And so it is that, in these turbulent days, the original dialogue between God and the human being—placed at the center of the created world—resounds once more, along with the existential and identity-shaping question directed at that person: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). It is a call to conscious self-reflection, to reckon with the meaning of the belief that one is created in the image of God, and with one’s responsibility as a covenantal partner in repairing society and the world.
This question of human purpose also finds resonance and significance in this week’s Torah reading, Parashat Matot-Masei, which we read together this year as one portion. It outlines the journey and the destiny of the people of Israel- a journey that seeks to preserve the memory and testimony of Israel’s historic experience as slaves in Egypt, and the suffering and pain that resulted from policies of oppression and the abuse of power, which degrade human dignity, liberty, and life.
The people’s journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, a land of destiny, continues the spiritual path initiated by Abraham, the founding patriarch of the Hebrew-Israeli nation. By the Torat Chayim - the living Torah- that is meant to be rooted in Jewish education and transmitted through the generations: "...That he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment;" (Genesis 18:19).
This year, we read Parashat Matot-Masei on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Av, the first Shabbat of the Month of Av, during the period of Bein HaMetzarim: the three weeks of mourning in Jewish tradition marking the destruction of the First and Second Temples. This timing sharpens the question of which crossroads the Israeli society now faces - during a prolonged and devastating war.
The decisions made now will shape not only the Jewish and Zionist identity of the “day after,” but also the security and future of the State of Israel.
We are currently engaged in an unprecedented multi-front war, the likes of which have never been experienced in Israel’s history. This reality demands a heartfelt reckoning—personal, communal, and national - concerning where we have come from and where we wish to go. It also calls us to ask: before whom will we ultimately give account?
The shock, fear, grief, and ongoing uncertainty call to mind the words of poet Leah Goldberg, written during the chaos of World War II as the horrors of the Holocaust were beginning to surface: “Blazing inferno Of the fires on the roads fed by horrors too awful to stand”. We are torn by the escalating devaluation of human life - whether it be the sound of sirens warning of missiles launched from distant lands and set to explode in the heart of our cities and homes, determining arbitrarily which of our children will live and which will face a cruel death.
Whether it be the worry for our children and siblings, who after the horrifying terror attack by Hamas on October 7th - targeting civilian communities - were called into active or reserve duty to defend Israel’s security and work toward the return of the hundreds of hostages suffering in the tunnels of Gaza…
Whether it be the heartbreaking consequences of war involving the deaths of innocent noncombatants, including children, women, and the elderly in Gaza, which over time has become massive and unbearable. Or whether it be the acts of escalating Jewish terror throughout the West Bank during wartime, now fueled by an atmosphere of permissiveness and enabled by security forces' failure to prevent the burning of Palestinian villages and the destruction of homes and farmlands even at the cost of bloodshed.
In this time of upheaval, many of us feel we are undergoing a genuine crisis of faith regarding our practical, day-to-day adherence to the teachings of Jewish and Zionist life.
This Torat Chayim - this living Torah - was manifest in the dramatic historic moment of the founding of the State of Israel and in the spirit of the words declared in the Declaration of Independence, which committed the state to the “Foundations of liberty, justice, and peace, in the light of the vision of the prophets of Israel.”
As active members of civil society, through the Rabbis for Human Rights organization, we continue to work in support and solidarity with Palestinians tending their fields, as well as through education in pre-military academies, striving to cultivate a brave, humanistic leadership that will stand against calls for Jewish supremacy and revenge-driven ideologies.
Our urgent appeal is to promote a diplomatic agreement that will swiftly bring this war to an end and enable the return of our hostages—some for healing and rebuilding, and others for honorable burial. In the words of Leah Goldberg, we pray for the coming of: “Days of forgiveness and grace.”
Days in which we may once again experience the simple beauty of daily life, renewed by love’s sustaining power. Days in which we restore our faith in humanity and in leaders chosen for their humility and integrity, leaders who embody a sense of public mission and the necessity of hope and the relentless pursuit of peace.
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Rabbi Regev Yaakobovitz-Michaeli is a member of Kibbutz Lahavot Haviva. He is married and the father of four, a teacher, educator, and lecturer. He holds a PhD in philosophy with a specialization in the thought of Martin Buber, dialogical education, and Israeli cultural identity, and was ordained as a Reform rabbi in Israel.
This question of human purpose also finds resonance and significance in this week’s Torah reading, Parashat Matot-Masei, which we read together this year as one portion. It outlines the journey and the destiny of the people of Israel- a journey that seeks to preserve the memory and testimony of Israel’s historic experience as slaves in Egypt, and the suffering and pain that resulted from policies of oppression and the abuse of power, which degrade human dignity, liberty, and life.
The people’s journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, a land of destiny, continues the spiritual path initiated by Abraham, the founding patriarch of the Hebrew-Israeli nation. By the Torat Chayim - the living Torah- that is meant to be rooted in Jewish education and transmitted through the generations: "...That he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment;" (Genesis 18:19).
This year, we read Parashat Matot-Masei on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Av, the first Shabbat of the Month of Av, during the period of Bein HaMetzarim: the three weeks of mourning in Jewish tradition marking the destruction of the First and Second Temples. This timing sharpens the question of which crossroads the Israeli society now faces - during a prolonged and devastating war.
The decisions made now will shape not only the Jewish and Zionist identity of the “day after,” but also the security and future of the State of Israel.
We are currently engaged in an unprecedented multi-front war, the likes of which have never been experienced in Israel’s history. This reality demands a heartfelt reckoning—personal, communal, and national - concerning where we have come from and where we wish to go. It also calls us to ask: before whom will we ultimately give account?
The shock, fear, grief, and ongoing uncertainty call to mind the words of poet Leah Goldberg, written during the chaos of World War II as the horrors of the Holocaust were beginning to surface: “Blazing inferno Of the fires on the roads fed by horrors too awful to stand”. We are torn by the escalating devaluation of human life - whether it be the sound of sirens warning of missiles launched from distant lands and set to explode in the heart of our cities and homes, determining arbitrarily which of our children will live and which will face a cruel death.
Whether it be the worry for our children and siblings, who after the horrifying terror attack by Hamas on October 7th - targeting civilian communities - were called into active or reserve duty to defend Israel’s security and work toward the return of the hundreds of hostages suffering in the tunnels of Gaza…
Whether it be the heartbreaking consequences of war involving the deaths of innocent noncombatants, including children, women, and the elderly in Gaza, which over time has become massive and unbearable. Or whether it be the acts of escalating Jewish terror throughout the West Bank during wartime, now fueled by an atmosphere of permissiveness and enabled by security forces' failure to prevent the burning of Palestinian villages and the destruction of homes and farmlands even at the cost of bloodshed.
In this time of upheaval, many of us feel we are undergoing a genuine crisis of faith regarding our practical, day-to-day adherence to the teachings of Jewish and Zionist life.
This Torat Chayim - this living Torah - was manifest in the dramatic historic moment of the founding of the State of Israel and in the spirit of the words declared in the Declaration of Independence, which committed the state to the “Foundations of liberty, justice, and peace, in the light of the vision of the prophets of Israel.”
As active members of civil society, through the Rabbis for Human Rights organization, we continue to work in support and solidarity with Palestinians tending their fields, as well as through education in pre-military academies, striving to cultivate a brave, humanistic leadership that will stand against calls for Jewish supremacy and revenge-driven ideologies.
Our urgent appeal is to promote a diplomatic agreement that will swiftly bring this war to an end and enable the return of our hostages—some for healing and rebuilding, and others for honorable burial. In the words of Leah Goldberg, we pray for the coming of: “Days of forgiveness and grace.”
Days in which we may once again experience the simple beauty of daily life, renewed by love’s sustaining power. Days in which we restore our faith in humanity and in leaders chosen for their humility and integrity, leaders who embody a sense of public mission and the necessity of hope and the relentless pursuit of peace.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Regev Yaakobovitz-Michaeli is a member of Kibbutz Lahavot Haviva. He is married and the father of four, a teacher, educator, and lecturer. He holds a PhD in philosophy with a specialization in the thought of Martin Buber, dialogical education, and Israeli cultural identity, and was ordained as a Reform rabbi in Israel.