Disabilities and Divine Eyeglasses This week, when I read the Parsha, I will put on my divine eyeglasses. I will see everyone around me differently and give them the love and respect they truly deserve. Can a disabled person be a spiritual leader? The answer might seem simple, but it’s not. The reason why it is a challenging question is because of this week’s Torah reading. On the weekend of Parashat Emor in 2009, my synagogue held a unique Bnai Mitzvah celebration. The celebrants were a group of six adults, most in the forties and fifties, who were residents at the Miriam Home, a Montreal institution that provides services for intellectually disabled adults. These Bnai Mitzvah turned 12 and 13 at a time when developmentally disabled children were hidden away, and because of that, they were excluded from a ceremony that every Jewish child takes for granted.