5759

Our Sidrah, Sidrat Mishpatim deals with a large number of ordinances, civil and criminal laws and statues that Moses was given by G-d to transmit to the people of Israel.

This set of rules deals with a wide range of issues: the rules that regulate how to treat slaves, the laws punishing stealing, the prohibition of any kind of idolatry, some of the Kashrut regulations and the prohibition to work on Shabbat, among others. Some of these rules regulate the relationship between a person and his fellows, and some of them establish the religious base of the people of Israel.

The rules are very strict and G-d requires obedience. People can chose to disobey the rules, but need to confront the consequences. This complex set of rules, like a modern code, establishes the limitation of the rules themselves, when to apply them and the punishment that results from disobedience.

The Talmudic tractate of Sanhedrin, which deals with the practical details of this set of rules, starts its last chapter with the following statement:

And the commentators explained: even sinners, including those executed by the courts.

Without entering into the details of the meaning of "the world to come", we can understand the Talmudic statement in a general, yet important way: No one, it doesn't matter what he or she did, can be excluded from the congregation of Israel.

Some people may receive a punishment and their behavior may be condemned, but nobody can deny them the right to be part of the people of Israel. Even Moses and Aharon in the desert, who needed to deal with very difficult people, did not exclude them from the congregation.

To be part of the people of Israel -and in a more particular way- to be part of a specific congregation –like our congregation, Beth Israel- is something that transcends our personal preferences about human beings

In a congregation, as in a family, people are different one from the other. We don't need to like any single person, but we should accept the fact that any single person in our congregation is an integral part of it. When the Torah established these rules, included under these rules was every single person in the congregation, even the ones that in the future would transgress against those rules.

And if the Torah has such a graciousness of spirit and is so generous, to include every single Jew in Kelal Israel (in the big Jewish congregation), we can emulate the Torah and trying to be inclusive in our own small congregation. If a member of our congregation doesn't match with our parameters of what is a nice, smart and wise person, we don't have the right to exclude him or her from the congregational life.

To be part of a congregation is not like being part of a group of friends. We may have good friends within the congregation and outside the congregation. With them we may spend most of our free time. However, when we deal with members of a congregation, we have a different responsibility: We need to let them feel that they are part of us, just because they are Jewish like us, just because they are part of our family.

And if that is a specific commandment regarding any of our brothers and sisters, it is even a stronger one with our brothers and sisters that may not have friends and family close by.

We have to be especially attentive and kind to those whom other people may attempt to exclude them because they feel that they are different.

To build a congregation is a difficult task. It was not easy for Moses in the desert, and may not be easy also for us, here at Beth Israel. It is part of a learning process: how to live with people who are different from us. Graciousness and kindness of spirit are two qualities we may need to develop to face this important mission.

And the more we open our hearts, the more we'll feel blessed. The more we include others in our lives, the more we'll feel included in our congregation.

It is a difficult task, but it is worthy.

Shabbat Shalom!