For this month’s Zoom Pop-In Study with Rav Gabrielle, AARC members participated in a torah study about LGBTQ love. AARC has made a commitment to be a welcoming and inviting Jewish congregation for all people. As part of this commitment, AARC tries to bring everyone into the big tent of our community and celebrate them. We celebrate our LGBTQ members this Valentines Day and every day! To get a little snapshot of this week’s teaching, you can read Rav Gabrielle’s summary below.

Rabbi Gabrielle Pescador writes:

According to ultra-orthodox Rabbi Mike Moskowitz (Scholar-in-Residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest LGBT synagogue), when we study Torah, we don’t respond to the text but to people. No person is hypothetical.  Torah is for everyone.

Some highlights from our pop in study session:

We studied the Deuteronomy 22:5 about the prohibition against a man dressing like a woman and woman dressing like a man:  “A woman must not put on man’s apparel, nor shall a man wear women’s clothing; for whoever does these things is a to’eva to God.”  (To’eva is commonly translated as abhorrent or an abomination, although there is dispute amongst the rabbis of the mishnaic period on the true meaning of the word).

 Rabbi Mike Moskowitz has a fresh perspective on this verse.   He understands it as “the very source that not only permits transgender Jews to wear clothing that supports their gender identity, but also arguably obligates them in doing so.”  He asserts that with identity comes responsibility.   In other words, we are obliged to be ourselves and to not pretend or hide our true nature and because of that we are also obliged to provide sanctuary and be allies of LGBTQ folks in our communities. 

(Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, “I’m a Boy and These Are My Clothes”, https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/im-a-boy-and-these-are-my-clothes/ )

Rabbi Alyson Solomon of Temple Beth Israel Eugene says that Rabbi Moskowitz’s framing of Torah is aligned with the message of Deuteronomy 22:8, of our obligation to create safe spaces and prevent harm:  “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone should fall from it.” 

Our tradition teaches us that we are all created in b’tzelem Elohim, in the mysterious multi-faceted image of God. If we hide our uniqueness or force others to do the same, then we are causing pain and suffering to ourselves and others.  We read the 2 verses mentioned above before the High Holy Days in parshat Ki Teitzei, a parsha that includes many other mitzvot that are designed to prevent us from causing harm and to help us become more empathetic and compassionate human beings.

We hope that you enjoy this tidbit from this month’s Pop In teaching with Rav Gabrielle and can join us next month, details will be sent out in the weekly mailer!