Parshat Vayechi, January 14, 2017,

This coming Monday, Americans will be honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose unwavering commitment to the non-violent struggle for equality and justice cost him his life. While Dr. King’s legacy is an inspiration to millions, true equality for all people in this country remains an elusive goal, and the forces of violence and hatred remain powerful, as recent events attest.

Of all days, Neo-Nazi groups have chosen MLK Day to stage an armed rally against the Jewish community of Whitefish, Montana, naming their march in honor of Dr. King’s assassin, and have invited representatives of Hamas to attend.

Meanwhile, we are still reeling from the devastating attack in Jerusalem this past Sunday, in which a terrorist drove a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers, murdering 20 year old officers, Yael Yekutiel, Shir Hajaj, Shira Tzur, and Erez Orbach.

With such hatred and violence directed against us, we must stand firm in our commitment to the equality and dignity of all human beings, and our commitment to the path of peace.

In our KI Youth Beit Midrash this week, we examined Talmudic sources discussing the death penalty. In their discussion of capital punishment, the sages of the Mishnah emphasize the inherent value of human life, and evoke an extreme reluctance to carry out capital punishment. The Mishnah in Sanhedrin explains that God created a single human being from whom all of us are descended precisely to demonstrate that all human beings are equal and that each life is as precious as an entire world. In addition, as our own Erez Melman pointed out in class, the fact that all human beings share a common ancestor means that anyone who takes a human life is murdering their own relative.

This perspective of the Torah, that all human life is precious, that all people are fundamentally equal and that all human beings are essentially family, represents the exact opposite of the beliefs that lead terrorists to take innocent lives. It is in direct opposition to the ideology of Dr. King’s assassin, the Charleston terrorist, and the neo-Nazis who are marching on Whitefish on Monday.

Those of us who believe in Torah’s message of the equality and preciousness of all human life must stand strong in the face of those who promote hatred. This coming Monday, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, please join me in walking in the Sacramento March for the Dream, honoring Dr, King’s message of equality and non-violence. As we march, we will also pray that God may protect the Jewish community of Whitefish, MT, that He may bring healing to the survivors of the recent terror attack, and comfort to the families of the victims, and that He may bring lasting peace to our land swiftly and in our days.

Rabbi Garth Silberstein