As we await the results

Friends,

As our country concludes voting today, I know that many are feeling anxious, scared, and, I pray, hopeful. Hopeful because whether by absentee ballot or in person today, we who are eligible were able to participate in our incredible civic process to guide our nation. I am also hopeful because of our CMI community and Jewish tradition that guides and supports us through both joyous and challenging times.

This past Shabbat I shared the story from our Talmud of a dispute between the houses of Hillel and Shammai. After arguing for three years, a heavenly voice declared that while both correctly interpreted the Torah, ultimately the law would follow the house of Hillel. Hillel was chosen because the students of Hillel were kind and gracious and considered Shammai’s opinions as well as their own. (Eruvin 13b) As we await election results, we pledge to be kind and gracious to all.

Our sacred community is guided by the Jewish values of ahavah, chesed, and anavah, by love, compassion, and humility. We will continue to love our neighbors and strangers, we will engage in acts of compassion by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and living our values, and we will find humility by recognizing that all people are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the divine image. At CMI we welcome and value everyone regardless of their political beliefs while encouraging healthy and respectful discourse.

Please know that I am here to talk this week and always, and this Friday night we will celebrate Shabbat free of politics to serve as a refuge from our chaotic week.

With gratitude for our loving and caring community,
Rabbi Brian Immerman