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24
society. Finally, our Torah portion tells
us that to circumcise our hearts means
to befriend the stranger because we too
were once strangers in Egypt.
Why is it that, for most of us,
befriending the stranger is the most dif-
ficult of these three commandments?
hen I lived in Cincinnati, I
My wife, Rebecca, and I returned
had the wonderful opportu-
recently from a trip to Michigan's Upper
nity to teach Jewish lifecy-
Peninsula to visit her parents (yes, there
des to ninth-graders at the Cincinnati
are Jews in the U.P.). Yoopers (those
Reform Jewish High School. Looking
who
are from the U.P.) say hello to
to engage the students in a lesson on
everyone! They are constantly waving
the brit milah (covenant of
back and forth; kibitzing with
circumcision), I wrote on the
one another at the grocery
board, "Why are Jews a CUT
store;
looking to lend a help-
above the rest?” I thought I
ing
hand
to those in need;
was being cute; you know: "a
reaching
out
to new Yooper
CUT above the rest"! Well,
transplants to get them ready
instead of talking about the
for the harsh winter.
ceremony that enters a baby
Meanwhile, we Detroiters
boy into Judaism, we spent
(or
"trolls" as they call us,
the class discussing whether
because
we live "under" the
or not Jews think they're bet- RABBI AARON
bridge)
keep
to ourselves. We
ter than everyone else. Okay,
ST ARR
avoid eye contact. We neglect
I learned my lesson.
Specia 1 to the
to introduce ourselves to our
But circumcision has
neighbors. We barely offer our
Jewish
News
always been, well, a touchy
hand
as a wave of thanks to
subject in Judaism. This
courteous
drivers. And, in our
week's parshah (Torah portion), Ekev,
own
congregations,
committees, and
is no exception, though circumcision
organizations, many of us fail to wel-
is used here as a metaphor rather than
come new members, to invite new par-
referring to the actual ceremony.
ticipants, to reach out to those we do
Standing on the east side of the
not know, and to truly befriend the
Jordan River, Moses appeals to our
strangers
within our midst.
ancestors in preparation for their (not
I
believe
those students I had years
his) trip to the Holy Land. "Circum-
ago are wrong: Jews do not believe that
cise the foreskin of your hearts,"
we are better than others. Sometimes,
Moses tells them, "and be stiff-necked
no more." The medieval commentator though, we sure act like it. The Yoopers
have this one figured out, and we ought
Rashi teaches us that this means that,
to follow their lead. This Shabbat, let us
like circumcision, we ought to remove
circumcise the foreskins of our hearts.
the cover that surrounds our hearts in
This and every week, let us worship the
order to allow God's words to pene-
one God; let us work toward a just soci-
trate into our souls. After all, we Jews
are a stubborn people, quick to ignore ety; and, perhaps above all, let us active-
ly welcome the strangers in our midst.
or to challenge the instructions of our
Then
Jews — and Judaism — might
leaders and of God.
truly
be
a "cut" above the rest. 0
Yet Ekev elaborates on how we are to
Shabbat Ekev:
Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25;
Isaiah 49:14-51:3.
circumcise our hearts and which specific
lessons we ought to let enter them. First,
we are to worship only one God, but
not too hard. Second, we are told to
uphold the cause of the widow and
orphan and to take no bribes. In other
words, we have a biblical command to
work to ensure social welfare and a just
Rabbi Aaron Starr is director ofLifilong
Learning at Congregation Shir Tikvah, Troy. -
Conversations
In what other ways might we circum-
cise the foreskins of our hearts? In what
ways might you be able to better reach
out to the strangers in your midst?
Have you ever felt left out of a group?
How did you respond, and how might
you respond better in the future?