There is so much happening in our country and in the world that it is impossible to keep silent. My invocations for Board meetings, my divrei Torah/sermonettes at Shabbat Services, and my recent articles in the local press are all meant to put into words some of what I am feeling and thinking about society, about the values that I don’t want to see lost, and about the principles that, I believe, can keep us together. The murders at Margery Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida touched many people deeply, not just in that community but well beyond, because of connections with people who have lived and currently live there, rabbinic colleagues serving congregations in that community, and a national sensibility that must lead us towards preventing, as much as we can, further tragedies in schools or other public places.
My response to the Parkland tragedy has, so far,included an invocation at a Board meeting and a sermonette, both reprinted here on my blog.
The songs, though, are different.
When I am feeling despair for what to do, whether for myself or for a challenge in our nation or in the world, I search for texts in which there might be a lesson for me and for us all.
My first thought was to do a search online for “shelter/Psalms.” As one might expect, several choices were suggested. I chose Psalm 46, a short chapter which describes God’s great power. Psalm 46 envisioned the great waters causing mountains to tumble, and proclaimed that God caused - or could cause - all wars to cease. And then, it offered reassurance: “Be still, for I am God.” After looking at several translations of the Psalm, the mountains, in my lyric, became “mountains of misunderstanding” tumbling, washed away by God’s cleansing rain. The misunderstanding that comes to mind for me is exemplified by the unwillingness of some of our leaders to listen and compromise. They see one view - their own - as controlling, and the only one that matters, even when a majority of people across the country may have another perspective. My prayer is that having God as a strength and shelter can unify us enough to listen to each other, because God is in each of us.
Here is the link to the song I created on February 18, 2018:
I still had more to say.
So I kept looking for more Psalms that presented the notion of God’s power as giving us a chance to meet challenges before us with the right approach. Psalm 37 rose to the top of my search on February 22. The central verse in the Psalm that is well known is “The meek/humble shall inherit the earth.” The Psalm contrasts those who think they have power and wield their arrogance like a weapon, while those who are humble trust in God and godliness. According to the Psalm, in the end, living a life of good values - and walking through life humbly - is the path that will lead to personal well-being and even quiet victory. I thought of people of all ages, but especially the groundswell of high school students, currently seeking change. I heard the pronouncements of leaders who cited a list of Jews who supposedly are using their power to tout a creeping socialism that will destroy our country. I am not one to believe in conspiracy theories, and this was one that was just too much to take. The God in whom I believe is a God of justice with whom I am supposed to humbly walk. The beat of this new song, “Inheritance,” needed to feel strong and resolute. Hopefully I captured that with this song.
And I decided, today, I still wasn’t done. I was perusing through the Mishkan T’filah for Gatherings prayerbook from the Central Conference of American Rabbis and found an alternative version of the Priestly Blessing. What intrigued me about this text was that it came from the Community Rule of the Dead Sea Scrolls. These ancient documents from a Jewish sect that existed over 2000 years ago include interpretations specific for that community. The familiar three lines that begin with the phrase “May God bless you and keep you” were embellished in this version, translated by scholar Nahum Glatzer:
MAY GOD BLESS YOU with all good
and keep you from all evil.
May God enlighten your heart with immortal wisdom
and grace you with eternal knowledge.
May God lift up merciful countenance upon you for eternal peace.
The text offered a unique opportunity to use basically the same melody for both the Hebrew and English. This one I wanted to be gentle and peaceful, due to the last word of the blessing.
The line that led me to want to create a melody for this blessing was the second statement: “and keep you from all evil.” On February 27, the day before Purim, the specter of evil, in the person of Haman in the book of Esther, loomed large for me. We need protection from those who hate without cause, those who spread untrue accusations, and those who seek to dehumanize others. In the book of Esther, Haman sought the death of the Jews. Declarations of bigotry intended to take away people’s humanity can cause their “social death,” where people oust them from the human community for no reason other than someone telling them that they should take that approach. We have seen this all too often. We need words of blessing to take us in a different direction. Hopefully, this prayer front he Dead Sea Scrolls offers that opportunity.
Will there be more songs to come? Time - and the events around us - will tell.
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