This past Shabbat, on the eve of Tisha B’Av, we read from Isaiah and Eicha and asked the aching question: Ayeka—where are we in this difficult moment? 

I turned my phone on after Shabbat to the horrific videos of Evyatar David brutally starved by Hamas, made to dig his own grave. 

The prophet Isaiah’s voice echoed even more powerfully: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.” 

The hostages have run out of time, and we must bring them home now—the living for rehabilitation, and the dead for proper burial. 

This week, as we turn to parashat Va’etchanan, we receive a different kind of call: the Shema and Ve’Ahavta. “You shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” But how do we love a God we cannot see? 

The rabbis teach that we love God by loving God’s creations; by showing up for each other, by feeding the hungry, comforting the grieving, and building a more just society. In other words, loving your neighbour is how you love God.

Many of you asked me after last week’s sermon: what now? What can we do? 

Communities like Kehillat Zion in Jerusalem and Ikar in Los Angeles put out a call to action last week.

One organization that stood out from their list is IsraAID. Their expertise is in food aid, mental health trauma care, and education. As an NGO that is both Israeli and humanitarian, they are uniquely positioned to work with partner organizations to get critical aid to those in need. 

As we approach parashat Va’etchanan, as we move from the calls of Eicha and Ayeka toward the call of Ve'Ahavta, I invite you to commit yourself to one local act of love.

Make a phone call to a friend who has been feeling lonely. Volunteer with Ve’ahavta. Brainstorm your walking crew early for next year’s The Coldest Night of the Year. 

Let your love of God be lived through love of others.

Shabbat Shalom, 

Rabbi Lara