Right now, our brothers and sisters in Israel are facing extraordinary challenges. Our prayers are with those who have lost loved ones and with the many who are injured. Meanwhile, much of the population is running to shelters multiple times each night, bringing children and elderly loved ones to safety from relentless attacks. And yet, amidst it all, something remarkable is happening. Daily miracles reveal the hand of G‑d guiding, protecting, and sustaining the Jewish people, reminding us that even in the darkest times, His providence is real and alive.
After a class last week, a conversation came up about a phenomenon we all know too well: our own Jewish brothers and sisters taking surprising positions on Israel. “I can’t believe any Jew would be against the current war on Iran,” someone said. Another added, “And those Jews in New York who voted for Mamdani, are they even Jewish anymore?”
Of course, similar accusations come from every direction, left and right alike, as people struggle with the shock that another Jew might take a stance we consider dangerous to millions of Jewish lives. The temptation to write off anyone whose views clash sharply with our own can be strong.
This week, the Torah offers a subtle but powerful lesson. In the context of offerings brought after a sin committed by a large segment of the community, the Torah does not overemphasize the gravity of the wrongdoing. The offering is described in a way that does not dwell on the negative, without amplifying the failure. Our sages explain that this teaches us how far G‑d’s love extends: even when His beloved children make mistakes, He helps them remedy the situation appropriately, without dwelling on their mistake.
We can take a cue from this divine example. If every Jew is one of G‑d’s beloved children, then each of them is our brother or sister. We may disagree, we may view someone as misguided, and we may seek to educate or guide them back to the right path, but we never write them off.
Every Jew, regardless of how far they may stray, remains a child of G‑d, deserving of respect, patience, and love.