it tells us to “stick to our own kind,” and easily find them—

—again and again.

When I hear snippets of angry videos—

—on Instagram, on TikTok…

…maybe even on what some call “the news”…

—of ranting, self-righteous politicians—

—or individuals—

—it just makes my heart break.

As the thought of tribalism, and our “own kind” came to me, I googled the West Side Story song so I could share it with you.

And it reduced me to a puddle of tears.

Just thinking of how angry talk—”He is one of them!”—is still so much a part of our collective vocabulary…

Meanwhile, my head is swirling with the high energy and excitement around Kamala Harris’ new campaign.

So many people suddenly filled with hope.

Hope for saving women’s health and reproductive rights.

Hope for a better chance at healing our planet, saving it from doom and destruction…

The attacks from the other side—against “wokeness.”

Against her as a woman.

And as one of color…

These are a backlash against the changing landscape of our country.

It is a digging in of heels to racism and misogyny.

But Harris is not intimidated.

She is ready to fight (with a big smile on her face)!

She is ready to challenge Trump to a debate he might be afraid to have.

But as I have heard news commentators say, we will have to keep her to her promises.

Between promises and being ready to fight, the Torah is again relevant this week.

The reading starts with vows.

It focuses on the obligation to carry them out.

Unfortunately, misogyny is written all over it.

Women are forced to submit to the wishes of the men in their lives.

The men choose to allow them—or not—to carry out vows they have taken on.

And then there is war.

War against the Midianites (Moses’ wife’s tribe!) in order to take over their land.

As God says.

One gender is superior to—and will have dominion over—the other.

One people is superior to—and will have dominion over—the other.

This is the way Jewish Fundamentalists, the Christian Right, and their spokespeople, see things.

Unfortunately, this is the way a lot of people still see things.

People are digging in their heels—out of fear—to tribalism.

And they’re loud.

But not everyone.

And the other voices are equally capable of being loud.

The Torah reading ends, after vows and angry reactions from Moses making assumptions about the intentions of others…

It ends with the reminder of daughters having a say in their destiny.

It ends with the right of women to inheritance of land (albeit with some sexist and tribalist stipulations),

It ends with instructions on how to treat the land.

It says that we are not to pollute the land.

It says that blood pollutes the land.

It says that those who kill intentionally must be punished.

And those who are innocent are to have cities of refuge.

As Maria in West Side Story counters Anita with: “But my heart, Anita, but my heart!”

But our hearts…

Let us stop for a moment.

And listen.

What do they say…?

There is anger.

There is rage.

There is revenge.

But if we can get under the anger and revenge, there is a softening.

Yes, we must fight.

But let us listen to the softening part of our hearts as we do.