Torah Portion:  Va'etchanan, Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

I've always been interested in my Christian friends and colleagues who talk about being witnesses for their God.  I've always been perplexed by this language, not really understanding what it means, not really thinking that it was "Jewish" language.  But I was reminded while reading this week's Torah portion that "witnessing" is, in fact, part of Jewish faith and experience.  If you actually read the Torah for this week's portion, you will find the familiar words of the Shema prayer.  But what might not be familiar is the fact that the last letter of the first word of the shema - AYIN - and the last letter of the last word of the prayer - DALET - are enlarged.  These two letters combine to form the word eid, or WITNESS.  Written into the Torah itself is the message that through the Shema, we serve as wtinesses for God.

Immediately following the words of the Shema prayer and the "hidden message" of serving as a witness, come the words of the V'ahavta prayer, in which we are commanded to love God, to speak of God in our homes and on our way, to teach our children diligently and keep our faith in our hearts and on our sleeves.  I think what this is trying to tell us is not that we serve as witnesses to God when we make a grand proclamation, but just when we live our lives with integrity and wholeness.  When we do good things, we serve as witnesses.  When we create sacred relationships, we serve as witnesses. When we work with commitment, we serve as witnesses.  When we love our family and friends with abandon, we serve as witnesses.  And when we support those who need to be lifted, we serve as witnesses.  

There is much work that needs to be done in this world.  There is much pain, loss, and damage.  But there are also countless people who can do countless acts to bring goodness and light into this broken, beautiful world of ours. This is the Jewish way we serve God; this is the Jewish way we witness to our faith.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Annie