This week, we read a Torah portion (Vayetze)
that among many lessons reminds us of the divine presence. It is the
story of Jacob's flight from his brother Esau. We hear the tale of
Jacob's dream of the ladder, with angels ascending and descending to and
from heaven. Upon waking, Jacob exclaims how God is, "present in this
place, and I did not know it!" (Gen. 28:16). This is an important
component of Jewish theology and the various understandings of divinity.
The ever-present God that is in everything is something many of us have been taught from an early age.
Yet,
there have been many times throughout our Jewish history that events
cause us to question this theology. The Holocaust during World War II
was one of those times. This weekend marks the anniversary an event
that many consider the "official" beginning of the tragic events that
befell our people during World War II. Kristallnacht,
the Night of Broken Glass, occurred 75 years ago in 1938. It is viewed
as a turning point by many because of the state sponsorship of the
violence that appears to have taken place. Whatever the case may be,
this commemoration reminds us of a time when recognizing what Jacob did
after his dream becomes more difficult. How is that we can recognize
the divine presence amidst such awful events and unthinkable acts of
vilence and hatred?
This
is a question that each of us must answer for ourselves. But, just as
Jacob had to recognize that only he had responsibility for his actions
in the story that continues in Torah over the coming weeks, I, too, have
evolved my theology to realize that evil exists in others' acts. The
divine presence is something we bring into the world when, and only
when, we recognize the beauty that is possible in our actions and
behaviors. As we celebrate Shabbat this week and mark the 75th
anniversary of this horrific period in world history, may we all commit
ourselves to always work for the positive and embrace the divinity
within each of us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Evon
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