This is the record of the origins of humans.—When God created humankind, it was made in the likeness of God. (Genesis 5:1)
You are loved by ahava rabbah – a great love. You are divine and the image of divinity. You are reflected in the very origin and creation of humanity. You are part of what makes us all whole.
And, you are attacked. You are feared. You are blamed. You are scapegoated.
And, we will work to protect you. You are us. Let me and us and each other know how those of us who are cisgender can help and support and protect and show up and do better and let you rest.
For affirming and/or educational readings about the importance of non-binary genders in Judaism, maybe start here:
- Rabbi Elliot Kukla Wants Us to Remember the Many Genders of Ancient Judaism
- TransTorah Project
- Gender in Genesis
And while this week's Torah reading is Bo, the third parasha of Exodus, and not the beginning of Genesis, the idea of being in the image of the divine is just as important here. In the Talmud (Sotah 14a), being created in the image of G-d means doing as G-d does:
…the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy Blessed One…Just as G-d clothes the naked, as it is written: “And Adonai made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy Blessed One visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And Adonai appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy Blessed One consoles mourners, as it is written: “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy Blessed One, buried the dead, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.
Rabbi Brant Rosen makes an obvious addition to this list. Adonai responds to the cries of the oppressed as we see in the story of the Israelites in Mitzrayim, so too should we respond to the cry of the oppressed.
Let us make the call. Let us hear the call. Let us answer the call.
We are divine. Let's do our best to act that way.
Shabbat shalom, chodesh Shvat tov, and happy Lunar New Year!
R’ David