JULY 27 • 2023 | 53
SPIRIT
The Mitzvot of
Listening and Loving
I
n Parshat V’etchanan,
Moses’ message is clear
and direct: It is imperative
that the Israelites keep God’s
commandments. So, we
practice kashrut, keep
Shabbat, refrain from
stealing, etc. — difficult,
but relatively clear. I
usually have a pretty
good sense of how I’m
doing in relation to
those kinds of mitzvot.
Moses also goes on to
recite the Shema; this
part feels more curious
and perplexing.
I experience the
Shema as a call to slow
down and actively listen to
what’s happening around
me. When I do that, I often
notice unnecessary hardships
wrought by systems of oppres-
sion that prevent people I love
— family, friends, neighbors,
strangers — from living lives of
freedom and abundance.
In that way, the Shema
hurts; but the Shema also
offers tools to make our world
better. I’ve learned over the
years that if we are going to
build a better, more habitable
world for all people, we need
to slow down and listen to
those who are directly impact-
ed by injustice. That listening
is equally divine.
When Detroit Jews for
Justice explores getting
involved in a campaign, we
first set out to understand
the issue, and listen closely to
those who seek our solidarity
and partnership. In the case
of the Drivers’ Licenses for
All Campaign, the message
was clear: Our undocumented
neighbors told us they are not
safe because they don’t have
access to drivers’ licenses.
They are unable to move
through the world
securely, and attempts
to meet their most basic
needs risk expensive
tickets, family separation,
arrest and deportation.
But awareness isn’t suf-
ficient. What do we do
with what we’ve learned
in the quiet moment of
reciting the Shema? I’ve
heard it taught that the
way we actualize the
Shema’s Divine unity is
through love. Ve’ahavta et
Adonai Eloecha, you shall love
the Lord your God. How do
we practice that love?
I believe that calling our leg-
islators, signing public letters,
marching in the streets and
tending to our communities is
love. I believe that challenging
regressive policies that target
our immigrant siblings is love.
That kind of love is a powerful
embodiment of the ve’ahavta.
As philosopher Dr. Cornel
West said, “Never forget that
justice is what love looks like
in public.” The bold, messy,
public love of building com-
munity power is the kind of
love we’re practicing at Detroit
Jews for Justice, one grounded
in our tradition and pushing
for a more just world.
Let’s love God’s world and
all its creatures, b’chol levavcha
with our whole heart and
u’v’chol nafshecha our whole
souls.
Allie Zeff is the executive director of
Detroit Jews for Justice.
TORAH PORTION
Allie Zeff
Parshat
V’etchanan:
Deuteronomy
3:23-7:11;
Isaiah
40:1-26.
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