Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue

 

 

צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃

 

“Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God יהוה is giving you.”

Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

 

I find it impossible at the moment not to repeat this injunction as I watch the horrors once again visited upon the middle east.

 

A time will come, when we can contemplate mercy. Justice without mercy (such as Hamas clearly demonstrated) is hell on earth. But mercy without justice is suicidal.

 

That is all I’m able to put out at this moment. I hope to return to gentler contemplations on the writing life and life in general, which, for me, are one and the same.


Just like the dove who signaled to Noah— after the great flood— the return of life on earth with a single olive branch, we await her once again.



5 comments:

  1. Mirka, I too, have been thinking about justice and mercy and keep returning to the concept of the unity between two. There is a lovely quote by CS Lewis: "Mercy will flower only when it grows in the crannies of the rock of justice." We are praying, my friend.

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  2. We are praying, dear friend. Thank you for sharing. ((hugs))

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  3. My heart goes out to you and all those suffering from this atrocity. I hope the doves descend.

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