Dear Friends,
This week’s Torah portion contains a familiar, but disturbing tale. In it, Abraham is commanded to sacrifice his son, Isaac. With a deep sense of faith in God, Abraham brings Isaac to the designated site for the sacrifice, and at the very last minute, a lamb appears in the thicket.
As unsettling as this tale may be, it serves to remind us that faith can help in the challenges we face. In a world filed with countless trials and tribulations, a little faith can go a long way in helping us deal with uncertainty.
As I craft these words, our country is in the middle of early voting, and these elections seem to be a source of tremendous uncertainty for Republicans and Democrats alike. It is here that the story of the Binding of Isaac can serve to help us see that when we keep our eyes open with hope and faith, a ram in the thicket will eventually appear.
Regardless of who gets elected, it is important to remain faithful to an amazing system of democracy that has not failed us yet. Our hope for the future resides in maintaining a faith in our system of government, faith in our country, faith in our communities and faith in ourselves.
That said, the lessons of life and the history of humanity have also come to teach us that faith alone is not enough. We cannot merely be concerned about our future without taking action. We need to get out there and vote.
Engagement in our system is part of our civic duty. Our freedoms of speech and action are central to how we evolve and grow as individuals and as a nation. Therefore, while we must have faith in our system, we must also take action.
Everyone needs to vote!
L’Shalom-Steve