Nitsovim and Khagim / נצבים און חגים

This is a weekly series

of parsha dvarim (Tōrah commentaries) written by an orthodox atheist transsexual anarchist, with guest posts from comrades. It's the work of each generation to extricate meaning from our cultural and religious inheritance, and it's crucial that we resist the narrative that Zionism owns Judaism. We aim to offer comment which is true to the pshat (i.e. engages with the plain meaning of the text, especially when it's difficult) and uses Tōrah like a light to reflect on our modern times.

An appeal

This week I'm boosting not one but three fundraisers. Each of this is a trusted Palestinian friend in Gaza or a refugee in Egypt. If you're able, please consider donating to all three. If not, please choose one.

Areej and Farid are teenagers living in Gaza with their surviving family, and they need help buying food and basic school supplies. When the bare minimum needs are met, they will use remaining funds to provide a education and entertainment for the children in their community.

Kamal needs help to leave Gaza. He is trying to immigrate to Greece to search for his missing son, who in desperation took a small and dangerous lifeboat across the Mediterranean.

Aseel is a Gazan refugee and medical student living in al-Mansoura. My comrades and I are looking for people with means to commit to a monthly donation of $5–20 in order to pay for her rent, and the rent of the 4 other refugee students living with her. This is an investment not only in Palestine's survival but its future.

Content note

Genocide and fascism

Wake up. The month of Elul urges us to account for ourselves and our communities—to do tshuva that we may have a sweet, round year. The clock's running down. Empty your pockets.

Very little is sweet about this time. We won't get through it if we do not find reasons to keep living; but we have no reason to continue if we ignore the truth, which is that things are very difficult right now.

In this week's parsha, Mōshe Rebeynu reminds us—not the people he directly addresses, but their descendants, you and me—that it is never too late to return to holiness. Should we do tshuva after all the curses which will befall us:

This in reference primarily to the sin of avodo zoro (idol worship), but it applies to all wrongdoings. Tōrah gives us an off-ramp to stop being bad and turn toward being good.

There is a disproportionate focus on the bad behavior of others: my people are causing harm, but I am righteous. It is our responsibility to confront our own wrongs, which of course include failing to intervene in the oppression of others. There is no tshuva without commitment to do better.