Voices of WRJ: Parashat B’haalot’cha

by Rabbi Michele Lenke Among the many gifts we find in this week’s Torah portion, B’haalot’cha, is the prayer for healing that Moses and Aaron offer to the Holy One on behalf of their sister Miriam. Her brothers pray “El Na R’fa Na La,” O God, please heal her! (Numbers 12:13). These five words are simultaneously simple and profound. Our siddurim are filled with prayers that use attribute after attribute, praise after praise in order to express God’s greatness, uniqueness and power, and yet what is so incredibly powerful here is that it takes just five words for two brothers to ask God for healing on their sister’s behalf. What do we do on behalf of our sisters? In our congregation, Temple Beth Shalom, we are blessed with an incredibly strong and active sisterhood. We are proud to be involved with WRJ on the local, regional, and national levels. We lift up the fallen by supporting each other in times of need. We help to clothe the naked by cleaning out our closets. We celebrate as each young person in our community is called to the Torah for the first time. We have a variety of programs year round, most recently our annual donor dinner at which time we threw a party honoring the 100^th birthday of WRJ, but perhaps the jewel in our crown is our annual sisterhood spirituality retreat. Each year approximately 50 women of all ages and backgrounds come together to celebrate Shabbat and each other. We read and study Torah, both the Torah of our people and the Torah of our lives. We learn from the wisdom of the rabbis and each other. We listen to each other and to the still small voices in our hearts. We celebrate with each other, we mourn with each other and we comfort each other. We keep it simple. We show up and keep an open mind for what might follow. We take risks like chanting Torah for the first time, leading a Torah study group, speaking our truths and praying from the depths of our souls. We share laughter and tears, joys and hopes, and we sing to God. What do we do on behalf of our sisters? We say hineni, here I am and what can I do to help? We stay connected. We support our sisterhoods and each other. We are, as our motto reminds us, stronger together. 100 years is just a beginning and look how far we’ve come. Happy Birthday WRJ, may all our wishes come true! Rabbi Michele Lenke is a proud member of Temple Beth Shalom's Sisterhood in Needham, MA and past co-president of the Women’s Rabbinic Network.