Voices of WRJ: Parashot B’har and B’chukotai

by Lindie Henderson The combined readings of Parashot B’har and B’chukotai at the end of the Book of Leviticus provide rules for responsibilities and observances in specific time frames with reminders about blessings and curses. We can relate to “jubilee” celebrations during this WRJ Centennial year and consider how we will fulfill our obligations. During the jubilee year, the people were mandated to allow fields to rest, to free slaves, and to return lands to original borders. Today, too, we know that we are responsible for caring for the earth because it is a gift from God. We are responsible for those in our community and need to be respectful and righteous. Mostly, we are responsible for ourselves and for the choices we make. Actions have consequences that enable us to gain self-awareness and determine who we are. Freedom to identify our options, to speak our minds, to follow our own paths, and to live where and how we wish are accepted in our lives. We have many blessings for which to be grateful every day and, of course, responsibilities that accompany them. In these parashot, Torah teaches us that we need to find and maintain a balance in our lives and to choose wisely and well. That is a challenge for every committed WRJ woman! Perhaps this Shabbat will provide an opportunity to rest, to refresh, and to consider how each of us in our sisterhoods and women’s groups can do our part to protect the earth and each other, and find that healthy balance as we meet obligations in our lives, in our congregations, and in our communities. Lindie Henderson is a member of the WRJ Board of Directors, is WRJ Pacific District Immediate Past President, and is a member of Women of B’nai Israel in Sacramento, CA.