Near and Personal

A real human being. Like Oren Goldin, age 33, beloved husband, father, son, grandson, sibling, whose body was recovered yesterday. Along with 4 other precious souls, Ravid, Mia, Timer, and Kirill. Oren was playful. As an auto mechanic, he loved to repair things. He was responsible for Kibbutz security so he was last seen rushing into the fire early on October 7th.   

I feel the urge to tell a human story of pain and loss for a reason. Public figures and political punditry now loom large. Assaults on our national sites now take center stage alongside wide-lens Olympic attention. National symbols are important. So too are personal stories. So zooming-in right now feels fitting. 

What’s far away is easy to dehumanize, to condemn, to turn into a cardboard cutout. What’s close at-hand has a pulse that can often help us find our own. 

Speaking of what’s near and what’s far. A favorite maxim from the sages states: “An idol is near and far; God is far and near.” That is, idols are easy to adore, but they end up leaving you sad, empty, and lost. While God may seem remote, but, after sensing God’s companionship, after detecting your spiritual pulse, if you will, then living life on such a frequency can sustain you in ways that are large and lasting. 

In this week’s portion of Torah, offerings make nearness-to-God happen. There’s an interesting detail: nearness always elevates. That is, the word next to the word for near (karav) is the word for elevate (olah) (Num. 28:27; 29:8,13,36). Today, we pray as we used to bring offerings. Such prayer can help us stand taller. 

Even now, with daily pain heaped on pain, hurt on hurt? Rachel Sharansky Danziger wrote this week about how Galina from Odessa gave her what she needed. “They won’t stop taking and taking and hurting… So we can’t stop.” 

It’s not exactly inspiring. But knowing this is what we most need to know right now. May it be enough to lift us. And may Oren’s memory bless as abundantly as his beautiful life blessed. And may the Psalmist’s prayer feel closely for you: “Nearness to God is my truest good” (Ps. 73:28).