Four Freedoms Annual Gathering

January 24, 2021

If
A word of hope, a word of agency
If
A word pregnant with possibility
A republic, IF we can keep it
If
As the Bible teaches us,
If holds the power to bestow blessings
To create peace and prosperity

If is a word of covenant,
of social responsibility,
of what we owe each other
Covenant, with God or with our fellow human beings
is a two-way street

Covenant is mutual
If we heed God’s commandments,
instructions for how to treat each other,
how to behave ethically and responsibly toward one another

If we love our neighbors as our selves (Lev. 19:18)
If we chase after justice (Deut. 16:20; translation by M. Brettler)

So the Bible teaches
All of these blessings will come upon us
If we can but listen:

Blessed shall we be in our cities
Blessed shall we be in our country
Blessed shall be our descendants
Blessed shall be the produce of our soil
Blessed shall be our basket and our kneading bowl
Blessed shall we be in our comings
Blessed shall be we in our goings (Deut. 28)

If we can listen
If we can join in covenant
A republic, a country, towns and cities full of blessing
A republic
if we can keep it
May we be blessed with the bravery to respond
to that conditional, liminal moment, to the choice before us:
If
May this be our call to action
May this be our blessing
Amen

Here’s the link to watch on Facebook: https://fb.watch/3exILmoMBn/

Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch
Temple Anshe Amunim | Pittsfield, MA