In just a few days, the Jewish community will celebrate the holiday of Shavuot, which marks the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. This is a formative event for the Jewish people, for our relationship with God and our relationship with each other as a cohesive unit bound by a brit, a covenant. The giving of the Torah was not a passive event, allowing those present to sit on the sidelines while others climbed the mountain and engaged with God. No, even those who remained at the base of Mt. Sinai played a critical role in the process, having the agency to accept the Torah, to bind themselves in the eternal covenant. נעשה ונשמע – na’aseh v’nishma, “We will do and we will hear,” is the affirmative response from the gathered people. Through this response, our ancestors said “yes” to the sacred obligations of Torah, “yes” to a sacred relationship with God, and “yes” to being in covenant with each other. Commentators have long explored why the verb na’aseh, “we will do,” comes before the verb nishma, “we will hear.” Shouldn’t our ancestors have waited to hear and listen first, before leaping into action unknowingly?
Oftentimes, it’s not easy for us to see when we have the opportunity to say “Na’aseh! We will do!” It is easy, in the face of the pain of the world, to feel like we have no power, no agency – like there is nothing we can do to make a difference. Sometimes, we are even told that we should not do anything, that we should not have a unique voice as Diaspora Jews in the affairs of the State of Israel, beyond loving and affirming. However, I hear the call clearly to respond, “Na’aseh v’nishma – we will do and we will hear.” We will engage in deep, meaningful ways with the state, the land, and the people of Israel. We will hear her stories, her news, her poetry, and her pain. We will take concrete actions to help Israel achieve the aspirational vision in the Declaration of Independence, “to be based on the precepts of liberty, justice, and peace…[to] uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens.”
Next week, we have a clear action to take – Vote Reform in the Canadian Zionist Federation Election. This opportunity, every 5 years, is the voice of the Diaspora Jewish people. We have the opportunity to help set the agenda, the funding, and the vision of the World Zionist Congress, to ensure that our Reform values of peace, justice, and equality are given a voice at the table. Do not miss this opportunity for action! Vote between June 5-15, and invite your Jewish friends and neighbours to join you.
