Holot

Metzora. A continuation of the previous parsha, yet this time detailing the process of coming back into the community: how the priest welcomes you back in once you are pure and what a person must do himself to be allowed back into the community.

Holot, the detention center opened four months ago on the Egyptian border, is a place specifically reserved for North African refugees. Some say that they are living in better conditions than before their deportations to the detention center, some say it is simply a degradation. I just know that it is sad. No one should be living in conditions where they have to submit to role call three times a day and don't have the right to work (for the most part).

Where do this week's parsha and Holot come together? Honestly, we see that a group of people have already left their own home (like the Jewish people), and wandered to Israel. Israeli society is claiming that these people are impure, that they need to leave the general society and go into seclusion for a time. The problem now becomes, when is their seclusion over? When will they be welcomed back to the community? Or does their time not come, because they are refugees and not Jews.

Whatever the reason, we must be aware that there are always people in our midst whom we treat as outsiders, who are considered 'impure' by either our standards or those of the community. Let us pray that this week we see a way to help those around us and give them our support.

Modern plagues and pharaoh.

This week's parsha, parshat va'eira, includes the first seven of the ten plagues intended as proof to Pharaoh that God and therefore the children of Israel are determined to escape the despicable conditions they face in Egypt. Moses approaches Pharaoh again and again requesting that he let the Israelites leave for a brief sojourn to sacrifice to their God in the desert. Each time, the request is denied (or permitted but then recanted once the plague subsides).

Moses sometimes makes entreaties to Pharaoh, but almost as often simply casts the plague onto the Egyptians and waits for the response Pharaoh will give. Each time, the response is the same: ויחזק ה׳ את-לב פרעה ולא שמע אלכם, and God hardened Pharaoh's heart and he did not hear them (Shemot 9:12). Even when pharaoh agrees out of fear to let the Israelites escape, he again becomes stubborn and another plague falls upon Egypt. 

Take in our 21st century world, one is easily reminded of the current situation with the refugees from Africa. After a recent court decision, the anti-migration bill, claimed that holding refugees in closed detention centers was illegal, the refugees were sent to an open detention center in Holot. They were faced with thrice daily check-ins and distinct curfews, meaning little to no opportunity to work. When the completely absurdity of the situation was brought to light in op-eds and other media, comments were made that at least they people had better living conditions; food, water, health care, shelter. My response: that isn't a life, it's being held in transit without a chance to progress. 

When a group of refugees left the prison to march to Jerusalem to get their case heard, many came out to support them. However, 48 hours later they were buses back to the detention center. The next time they tried to leave, they were stopped within hours.

Pharoah didn't just live thousands of years ago. It seems that the Israeli government is forgetting the plagues that still impacted us, and acting as a modern day pharoah, demanding the movement of bricks from point a to point b without purpose and inflicting on these refugees terror after terror. We must remember that although we were not inflicted with the plagues, they still exist. And that the plagues started from somewhere. They began with Pharaoh's despicable behavior. That in and of itself is a plague, even if it is not included in the ten we hear of so often.

We must not stand by and simply allow these modern day plagues to continue destroying the lives of innocent individuals, simply come to Israel for freedom from persecution. We, as concerned human beings must take a stand and support human rights, holding humanity to a universal standard, as demonstrated with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We cannot wait for Israel to come around. We must not enslave people and be the incarnation of pharaoh we worked so hard to escape!