Rabbi Tom Gutherz, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, offered these remarks and prayer at the Sprint Pavilion on July 8.
This afternoon we would like to share a few words from our Hebrew Scripture.
Actually just three words, from Psalm 89: Olam Hesed Yibaneh.
Because of the way Hebrew works, this could be translated a couple of ways.
It could mean: Love can build a whole world.
That is, when we practice acting towards one another in a loving way, we bring into being
a whole network of relationships, which become a solid foundation on which an entire
structure can be built and also sustained
It can also be interpreted as a prayer, or a demand, or a hope:
A world of love: He will build it
A world of love: Let it be built!
We may address this prayer, this demand to God. This world of love: God can build it
Or perhaps it is God addresses who addresses it to us: A world of love: Let it be built!
And the word hesed describes a certain type of love.
It is not a love of something, but rather a love towards someone.
It is loving-kindness, a compassionate and caring love for another person.
Hesed is an attribute of the Holy One: an always-giving love,
a love that has no limit,
an indivisible love
of which there is enough to go around for everyone
So this our answer to those who come here to preach hate, and exclusion, and supremacy:
Olam Hesed Yibaneh
I will build this world from love
And you will build this world from love
And if we build this world from love
Then God will build this world from love
Rabbi Tom Gutherz, Congregation Beth Israel
Rabbinic Pastor Heena Reiter, Pnai Yisrael Chavurah
This afternoon we would like to share a few words from our Hebrew Scripture.
Actually just three words, from Psalm 89: Olam Hesed Yibaneh.
Because of the way Hebrew works, this could be translated a couple of ways.
It could mean: Love can build a whole world.
That is, when we practice acting towards one another in a loving way, we bring into being
a whole network of relationships, which become a solid foundation on which an entire
structure can be built and also sustained
It can also be interpreted as a prayer, or a demand, or a hope:
A world of love: He will build it
A world of love: Let it be built!
We may address this prayer, this demand to God. This world of love: God can build it
Or perhaps it is God addresses who addresses it to us: A world of love: Let it be built!
And the word hesed describes a certain type of love.
It is not a love of something, but rather a love towards someone.
It is loving-kindness, a compassionate and caring love for another person.
Hesed is an attribute of the Holy One: an always-giving love,
a love that has no limit,
an indivisible love
of which there is enough to go around for everyone
So this our answer to those who come here to preach hate, and exclusion, and supremacy:
Olam Hesed Yibaneh
I will build this world from love
And you will build this world from love
And if we build this world from love
Then God will build this world from love
Rabbi Tom Gutherz, Congregation Beth Israel
Rabbinic Pastor Heena Reiter, Pnai Yisrael Chavurah
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