Bereshit 5785
Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg
Free will is essential to the Torah’s story of humanity's genesis. We leave the Garden of Eden free to choose our path. Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of All Knowledge, which opens their eyes to the ability to learn, grow in spirit and intellect, own their individual power as humans, and choose. We are all born free because we are all born to grow into making better and better choices for ourselves and the world.
We are not confined to a predestined reality. The world was not created so that it could be destroyed. We are not born sinful. None of that is Judaism. We need to cleanse our consciousness from the influence of Christian thought. There is nothing wrong with Christians having Christian thoughts, but Judaism has very different teachings from the mainstream. Christian thought is mainstream thinking in our society. We are all influenced by it. We live better lives as Jews when we become increasingly aware of what Judaism is and what the mainstream teaches about the Bible, the Torah.
Judaism teaches that we are all individuals, unique refractions of Divine Light. Each of us is made in the image, the mirror of God. Each is special. All of us are free. We left the Garden to be humans and populate the world with humans to be the tenders, the defenders of this earth. We left the Garden to make good choices, life-affirming choices. Choices that honor our creator and creation. We went out so we could live in a state of awe. And wonder. This, too, is our gift. We are born free and born to live in thunder-struck awe of this Universe.
We are animals but unique amongst them. We are aware that we can make choices. We know we have a choice. We decide. That is how our brains work. We are imprinted with much information in our DNA. But we are moved by forces beyond our biological imperative. We are ADAM. Humans. From the Earth. Earthlings. We are a special kind of creature. Both generative and destructive beyond measure.
We make choices, but only sometimes with full awareness. That is our goal as humans and as Jews: to make choices with a full, as much as possible, understanding of their impact and the consequences. We want educated choices. We want conscious decisions. As Jews, we embrace being made and born free by always moving toward greater consciousness.
We strive to make daily choices that bring greater holiness into this world. From where and how we park our car or bike to who we vote for in this upcoming election, our choices shape the world, shaping future generations' lives. The next generation inherits what we leave for them. Loving our families means living with a heightened awareness of our impact on the world for future generations.
We are in a season of choices. As our High Holiday season ends, we are plowing headfirst into a consequential national election. All elections have consequences. This one impacts the nature of our democracy. We know that Jews do well in democracies. We do not do well when society drifts towards authoritarianism. I trust our Jewish community will, by and large, choose to move towards a more robust and more vibrant democracy. We have voted as a block for most of American history. Less so now than ever before, but still, both in the US and around the world, Jews choose democracy above all other models for where and how to live. Israel included. It was built as a specially democratic Jewish state. No other type would do. Your vote is not just a choice; it is a sacred responsibility that shapes the future of our community and the world.
This week, we read the Jewish creation story from the scroll, and we learn about how our ancestors understood the world. And what they prioritized in living a holy life. How they envisioned humans living in the image of the Divine. As the Jewish people have traveled throughout the ages, we have always viewed ourselves as free people, even if those around us curtailed our freedoms. We have many freedoms in America—more than any other place and time. Voting is holy. Democracy is holy. They align with what we understand as excellent ways to be human and build society. These align with Jewish values, reinforcing our connection to our faith and our role in shaping a just and equitable society.
So, as you vote this year, before or after sending in your ballot, your individual choice to shape the future of our world, please consider adding these prayers: Sanctify the action. Uplift this choice. We were created to vote. Only some people in this country get their vote in the mail. We in Washington are amongst the most free because we can vote by mail. These prayers remind us that voting is not just a civic duty but a sacred act that can bring us closer to our divine purpose.
A Prayer for Voting
By Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg
This very act honors the Divine and humanity's unique design.
May the God of my Ancestors and the God of all People move humanity evermore towards peace and reconciliation. May we use our minds and all the knowledge available to us to make good choices for future generations. May we learn not to engage in the ways of war and strife but rather to etch a path of democratic values: freedom, equality, justice, participation, and inclusiveness.
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, who gives each human being the ability to choose.
ברוך אתה יי אלוהינו המעניק לכל אדם את יכולת הבחירה.
Baruchch ata adonai elohinu hama'anik lekal adam et yecholet hivchira.
Election Prayer
Compassionate One,
Grant strength to those who stand for hours in lines designed to weaken their resolve.Guide the steps of those forced to make pilgrimage to locate one lone collection box.
Guard the voters and the poll workers, keep them safe;Let those who count ballots understand the sacredness of their task. Temper the vicious and fearful condemnation of others.Let words be spoken with kindness.Frustrate the designs of those who seek to destroy.Guide us out of this narrow place into which we have fallen.
Give us wisdom to see our common needs and ability to listen and learn from one another.Grant us the strength to reclaim our Country’s promise and make that promise a reality for all Your people. Together, as a united Jewish community, we can work towards this shared mission, guided by our faith and our commitment to justice and equality.
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