INTRIGUING TORAH : Nitzaviam - Stand Up, Practice & Comprehend Proactive Change & Behaviors

 

Nitzaviam - Stand Up, Practice & Comprehend Proactive Change  & Behaviors

 “ — ......if you and your offspring would live — by loving, heeding the commandments. For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that the benefited to your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them."

(Deuteronomy 30:15 - 30:20)

How does this powerful passage have meaning in today’s ‘modern’ world and how might it apply?  Who are today's Abrahams, Moses,Isaacs, Aarons, Ruths, Judiths, or Esthers? Who just might be OUR out spoken heroes who have had a powerful impact,  and has shown humility & maybe reverence, and had a strong social impact? Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Princess Di, MLK, Harvey Milk, Kissinger are just some of the considerations of heroes of everyday life, that have stood up for HUMANITY & THE PEOPLE.....heroes that have had a proactive IMPACT on society in general, and maybe not the most popular of their time, but.... !!!  .   Each has made a major impact in modern history, and has enabled humans of all and/or many backgrounds some personal freedoms and liberties, and allowances, and given them permissions and behaviors that would not have been allowed otherwise! 

Harvey Milk is a person I’d like to present & how this Torah portion, especially this last passage relates and pertains to him.

Harvey Milk (B. May 22, 1930 – D. November 27, 1978):

“American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.”

Like many candid government figures, controversy surrounded and built up around him until, he said later, "I finally reached the point where I knew I had to become involved or shut up"    Milk, ran for city council and lost his first few attempts, but still helped people around him, and built a strong platform and beautiful relationships, and later finally won that seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors.  He was a proud person and stood for justice and equality – Causes were also important to Milk; he promoted larger and less expensive child care facilities, free public transportation, and the development of a board of civilians to oversee the police. He advanced important neighborhood issues at every opportunity” and honestly cared about his neighbors and surroundings to make it a better place and environment!

Even when initiatives were being fought and not won by the popular vote, his take; “We are educating………………..”

Very sadly & unfortunately, Harvey Milk was assassinated at the age of 48; Milk indeed had a MAJOR and loving impact on humankind. He was a true hero for all humankind! 

How about our anti-heroes (not being too specific-we all know the villains and haters, and ALL have strong opinions, & opinions are just that...) or the people/groups that show malicious intent, or "The Accusers, The Blamers......" We can always feel the hurt and or disdane, & the feeling of shame, and experience the horrible pain, the loss, and A-L-L in major disbelief!   We as the mass population can literally stop and shut down? – ABSOLUTELY NO!.......WE MUST CONSTANTLY STAND UP FOR OUR RIGHTS IN AN ACCEPTABLE AND RESPECTABLE MANNER AND HAVE A PROACTIVE IMPACT ON ALL SOCIETY…and for one another! 

We may not always agree in a cause, a stance, a reason, or the platform of delivery, or even a candidate, but respecting one’s rights, and more importantly, their HUMAN RIGHTS is so very vital, be it yesterday, today, and or for our future and for all Humankind!

The media today is different than it was  of yesteryear, when you'd get your morning News Paper delivered and have your cup of coffee in hand, and Walter Cronkite delivered and READ the nightly news without his own input or debate; we accepted the read & heard words!  Our societal figures, might have been a tad contraversial, or thankfully think/thought outside the box, BUT WE WEREN'T pugnacious, pugalistic, and just rude at times! This is partially brought out from anyone that 'may' seem, or is either out of the norm (I dislike that word) , slightly out spoken, or stands for or believs in something you may not.....Thankfully, I did not choose to focus on Neil deGrasse Tyson, Magnus Hirschfeld, Immanuel Kant, Baruch Spinoza!  OOoh, but just wait, because I will eventually.   They all were forward and extremely intellegent human beings that defintely stood out from the crowd with what was considered contraversal , and thankfully they did!!  

Let's get back to Harvey; Harvey Milk stated, “Even when initiatives (ideas, thoughts) were being fought and not won by the popular vote, his take; “We are educating………………..”  

Let’s continue to EDUCATE, to absorb what we learn and sincerely digest, to Grow, to understand proactive behaviors, to be able to comprehend change, EVEN IF THEY DIFFER THAN OUR VERY OWN …. to love, to walk in a positive way and manner, side by side with our brothers and sisters… let us all be fair, stand up for A-L-L Humankind in a calm and humane manner and behavior, and show LOVE (AHAVA)!

Shabbat Shalom & L' Shana Tova!

Rabbi Barry