Parashat VaYera 5783, And Standing Up For Others

books, , ,

Last year, we wondered if Abraham’s bargaining on behalf of the cities of S’dom and ‘Amorah was really the same thing as standing up against a bully: VaYera, and advocating for others, wikibully  while the previous year, 5781, we saw the Sages argument about how helping and strengthening others also strengthens us: Sacred Study Saturdays, Parashat VaYera comment, and language learning for empathy building

Etz Hayim
Etz Chaim

Empathy is the crucial point being made in this parashah, the 4th in the Torah.

delighted friends having lunch in cafe
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com

While there are many ways to help increasing empathy,  Language Learning as a Fourth Tool for Empathy Building is both fascinating and practical.

Empathy building is a crucial task, particularly in our contentious society today.  The task is tiring, and cannot be done all at once, but with careful planning, education, and greater cooperation between the generations, it can be done.

Let’s Do Better.

–

Last week was Parashat Lech Lecha 5783, And Why We Must Vote …

About ShiraDestProjectDoBetter

D. Antonia ("Nia") Jones is founder of #ProjectDoBetter, a long term plan proposal for community building, and a published poet, academic author, and advocate for improving our #PublicDomainInfrastructure. Her other book, Stayed on Freedom's Call, on Black-Jewish Cooperation in DC, is freely available via the Internet Archive. She has organized community events such as film discussions, multi-ethnic song events, and cooperative presentations, and is a native of Washington, DC. She promotes peaceful planning, NVC and the Holocene Calendar, and is also a writer. More information at https://shiradest.wordpress.com/

18 thoughts on “Parashat VaYera 5783, And Standing Up For Others”

      1. Unfortunately we cannot MAKE people see. They have to get the insight on their own, really frustrating, but what do I know. Just so much: we are walking into the next cataclysm. That, I believe, is a fact. Too many people still don’t see how we are digging our own graves.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        1. True, we cannot make them see, and I wouldn’t want to make anyone see, not by force, as that would not be a lasting learning moment. Or at least not sustainable. They do have to see it on their own, but we can at least present them with the facts, and the new ideas that could help change these current facts.

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply

  3. “Empathy building is a crucial task, particularly in our contentious society today.” You know, this is a powerful sentence Shira. While there are people who close their eyes and don’t want to see, life goes on. Even if those individuals don’t want to see, we still put the message out there that we can do better. Besides, they are not slowing down by continuing to push their agenda! 😫

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  4. I agree that empathy is important. When one lacks the experience to empathize, however, sympathy suffices. Life has enabled me to empathize with many people. Prior to certain experiences, the best I could do was to sympathize with them.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. This is true. Apparently there are also cases in which it is not possible to teach empathy, or even not desirable (empathy-motivated donations based on personal suffering vs. larger scale problems being ignored), while compassion can be taught more effectively, it seems. Yet, we need to be able to build either empathy or at least compassion in many many more people without the life experience you mention, because we have neither the time, nor (for my part) the desire to see people (presumably) suffer in order to gain that life experience.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  8. Pingback: Parashat Chayei Sarah 5783, And Do How Parents Met Affect Their Kids’ Mental (or Physical) Health? | Inspiring Critical Thinking and Community via Books, Lessons, and Story

Please Share your Thoughts