This week we observed the first yahrzeit of the “Beautiful Six” (as they are known in Israel), Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Or Danino, and Alex Lubanov; the Israeli hostages who were murdered in captivity, one year ago, and whose bodies were recovered by the IDF and brought home to be laid to rest in Israel.
On Tuesday at Hersh’s memorial service in Jerusalem, his mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, stood up, closed her eyes, placed her hand over her heart, and offered these moving words:
“This is to Hersh. Sometimes I look deep into my own eyes and I can hear you and I know you’re here inside, even though I can’t see you with my eyes, that are your eyes. Like the big ocean that I cannot always see but there is no doubt that it is there, I know it without seeing it — mighty and there. You in me, mighty and here.”
After speaking, she returned to her seat, holding her husband’s hand and those of her daughters, and she kept her eyes closed. I imagined, behind the veil of her eyelids, her eyes were moving back and forth, corner to corner, reaching for a glimpse of his face, the curve of his smile, and the sacred images of moments shared. Then I imagined as she looked deeper within, she caught the depth of his gaze; seeing him, she held that image close to her heart.
This week’s Parsha, Re’eh, begins with the word, see: “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse” (Devarim 11:26). On the surface, the command is simple: look with your eyes and see what God has placed before you. Our tradition offers a deeper teaching; sight is not only physical. Sight is perception, intention, understanding and choice. The Kabbalists teach that “the eyes are the windows of the soul, and that everything we take in leaves its imprint upon us”. What we choose to see shapes who we become. When we focus on despair, jealousy, or anger, our vision darkens. When we choose to see the Divine spark in another person, or the hidden light in a difficult moment, we open ourselves to blessing.
When we look at our world today it sometimes feels like we must squint to see goodness clearly. There are times when we find ourselves straining our eyes to bring blessings into focus amidst the pain, conflict, and uncertainty. Seeing beyond darkness takes more than the sight, it takes vision.
In the Book of Samuel we read, “For God sees not as humans see; humans see only what is visible, but God sees into the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). The gift of vision is to see beyond the surface into the essence, and the depth of being.
I imagine God has 20/20 vision, capable of focusing on joy and sorrow, love and loss, peace and conflict, all at once. God’s sight is not limited by bias or blurred edges. It is sharp and encompassing. Perhaps we, too, can train our eyes to see with more depth; to pay more attention to what we focus on, what is sharp and what we have allowed to remain blurred.
In just a few days we will begin the Hebrew month of Elul. It is a time of introspection, of looking within to see who we are in the moment, and who we hope to become in the year ahead. Elul invites us to practice looking through soulful eyes and asking ourselves: what am I choosing to see? What blessings are waiting for me to notice them? I see uncertainty, injustice and fear, what can I do to imagine a path towards justice and righteousness? What do I see when I close my eyes and how might I bring that vision into being? How might I see myself, others, and the world through God’s eyes?
As we prepare to welcome Shabbat may we be open to seeing the deeper truths we carry within. May we practice seeing beyond the surface and seeking out clarity and understanding. May we envision a world illuminated by hope and the spark of the Divine within all of us.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Laila Haas
