By Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Light from darkness…
It’s what we’ve been working so hard at these past few weeks.
Our prayers…
Our turning towards our best selves…
Our tzedakah – our righteous giving…
The purpose of our High Holy Days is to bring light into our lives, our relationships, and our world. The changes we have vowed to make are meant to banish the darkness of our cynicism, our pettiness, our envy, and our hatred. Our Days of Awe are designed to vanquish the darkness of our echo chambers and our intractable adherence to our own views. They are meant to inspire us to listen more empathetically, generously, and compassionately to those around us.
We need that light now especially – our news feeds are overflowing with taunts and accusations, with words that are meant to mock and wound.
This week’s Torah portion reminds us that there is a light in this world that can drive away the darkness, the coarseness, the meanness of it all. And the first step is to say simply, “enough is enough” – we are through with the divisions, the diversions, and the rancor. We cry out: “Let there be light!” And then – we must bring the light. We must be the light.
