'Be strong, and we will strengthen one another'
As clergy we are accustomed to seeking guidance from our sacred texts. In my case, those are our Torah (first five books of the "Old Testament") and Tanahk (Hebrew Bible). Several narratives have come to mind.
In Numbers, Chapter 12, Miriam was stricken with leprous-like scales because she and Aaron had been gossiping about their brother, Moses. Despite her offense against him, Moses cried out to Adonai with great and heartfelt compassion, "Please, please God heal her." It is the first example of a personal prayer in the Bible. Miriam was not spared he ordeal, but she did recover.
She was quarantined outside the camp for seven days. The Israelites waited for her, not resuming their journey until she was able to rejoin them. (Number 12: 16) "And afterward the people removed from Haze'roth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran." They had disease in their midst, they quarantined and waited it out, and they then went on their way and resumed their daily lives. Third and last, there is my favorite line of King David's Psalm 30:5. "One may lie down weeping at nightfall, but at dawn there are shouts of joy."
In our present crisis, we have been pulled out of our safe routines. We are alarmed for our family, friends, community, and ourselves. Frankly, we are bored to tears as we shelter in place. We may not be weeping, but our angst is real.As spiritual people, we can turn to our texts for inspiration and guidance. Noah and his family survived a catastrophic event. An Israelite leader experienced a terrible disease, but emerged whole, and the people returned to their normal routines. David's life was endangered by King Saul, but he emerged as the first Israelite king ordained by God, and brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem in great joy.These are only a few of the many examples of our ancestors undergoing great trials and emerging enlightened at the conclusion of their struggles. May we gain strength from them and from each other.“Be strong, be strong, and we will strengthen one another.”Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer is the spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Abraham on Main Street in Butler.
