Such a time as this: November 2024/ Heshvan 5785

In light of the Torah portions and the elections in the past couple of weeks, it seems to me we have three biblical models we could follow.

Some of us, like Noah, will build an ark. We will try to save our family and the animals we love.

Some of us, like Abram and Sarai, will leave the country, our birthplace and the home of our ancestors, and go to a land we hope is more promising.

But some of us, like Abraham and Sarah  (the people that Abram and Sarai became when they found their mission in the world) will open our tent doors and welcome guests. We will feed them (and when necessary, house them). We will listen to what they have to say. And when we hear that our neighbors are being destroyed, we will not remain silent but protest, even to God. Even against God. We will save what we can and who we can.

And who knows, maybe (like Esther in the book we will read on Purim), maybe we have come to our positions in the U.S. for such a time as this?