Protecting the Children

January 1-2, 2016  /  21 Tevet 5776

Shabbat Shemot

Torah - Exodus 1:1-6:1  /  Haftarah - Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23

“Protecting the Children”

Dear Friends,

This shabbat we begin reading the second book of the Torah, the book of Shemot or Exodus.  It contains the story of our people’s descent into Egyptian slavery, rise to freedom and journey to the Promised Land of Israel.

In this week’s Torah portion, Pharaoh decrees that all male children of the Hebrews shall be put to death.  This will be his way of destroying the Children of Israel at its root.  Kill the children.  There are strange echoes of this in modern times when we consider the million and a half Jewish children that were murdered during the Holocaust.  In other acts of genocide throughout the world over the past 200 years and in recent wars throughout the world, especially in the Middle East, children have been specially targeted as a way of destroying ethnic and racial groups.

We Jews, who sanctify and celebrate life itself for all individuals, must dedicate oursleves to the protection of children from the ravages of war and terrorism.  Beyond the devastation of murdering the children, the psychological trauma of their exposure to horrific acts of violence creates lifelong damage to them as individuals and to their contributions to their communities as adults.

We Jews declare every day at worship time, “L’dor vador nagid gawdlecha – From generation to generation we will declare your praise.”  The principle of ‘dor va dor – from generation to generation’ requires of us to protect the children – all children.  As we begin a secular New Year, may we see to it that all children are able to grow, learn and become valued and wise leaders of their communities.

Our prayerbook includes this reading:

In each age

we receive and transmit

Torah.

At each moment

we are addressed by the

World.

In each age

we are challenged

by our ancient teaching.

At each moment

we stand face to Face with

Truth.

In each age

we add our wisdom

to that which has gone before.

At each moment

the knowing heart

is filled with wonder.

In each age

the children of Torah

become its builders

and seek to set the world firm

on a foundation of Truth.

  - Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow