Tomorrow we inaugurate our President. We welcome him as a leader of these United States wherein many sense division and discord. Donald Trump has before him many opportunities and challenges; most importantly the task of unifying a nation which sees itself as divided . First and foremost, the challenge before Mr. Trump is to demonstrate respect for individuals and communities that previously felt disrespected and ignored.
None of us wishes to be ignored. It violates our sense of self. Regardless of our age or social standing we all expect to be respected. It is a human right and it is a basic Jewish value. Every morning we remind ourselves that each and every one of us is created in the image of the Divine. In short, every person deserves to be appreciated and recognized as incomparably precious.
This upcoming Shabbat we usher in a new reality as we begin to read the second volume of Torah. Its given English name, Exodus, immediately conveys the major theme of the book, but the significance of its Hebrew name is lost to most readers. Eleh Sh-mote opens with “these are the names” and slowly and deliberately reminds us of our origins; painting a picture of the significance of every individual by taking the time to include every descendant of Jacob by name on the march into a new future. Certainly every adult son of Jacob was different from every other son. Each merited inclusion. So, too, does every individual and each cohort deserve to be included in a respectful manner as we march towards our shared future.
The responsibility to respect others is not relegated to one man, no matter the esteem of his office. All of us are obligated to live our lives in the fullness of self-respect and respect of others. May our own individual names stand for the fulfillment of menschlichkeit.
Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Steve Silberman
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