Throughout our history, we Jews have been dreamers and visionaries. When we think of Biblical dreamers, we most often think of Joseph, his own dreams and the dreams he interpreted for Pharoah. But his father Jacob before him also was a dreamer. In this week’s Torah portion, VaYeitzei, Jacob dreams of a ladder with angels going up and down. He realizes he has been sleeping on holy ground, and with that realization, he reaffirms his commitment to the special relationship with God that began with his grandfather Abraham and continued with his father Isaac.
The Rabbis of the Talmud were visionaries. The Jewish people might have come to an end after the destruction of the Second Temple. Fortunately, Rabbi Jochanan ben Zakkai and his fellow Sages envisioned a Judaism based on worship, study, and deeds of lovingkindness, and created the system legal innovations that allowed Jewish continuity into changing times.
The founders of Reform Judaism were visionaries, imagining a Judaism that honors our traditions but also engages with the modern world, focusing on tikkun olam as the core eternal teaching of our people. The early Zionists were visionaries who brought their dreams to life, reviving Jewish sovereignty in our own land after 2,000 years of exile.
The prophet Joel reminds us that each generation has its own visions and dreams - “Your elders shall dream dreams, And your youths shall see visions” (Joel 3:1). We need both today – the wisdom and dreams of our elders, and the visions and innovations of our youth. Let us commit to work together across generations to share our dreams and visions and create the world we want to see.
-Rabbi Bonnie Margulis
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