The Mitzvah of Pride: How Expanding Understandings of Gender and Sexuality Enrich All Our Lives
Fri, Jun 10
2022
Free
at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple
222 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ
More Info / Registration
For allies and for LGBTQ people alike, Pride is an opportunity to embody some of our fundamental religious values: justice, empathy, honesty, and love. This is especially true when things may feel new or even challenging – and especially true this year. Here are some of the sources we’ll be exploring.
- Growing in Understanding and Empathy
Exodus 22:20
| וְגֵר לֹא-תוֹנֶה, וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ: כִּי-גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. | You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. |
Numbers 27:1-7
| א וַתִּקְרַבְנָה בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד וְאֵלֶּה, שְׁמוֹת בְּנֹתָיו–מַחְלָה נֹעָה, וְחָגְלָה וּמִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה. | 1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. |
| ב וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה, וְלִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, וְלִפְנֵי הַנְּשִׂיאִם, וְכָל-הָעֵדָה–פֶּתַח אֹהֶל-מוֹעֵד, לֵאמֹר. | 2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying: |
| ג אָבִינוּ מֵת בַּמִּדְבָּר…וּבָנִים לֹא-הָיוּ לוֹ. | 3 “Our father died in the wilderness… and had no sons. |
| ד לָמָּה יִגָּרַע שֵׁם-אָבִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ, כִּי אֵין לוֹ בֵּן; תְּנָה-לָּנוּ אֲחֻזָּה, בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אָבִינוּ. | 4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.” |
| ה וַיַּקְרֵב מֹשֶׁה אֶת-מִשְׁפָּטָן, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה. | 5 And Moses brought their cause before YHVH, |
| ו וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. | 6 And YHVH spoke unto Moses, saying: |
| ז כֵּן, בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת–נָתֹן תִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָה, בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אֲבִיהֶם; וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ אֶת-נַחֲלַת אֲבִיהֶן, לָהֶן. | 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.” |
- Reaffirming Love and Human Flourishing
| Genesis 2:18 | |
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, לֹא-טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ | And God said: “It is not good for the human being to be alone.” |
Deuteronomy 6:5
| וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. | You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your might.” |
Proverbs 3:17
| דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי-נֹעַם; וְכָל-נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם. | Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. |
Psalms 101:7
| לֹא-יֵשֵׁב, בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי עֹשֵׂה רְמִיָּה: דֹּבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא-יִכּוֹן, לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי. |
Whoever works deceit shall not dwell in my house; whoever lies shall not be established in my eyes. |
- Wonder at Diversity
Psalm 33:6
| בִּדְבַר יְהוָה, שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ; וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו, כָּל-צְבָאָם. | By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth |
Genesis 25:24-28
| כד וַיִּמְלְאוּ יָמֶיהָ, לָלֶדֶת; וְהִנֵּה תוֹמִם, בְּבִטְנָהּ. | 24 And when her [Rebecca’s] days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. |
| כה וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי, כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר; וַיִּקְרְאוּ שְׁמוֹ, עֵשָׂו. | 25 And the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy mantle; and they called his name Esau. |
| כו וְאַחֲרֵי-כֵן יָצָא אָחִיו, וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו, וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ, יַעֲקֹב | 26 And after that came forth his brother, and his hand held onto Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob |
| כז וַיִּגְדְּלוּ, הַנְּעָרִים, וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד, אִישׁ שָׂדֶה; וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם, יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים. | 27 And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a [simple?] man, dwelling in tents. |
| כח וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת-עֵשָׂו, כִּי-צַיִד בְּפִיו; וְרִבְקָה, אֹהֶבֶת אֶת-יַעֲקֹב. | 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison; and Rebekah loved Jacob. |
- Pursuing Justice and Showing Up
Deuteronomy 16:20
| צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף–לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ. | Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land which YHVH your God gives you. |
Micah 6:8
| מַה-טּוֹב; וּמָה-יְהוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ, כִּי אִם-עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת, עִם-אֱלֹהֶיךָ. | What is good? And what does God seek from you? To do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
AEMT’s Pride Shabbat Service will begin at 6pm ET; to attend or livestream, head to https://www.aemt.net/events/shabbat-service-2022-06-10/
Rabbi Michaelson’s lecture will take place at the Pride Dinner, which begins at 7pm.
