Parshat Shelach Lecha, Numbers 13:1 -15:41

This week’s portion Shelach Lecha speaks about the rules for those who are native born Israelites and those who are resident aliens. Several times the Torah has emphasized that there is one law for both those that are native born and those who have joined the people and reside with them. “There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time throughout the ages. You and the stranger shall be alike before the Eternal” (Num. 15:15).

Whether the civil laws or what we in our day would term more religious law having to do with sacrifices presented or observance of the Sabbath (the Torah did not make that distinction) the law is applied equally. This is an important philosophical statement and practical statement. The rules of community must be applied equally and fairly.

Jewish history teaches us that we were strangers in the land of Egypt. And therefore we are supposed to understand the dangers of treating non-natives differently. In Egypt we were enslaved as other. The Jew throughout history has been treated as other. Whether the exile to Babylonia after the destruction of the first Temple or the ghettos of Italy in the Middle Ages or of Warsaw and concentration and death camps of the last century, we Jews know first hand what it means to be demonized and hated and treated differently.

Our Torah emphasizes to us that we as a community, make community by including everyone. “For the citizen among the Israelites and for the stranger who resides among them- you shall have one ritual…” (Num.15:29). We learn inclusivity matters.

That is why the Jewish community must recommit to being the most inclusive community. We must commit ourselves to welcoming and including and working to include those who are not yet full citizens of our towns and cities. Immigrants need our voices and our support. Surely our families haven’t forgotten their own histories in America of our immigration to this land. Maybe it was your Bubbe or Zayde or maybe your great grandparents or perhaps your own parents or maybe even you!

But the Jewish community must be advocates for welcoming these non-natives to our communities and ensuring that they have equal access to schools, health care and jobs.
That is why immigration reform and support for those who have come here whether documented or not demand our attention. The Torah teaches us this.

There shall be one law for you and the non-native among you.

May we work speedily to count every one and welcome the non-native in our communities.

Posted by Eric at June 16, 2009 09:05 AM