Shabbat Shuva: Asking Questions with Eyes Wide Open

Something felt different this year. Tragedy after tragedy opened our eyes to injustice in new, heartbreaking ways. It became more difficult for our communities to hide from the realities of social and economic inequality.

In the coming year, what changes will we seek?

I wonder: How can I be a part of bringing the sacred Presence of the Divine into situations that are sorely in need of holiness, justice, mercy, and love? Facing the myriad problems that plague our society can be overwhelming, exhausting, and paralyzing. The distance between opening my eyes and taking action seems vast. What should my first step be? Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra says: questions.
In Parashat Vayeilech, Moses tells the leaders to gather all of the people "that they may hear and so learn to revere the Eternal your God . . ." (Deuteronomy 31:12). Ibn Ezra, curious about the transition from hearing to learning, comments: "When they hear, they will ask questions."1 The Children of Israel will not come to understand the word of God just by hearing it; rather, they will receive the primary evidence, and then, through curiosity and inquisitiveness, they will truly be able to make God's teaching manifest in their world.

Based on the evidence, I see that in the United States, we spend $80 billion each year on incarceration. I ask, why are we investing in prisons and jails when there are better ways to support families and keep them safe? I see that a Hispanic or Latina woman is paid 54% of what a non-Hispanic, white man would make. I ask, how can I better understand the systems of oppression that create this reality? During these Days of Awe, I pray that we take time to notice the problems in our communities. I pray that we ask challenging questions to understand those problems. And I pray that we affect changes that can make God's love of all of humankind manifest in our world. Shanah Tovah! Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 31:12, cited in Michael Carasik, ed., trans., annot., The Commentators' Bible, the Rubin JPS Miqra'ot Gedolot: Deuteronomy. (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society), p. 209

*This post was originally written for and posted on ReformJudaism.org for the URJ's Ten Minutes of Torah. To read more, click here.