In this week’s Torah Portion, Parashat Sh’mini, Moses’ brother Aaron, the High Priest is commanded to go before God and make offerings of purification and expiation, not only on his own behalf, but on behalf of the Israelite people as well. I fully admit that when I read the English translation of the text, I had to look up the definition of the word “expiation” which I learned is another word for atonement or making amends for wrongdoing or guilt.
Admitting when we have made a mistake or are wrong in a situation, or that we don’t know something (like the definition of a word) can be challenging. Owning up to our imperfections can be uncomfortable. Admitting out loud that we are fallible and flawed is not a default behavior as we often want to save face and feel confident in our actions.
Students and faculty here at TBE will often hear me say, “If you were perfect, you would be behind glass in a museum.” It was a phrase spoken daily by my sixth-grade teacher. My own children would hear their favorite teacher ask “Why do I love mistakes? It’s how we learn!” Both of these teachers understood the value of teaching young children that the goal is not to strive for perfection in our daily lives but to learn from our mistakes and own up to them so that we may become a better version of ourselves.
Please join us and our partners at St. Martin’s for a special Shabbat service to recognize and celebrate volunteers, donors and prospective volunteers that have devoted their time and resources for the refugee resettlement efforts over the past year+. Our initial focus was on Afghan refugee families which we named AWE (Afghan Welcoming Effort.) As new needs were identified, we have been flexible and worked with Dorcas International to help resettle refugee families from other countries too. There is a great need to meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees so stay tuned for future opportunities to get involved.
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Temple Beth-El 70 Orchard Ave Providence, RI 02906 401.331.6070
