Being a Blessing

By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.

At the very beginning of Parashat Lech L’cha, God commands Avram to go from his home to a land that God will show him. God continues with the following: “I will make of you a great nation,
And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing.”

As I first wrote this Thursday Thought on Election Day, long prior to any final results coming in, my sentiments ring true for these days after when results are now clear.

I can’t help but think of this idea of ‘being a blessing’ and how important it is for us to understand this in light of political diversity in our congregation, in our community, in our country. There is no question that presidential elections can have great potential to cause division among us. But I think it is important to remember the blessings of this week, regardless of the final results, which cause some to mourn and others to celebrate.

So what are some of the blessings of this week?

1. The blessing of egalitarianism: All American men and women have equal opportunity to fulfill this civic duty, to be counted equally among all the citizens of our country.
2. The blessing of freedom of speech: We can agree to disagree, and by doing so, show respect for one another’s opinions.
3. The blessing of honoring our neighbors: We should all try to dwell peacefully with each other, showing kindness to all.
4. The blessing of the gift that keeps on giving: Regardless of the outcome of the election, there is still work to do to continuously improve upon this land in which we dwell.

And for all of these, we must remember that each of us, as descendants of Avram, are blessings. May all of our names be made great by the ways we act to improve upon this country and the world in which we live.