Dee is for Distinguish

“DEE IS FOR DISTINGUISH" – SHEMINI (APRIL 14, 2023) - Michael Lawrence

The Dee family wasn’t seeking the world stage. Their arrival on prime time across TV stations, in newspapers and across social media platforms came at the highest price - brutal, evil violence and scorching, intolerable loss and mourning.

Of attending (in-person or virtually) those two funerals and hearing Rabbi Leo Dee and his children Keren, Tali, Yehuda addressing their murdered mother, wife, children, sister - for many including myself it was very hard not to be affected by their strength of spirit, the power of their resolve and their words.

Here comes Parashat Shemini this Shabbat and in the very last two verses of the Torah portion something stirs me and brings me back to Leo Dee’s speech between the two funerals.

“This is the law of the animal, the bird, every little create that swarms in the water, and for every creature that teems on the ground; to DISTINGUISH ?????? between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten”. (Shemot/Exodus Chap 11, Verses 46, 47).

The importance of developing our essential ability to distinguish is a central part of Jewish life – from one of the first blessings we say each morning, thanking God who gives us the heart understanding to DISTINGUISH day from night. In the Havdalah ceremony that farewells each Shabbat we bless the King of Universe who DISTINGUISHES between holy and mundane (or sacred and secular), between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day of Shabbat and the six days of work.

Said Rabbi Leo Dee in distinguishing April 10 from all other days:

“Religions believe that we have the power to differentiate between good and bad… I am saddened that recently, maybe over the past 20 years of my life, this innate ability to differentiate between good and evil has gradually been lost from humanity. “That’s why I wish to designate the 10th of April as Dee’s Day. Today we differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong.”

“For too long, we have let a small minority try to convince us that there is no such thing as right and wrong. Everything is relative, and it’s cathartic to do this because sometimes when we do wrong, we know we have to make up for it. But if we pretend that there is no right and wrong, maybe we’ll get away scot-free.”

Perhaps there’s a reminder here in this very Parasha, not by chance, as the Dee family begin their shiva week of official mourning and as forces around Israel declare publicly and proudly broadcast their intent to test Israel’s resolve further. We can all play a role in strengthening how we distinguish between good and bad, noble and warped causes, between light and darkness, aggressor and defender, wrongdoer and victim.

Our leaders – communal, national, political, religious - have the greatest responsibility here but as I have said recently around internal rifts within Israel, when leaders do not lead, do step bravely forward, be that leader.

Now is the time to dedicate ourselves to wisely, resolutely distinguish and differentiate and in doing so strengthen the Dee family, ourselves, the unity of the nation and good people everywhere.

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