This is a much-needed word of Torah (d'var Torah) from Rabbi Emily Langowitz that appeared on the ReformJudaism.org. I know that many people will resist reading this or pass this by as much out fear as ignorance, thinking that this doesn't belong here, but I hope that you will this and wrestle with it. I think that this goes with the "Truth in Transition" post here with Carlton D. Pearson, but not because they take similar views or approaches but because each will challenge you to think critically. We need this. Rabbi Langowitz is a blessing to us.
D'VAR TORAH BY: RABBI EMILY LANGOWITZ
At some point in its history, the Reform Movement made the ideological choice to change the Torah reading for the afternoon service on Yom Kippur. Jewish tradition assigned the 18th chapter of Leviticus, which details laws around sexual prohibition, among other ways that the Israelites should distinguish themselves from surrounding cultures. This chapter contains a verse that has been claimed, in some religious contexts, as a weapon of hate. "You shall not lie with a man as you lie with a woman; it is an abomination." (Lev. 18:23) Our movement maintains that a Torah reading which contains such a verse should not be read aloud to the community on the most sacred day of the year.
The irony is that another principle of our movement reintroduces this chapter, on its own, into our regular Torah reading cycle. Because the Reform Movement holds that festival holidays should be celebrated, as in Israel, for only one day, we alter our calendar so as to not move too far out of sync with the reading cycles of other North American communities. Every three years or so, then, we need to make space for an extra week of Torah reading. Acharei Mot gets split from one week into two, and the second week, this week, is the very portion we do not read on Yom Kippur: Leviticus, Chapter 18. Perhaps by encountering this piece of Torah during the weekly cycle, we have more of a chance to read it with a critical eye.
I am a rabbi. And I am queer. And I thank God every day that our movement stands by its principles: not only to remove harmful text from sacred days, but to strive to break down the barriers for full participation by LGBTQ+ folks in its communities. It's because of such principles that I never questioned whether my spiritual standing could be harmed in the pursuit of love and self-discovery. But I'm also proud to be a part of this movement because of the tools it has given me to encounter text on my own terms too, as one of my teachers often said, "wrestle it for a blessing." I can be grateful not to have to hear this portion read aloud in community on Yom Kippur, and I can also be ready for it, every few years, when it arrives in our weekly Torah cycle.
Read the rest here.
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