This week, we read parshat Mishpatim (Laws) and learned the middah “Create Fair Rules.” The parshah and its middah are most appropriate for a week in which we commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Heschel and King were friends inspired by their religions to fight for “fair rules.” Both saw the biblical journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom, and the prophetic tradition of Justice and Equity, as models for the Civil Rights movement. When Heschel marched alongside King in Selma, Alabama, he said that he felt as if his “legs were praying.”
This week, our Junior High Student Council Tikkun Olam Committee created wonderful programming throughout the school to teach us about the importance of standing up for fairness and justice.
This Shabbat, may we all find sources of inspiration in our tradition that inspire us to work toward a fairer, more just society.
Shabbat Shalom,
Moreh Greg
