By Andrea Kranitz, Madrikha candidate
As part of my studies to become a Madrikha, I am reading a book called “The Amen Effect” by Rabbi Sharon Brous. Rabbi Brous is the founding Rabbi of a Los Angeles Jewish community called IKAR. They are self- described as a ”community rooted in ancient wisdom and inspired by the moral mandate to build a more just and loving works. They are dedicated to reimaging Jewish life through deep relationships and shared values, intellectual and spiritual curiosity, piety and irreverence, joy and defiant hope.”
The book, “The Amen Effect,” is about finding healing and hope in a fractured world through human connection. There is a particular passage about an ancient Jewish ritual that struck me - she writes about an obscure passage in the Mishnah - the Mishnah is the foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism - the first major written compilation of Jewish Oral Law containing centuries of Rabbinic legal discussion.
From Mishnah Middot 2, I quote:
“All who would enter the Temple Mount entered toward the right…aside for one to which something unfavorable has occurred, that he would encircle it towards the left. Why are you encircling towards the left? ‘Because I am a mourner.’ He who rests in this house should comfort you.”
Interpreted -
There is an annual pilgrimage to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where hundreds of thousands of people would enter the courtyard and form a circle - they would turn to the right and circle counterclockwise. Another circle would form inside this larger circle - made up of people to whom something awful had happened. The inner circle would move in the opposite direction from the outer circle.
When those in the outer circle encountered someone walking in the opposite direction, they would look into their eyes, and knowing that something awful had happened to them, would say “May you be comforted and wrapped in the embrace of this community.”
As Rabbi Brous explains, “the Rabbis had created a system of ritual engagement built on a profound psychological insight; when you’re suffering…when all you want is to self-isolate….you show up. You root your suffering in a context of care.”
The utter simplicity of this ritual is profound; we have in our power, the ability to make a difference just by being present for others. We see you, you are not alone.
We have come together to say “Nizkor,” “we will remember,” acknowledging pain and loss as well as the comfort in community and knowing that we are not alone.
There is no way around death, no one to blame…we must go through. With the strength of our hearts, our minds and our memories, we go through. With one another, we go through, and know that we are not alone.
In Remembrance
Today, we stand together in remembrance
the memory of your laughter
mixing with the tears of our loss.
although time has passed and we have grieved and loved and healed,
your loss is still fresh within us.
We have learned through you
that all moments are to be cherished
and life lived to its fullest.
Although gone, but not lost,
your memory’s true place is within our hearts
intangible and ever-present, the essence of your spirit and soul lives on.
May your presence continue
to burn brightly within our hearts and lives.
May we draw comfort from your compassion
and strength from your unique wisdom.
May the strength of our connection
and the warmth of your memory
soothe and heal as we continue to journey through time.
See your Or Adam family around you, hear them speak and feel the comfort of their presence as you mourn the past and cherish the present.