Originally published May 23, 2024
This week’s Torah portion is chock full of ancient practices that have fallen by the wayside, long before our modern era. We have guidelines for biblical slavery, the laws for the yovel – jubilee year – and the practice of the shmittah year, which is still observed every 7 years in the Land of Israel. The jubilee year was observed (perhaps – scholars on mixed on whether it was ever actually done in practice, or only in theory) every 50 years, by returning all land to its owners, all slaves to their families, and generally pressing “reset” on the entire Israelite economic system. Torah is clear that this process, meant to be a redemptive second chance, is broad and inclusive. “You shall proclaim release throughout the land for all its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 25:10). Our commentators point out that the Torah is careful to use this phrase, in addition to a later phrase that explicitly singled out men, as landowners. Why were both phrases used (as we know Torah is never needlessly redundant!)? To show that the practice of jubilee applies to all residents of the land of Israel – regardless of gender or Jewish status. This approach is aligned with Torah’s repeated commitment to welcome the stranger, and to have one law for both the citizen and the stranger – this is part of who we are as a people.
Earlier this week, I got to do one of my absolute favourite parts of my job as rabbi – to sit on a beit din, the rabbinic “court” that meets with those choosing to convert to Judaism as part of the final steps of the conversion process. Temple Shalom participates in the West End Beit Din, along with other Reform rabbis and synagogues from Mississauga, Oakville, and Hamilton. I like to think of the work of the beit din not as judging a candidate and their desire or commitment to be Jewish, but performing the ritual and legal role of witnessing their public commitment to Judaism. It is truly holy work. At this meeting of the beit din, we got to meet with TEN conversion candidates – who once they’ve finalized their conversions with immersion in the mikveh, make up an entire minyan!
We are inheritors of a tradition of welcoming and expansiveness that goes back thousands of years. As a community, we put that tradition into practice every time someone new walks in the door, or reaches out to our community for the first time to express interest and curiosity in learning more about Judaism. Especially at times like these, I am in awe of and grateful for all those who choose to share the destiny of the Jewish people, whether by conversion, by loving a Jewish partner, raising a Jewish family, or supporting their Jewish friends and community members.
Rabbi Miriam Farber Wajnberg
