Sarah Tuttle-Singer – Friday, January 25, 2019
Feb 01,2019
From the Rabbi David Lyon
Tazria-Metzora is one of the least favorite portions in the whole Torah, because it’s about bodily emissions, leprosy, and other taboo subjects. But, it’s a bum rap. If we read it as the rabbis did and we should, the portion urges us to find the sacred and Godly in what is admittedly unfamiliar and unseemly. In this portion in Leviticus, scaly skin afflictions, bodily emissions, and “tzara’at”, commonly translated to mean leprosy, were examined by the priest. His observations rendered a person clean or unclean. If he or she was unclean, then the person would call out, “Unclean, unclean!” and be exempt from the community for a prescribed amount of time. Only until the priest found that the person was clean could re-entry be allowed and with proper gifts and offerings. The goal wasn’t condemnation or exile; the goal was maintenance of a sacred community that aimed for God’s blessing through ritual and ethical deeds.
Today, it goes without saying that we understand vastly more about such ancient taboos. But, can it also be said that we’ve done as much as our ancient ancestors not to condemn or exile those who, temporarily or permanently, cannot meet the highest standards of human participation physically, emotionally, or mentally? In Texas, we rank 49 out of 50 states in support for severely mentally retarded children and adults who are living in State Supported Living Centers (SSLC’s). Some children who are otherwise born in love and blessing, nevertheless, fail to thrive as their parents hoped they would, and can’t live at home because their parents don’t possess skills and resources to provide 24/7 care. Their children will never live independently of the SSLC where they currently reside. But, funding in Texas is threatened; SSLC’s are being reduced in number. Residents will be forced to move to other locations sometimes farther from parents and relatives who visit regularly. In other cases, there is no family to visit: their parents are unable or unwilling to visit, or they’re deceased. Reducing care means reducing compassion for children and adults who need it most.
If birth is a blessing from God, then we are in no position to judge which births are greater blessings than others. As moral advocates, we must urge our representatives in Austin to act in two significant ways: oppose Senate Bill 602; and, support Senate Bill 547.
We oppose SB602, because:
We support SB 547 (companion HB3409) because:
In Leviticus, the Israelite community didn’t continue its wilderness journey until every member of the community was able to re-enter. Imagine that the highest and holiest deed was to enable a person to mend and be repaired so that the community could remain intact in God’s presence. We’re aware that not every citizen can perform their duties as we do; but, every citizen is a human being whose life depends on us. God’s blessing wasn’t meant for the most fit, alone; it was also meant for the most fit to extend it to those who knew they could count on us to do the right thing with it.
Call or write your representatives in Austin, today. Tell them that you advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Our community can’t move on until everyone is accounted for, and everyone has a fighting chance to know what it means to live in a State that says it values every life.
ASK YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO on SB 602 and YES on SB547
SEN. BETTENCOURT 512-463-0107
SEN. BIRDWELL 512-463-0122
SEN. BUCKINGHAM 512-463-0124
SEN. BURTON 512-463-0110
SEN. CAMPBELL 512-463-0125
SEN. CREIGHTON 512-463-0104
SEN. ESTES 512-463-0130
SEN. GARCIA 512-463-0106
SEN. HALL 512-463-0102
SEN. HANCOCK 512-463-0109
SEN. HINOJOSA 512-463-0120
SEN. HUFFINES 512-463-0116
SEN. HUFFMAN 512-463-0117
SEN. HUGHES 512-463-0101
SEN. KOLKHORST 512-463-0118
SEN. LUCIO JR. 512-463-0127
SEN. MENENDEZ 512-463-0126
SEN. MILES 512-463-0113
SEN. NELSON 512-463-0112
SEN. NICHOLS 512-463-0103
SEN. PERRY 512-463-0128
SEN. RODRIGUEZ 512-463-0129
SEN. SCHWERTNER 512-463-0105
SEN. SELGIER 512-463-0131
SEN. L. TAYLOR 512-463-0111
SEN. V. TAYLOR 512-463-0108
SEN. URESTI 512-463-0119
SEN. WATSON 512-463-0114
SEN. WEST 512-463-0123
SEN. WHITMIRE 512-463-0115
SEN. ZAFFIRINI 512-463-0121