Beloved Friends,

I write to you as the jury in Minneapolis voted to find Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts for the killing of George Floyd. I bring this forward as an affirmation of the essential teaching of the book of Leviticus from which we are reading now: “That which can be broken can be repaired.” The killing of George Floyd put in stark relief once again the broken nature of policing in our criminal justice system. The verdict based upon the witnesses brought forward showed that we can fix this brokenness. Nothing will bring George Floyd back to life, but there is hope that we can do more to fix the system to prevent future tragedies.

“That which can be broken can be repaired.” In Chicago, as in the rest of the country, the epidemic of gun violence shatters lives as it shatters our communities.  When a toddler gets shot in the head in broad daylight…when a 7-year-old girl is gunned down sitting in the back seat of a car at a McDonald’s drive-thru…when a 19-year-old struggling with mental illness can purchase rifles and kill former co-workers…we must realize that we can, and we must repair the brokenness that is gun violence.

Leviticus is clear, in this week’s Torah portion, Kedoshim, God commands that we become holy. The text continues to teach us that the path to fulfilling this command is through the hesed, the kindness that we show to our fellow human beings in word and in deed. “That which can be broken can be repaired.” It is through hesed, that we not only aspire to holiness, but we can also repair the brokenness in our world, too.

Let me close with what our congregation has established as our platform on gun control: Jewish tradition requires all communities and societies to protect the welfare of their members and to develop the conditions necessary for the maintenance of health and safety. Judaism teaches that everyone is created in Tselem Elohim – the Image of God. When the rabbis in the Talmud come across a case in society that is not specifically covered by a Mitzvah in Torah, but must be addressed, they base their rulings on a simple verse in the Torah: “And you shall do that which is Yashar and Tov – righteous and good” (Deuteronomy 6:18). We believe and support:

  • Common-sense solutions can help decrease the escalating epidemic of gun violence.
  • Educating and mobilizing supporters to take action will result in stronger laws and policies to save lives.

“That which can be broken can be repaired.” Let us build a better tomorrow, together, as we work for sensible gun control, criminal justice reform and end to the hatred that inspires one to strike out against another in violence.

Shalom,