“Human Agency,” Rabbi Elaine Zecher’s Shabbat Awakenings

May 1, 2026 | 14 Iyyar 5786

Welcome to Shabbat Awakenings, a weekly reflection as we move toward Shabbat. You can also listen to it as a podcast.

This week, at Qabbalat Shabbat, I am excited to welcome Professor Rachel Fish from Brandeis University, former executive director of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism who will help us think about the future for the Jewish people.

We may have moved on to the next Torah portion but I am still pondering the Haftarah from last week when we read from the prophet Amos 9:7-15. He lived in the 8th century BCE and chastised both the Northern and Southern Kingdom, Israel and Judah, for their immoral behavior.

Though the prophet might have singled out the ancient Jews initially in the beginning of his prophetic oration, by the time, we get to Chapter 9, that uniqueness, as the commentary, Etz Hayim, points out, “seems to be neutralized as the people are told that God will judge them because they are no different from the other nations.” (page 705)

הֲל֣וֹא כִבְנֵי֩ כֻשִׁיִּ֨ים אַתֶּ֥ם לִ֛י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה הֲל֣וֹא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל הֶעֱלֵ֙יתִי֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּפְלִשְׁתִּיִּ֥ים מִכַּפְתּ֖וֹר וַאֲרָ֥ם מִקִּֽיר׃

To Me, O Israelites, you are
Just like the Cushites
— declares GOD.
True, I brought Israel up
From the land of Egypt,
But also the Philistines from Caphtor
And the Arameans from Kir. (9:7)

In his recognition of the wrongdoing of the ancient Israelites, Amos acknowledged that God cares for all people.

Though he will go on to describe the self-destructive behavior of the ancient Jewish people, Amos will lead them to a hopeful possibility that they, like other nations, have the capacity to take responsibility for themselves. The prophet accepted that people can go astray and yet they can also find their way back.

The book of Amos ended with the promise of restoration and hope for the future.

וְשַׁבְתִּי֮ אֶת־שְׁב֣וּת עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וּבָנ֞וּ עָרִ֤ים נְשַׁמּוֹת֙ וְיָשָׁ֔בוּ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים וְשָׁת֖וּ אֶת־יֵינָ֑ם וְעָשׂ֣וּ גַנּ֔וֹת וְאָכְל֖וּ אֶת־פְּרִיהֶֽם׃

I will restore My people Israel.
They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine;
They shall till gardens and eat their fruits.

וּנְטַעְתִּ֖ים עַל־אַדְמָתָ֑ם וְלֹ֨א יִנָּתְשׁ֜וּ ע֗וֹד מֵעַ֤ל אַדְמָתָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תִּי לָהֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

And I will plant them upon their soil,
Nevermore to be uprooted
From the soil I have given them
— said the ETERNAL your God. (9:14-15)

These images were in my thoughts as I joined with more than 400 others in our Temple Israel sanctuary this past Monday evening to welcome Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon, brought by our Center for Adult Jewish Learning. Aziz and Maoz share an organization called InterAct and just wrote a book, called The Future is Peace. Our member, Dimitra Dimopoulou, met them in Jerusalem at a World Union for Progressive Judaism Conference. She proposed the possibility that they could come to Temple Israel. As a Palestinian and Israeli Jew, Aziz and Maoz work to bring people together. Both have known terrible personal tragedy. When they said yes to our invitation, we couldn’t have imagined how famous they would become as they began their book tour with a taping with Jon Stewart.  They also had met with the Pope!

As they spoke of their experiences, they emphasized the importance of how hope, the future, and forgiveness combined have the potential to lead to peace. They focused on the power of human agency to instill hope, change the future, and help heal.

The prophet Amos lifted up that all nations have a story of deliverance connected to the Divine and yet the outcome of those narratives depend on the way each nation holds itself accountable for its behaviors.

Redemption is not just an ancient lesson. It is one where our future depends on the work we all do to get us there right now.

Shabbat Shalom! שבת שלום

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Rabbi Elaine Zecher