Our sense of morality feels violated when we see or hear about the murder of innocents, particularly children.
So what are we to do when the Torah itself, to which we turn for moral guidance, calls for that very action?
While it is tempting to gloss over these difficult encounters and some will question why I bring this up in this parsha talk, it’s important to address them head on, driven by a deep love of God and the belief in the eternal truth of the Torah.
In this week’s parsha, Re’eh, we find an example of this. In Chapter 13 of the Book of Devarim, we read of the punishment for a city in which idolatry takes place.
“If we succeed in educating the next generation of Jews and Christians that our primary connection to Israel is based first and foremost on the Bible, then there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic. If we double down on faith-based advocacy, we will get there,” said Rabbi Tuly Weisz of Israel365.
As President Joe Biden weighed how far to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in public for a ceasefire last week, he was missing an authoritative voice in the country, someone with a direct line to the White House who could advance Washington s interests and spur a response from the boss.
A Historical Moment in Israel, An Orthodox Synagogue Has Appointed Its’ First Woman Spiritual Leader
In the past, women were only serving in positions of spiritual leadership alongside male rabbis in Orthodox synagogues in Israel.
Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis was appointed as the sole spiritual leader and halachic authority at the Shirat Tamar Synagogue in Efrat. Rabbanit Shira has made history as she is the first woman ever appointed to the role. Up until now, Orthodox women who were appointed as leaders would serve alongside male rabbis.
Mirvis being appointed created a powerful landmark for Orthodoxy in Israel. Women have been advancing in spiritual and halachic leadership positions for many years but never made it to the full communal leadership position until recently.
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Screen capture from video of Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis speaking to her community after she was appointed as the spiritual leader of the Shirat Hatamar synagogue in Efrat, April, 2021. (YouTube)
An Orthodox synagogue in the West Bank settlement of Efrat has appointed a woman to be the community’s sole spiritual leader, the first time that a woman has held such a position in an Israeli Orthodox community.
Rabbanit Shira Marili Mirvis was nominated with the support of 83 percent of the Shirat Hatamar synagogue’s voting members earlier this week, the synagogue announced in a statement Tuesday.