of the TV to watch the unfolding of the carefully planned and ritualized inauguration ceremonies? With my commitment to caring for my body and spirit so that I can be most fully present to my work in the world in mind, I turned on the television, muted the sound (a practice with which we have all become quite expert on our other devices) and took my place on the bike. The electricity of the day surged from the top of my head through the tips of my shoes as I climbed hills to dance music and watched our leaders arrive at the Capitol. Without the television commentary to filter or direct my experience, I found myself noticing the emotions playing out in Washington DC on my television screen. There was the radiant smile of now Vice President Kamala Harris, the teary eyes of now President Joe Biden, heads bowed with respect for the sanctity of the occasion and the respectful camaraderie of officials and attendees. The experience of listening with my eyes instead of my ears was powerful. Once the sense of sound was removed from the experience, my sense of sight elevated itself.
​​​​​​​By the time the swearing-in of the President and Vice President took place, I had relocated to the television and turned the volume up. Now, my sense of sound was attuned to the moment. As President Biden took his oath, I noticed Chief Justice Roberts conclude with the words, So help you gd. Deliberate or not, Roberts offered it as a question to which President Biden responded with strength as an affirmation. I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me gd. The final words offer a sense of reverence as well as deep commitment to the responsibilities defined in the oath.Â
Reading this week's parasha, which lays out the practice of the first Passover and offers direction for the future, I can't help but understand those final words as invocation to support one's work in challenging and other times. So, Help Me Gd. In the narrative of the Jewish people, the Holy One played an integral role in the journey out of the straits of Mitzrayim/Egypt. Gd guided Moses and Aaron, who instructed the people in ritualizing their journey into freedom. The parasha ends with the commitment to a sign upon your hand and a symbol between your eyes (or on your forehead) that with a mighty hand Adonai took us out of Egypt (Exodus, 13:16). The rabbis later interpreted these signs and symbols as what we now know as t'fillin, a physical expression of our spiritual connection and bond with Gd. Placing these signs and symbols on our arm and forehead, we remind ourselves of our commitment to use our bodies and senses for sacred work and purpose, to see with honesty and clarity, and to hear with empathy and compassion. Â
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel maintained, Who is a Jew? A person whose integrity decays when unmoved by the knowledge of wrong done to other people. This week marked a new page in our year of loving chapters. What will we see when we quiet the distractions around us? What will we hear when we turn intentionally to our homes, our community and our world? How will we choose to live and walk with integrity, showing up for one another, infusing our lives with accountability, justice and love? Torah calls on us to commit to the holy and divine. Like the President of the United States, let us affirm our life's work with the words, so help me gd. May the divine respond in kind.
Shabbat Shalom
rg
