Petra Betti [May 14, 2022] Parashat Emor
Shabbat Shalom! Thank you so much for coming to share this special day with us. My Torah Portion, Parashat Emor, is about when God gives Moses rules to be passed down to the Jewish people in order to offer them a healthy relationship with God. This Torah Portion is about the importance of people sacrificing foods such as animals and grain to be eaten by the priests and many worshippers in order to have a good life and a strong affiliation with God. The Parashat Emor also goes over many different Jewish holidays and what we do to celebrate, as well as reflecting on “An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth.”
While reading through my Torah Portion I was interested in the rules about rest on the 7th day. When I think about a day of rest I don’t know what to think! I don’t like taking a break and reflecting on my feelings, especially not for a whole day. Resting feels like a waste of time in my opinion. It takes away from the things that are really important to me like making memories with friends and being in the moment, rather than looking back at things that I have done in the past.
As someone who has a hard time sitting still, the process of becoming a bat mitzvah was definitely a challenge. When I first started this journey, I thought it would be the easiest thing, but almost a month in, I realized that this would be a serious struggle for me as someone whose schedule is just activity after activity. Having to make time for my studies and give up my social life really stressed me out. It wasn’t until I had this experience that I realized that I don’t need to always do everything and that it is okay to rest and to say “no” to things. Now, time for myself to heal physically and mentally is super important because it has helped me grow as a person and I realize it is more freeing to be in control of what I want to do with my time and my life.
Another thing that caught my eye in my studies was “ An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth.” In this section of the Torah it talks about when a person is harmed by another, the community gets to cause the same harm back. But why cause more harm than good just because you got hurt? When I get treated badly by friends and peers and want to retaliate more than anything, I find that rather than doing the same thing in return, treating them badly, that it is more beneficial to respond with kindness, and hope for kindness in return.
This rule is similar to what we think of as karma. For instance killing someone would result in the death penalty. I think that although karma exists, it can also be reversed so that you get good karma for doing good deeds. When I am nice to my sisters and get them gifts and help them, they will hopefully treat me well in return. For the rest of that day the mood will be lighter and everyone feels a little bit better because we know that we are doing good and making a positive change in each other’s day. Even though it always feels great when I get something in return for something good that I've done, I try not to expect anything, instead I try to be kind to others so that I don't hurt other people and so that it makes me feel like a better person as well as making someone else happier.
Sometimes I treat someone well and don’t get treated well in return. This usually happens with my sisters, but sometimes this happens with friends too. In this case it hurts a lot. But still I try to push it aside and keep being a good friend and sister. Sometimes I have to forgive and forget because that is what keeps my family dynamic and friendships going. If we remember everything that ever happened to us, it would be so isolating and we would just be wallowing in puddles of self-pity and that sounds awful. While others might choose to hold on to the past, I have chosen to let things go.
Even though studying for my Bat Mitzvah has been hard it has made me realize that in relation to the Torah, bad things happen and we can either choose to respond with kindness or hatred. I think that the world would be a better place if we all just put out good things and treat each other and ourselves with respect and kindness.