On Coming Out

As God blessed our ancestors as they came out from Egypt, may you be blessed as you come out as lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer.  Let the wisdom of your ancestors guide you as you begin this new journey through life.  May you learn from MosesThe quintessential Jewish leader who spoke face to face with God, unlike any other prophet, and who freed the people from Egypt, led them through the desert for forty years, and received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. His Hebrew name is Moshe. to enjoy every day of the journey, because there is no guarantee of reaching the Promised Land.  May you learn from Lot’s wife to keep your gaze on the horizon, because living in the past freezes you in your tracks.  May you learn from JosephJacob's eldest son by his beloved wife, Rachel. Joseph, the dreamer, was his father's favorite and nearly murdered by his brothers. Sold into slavery, he became viceroy of Egypt where he ultimately saves the Egyptians and also his own family from starvation. His Hebrew name is Yosef/ that there is a place in the world for a dreamer.  May you learn from RuthAn important female biblical character with her own book. The Book of Ruth, read on Shavuot, tells the story of Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and their return to Israel. Ruth’s story is often read as the first story of conversion. Ruth is the grandmother of King David. and Naomi that love, friendship and loyalty are not the entitlements of family, but its main ingredients.  And may you learn from Caleb and Joshua to have the courage of your convictions and to find sweetness and hope in all that you set your eyes upon.

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Originally published in SiddurLit. Order of prayers. The prayer book. B’chol L’vavcha by Congregation Beth Simchat TorahThe holiday at the end of Sukkot during which Jews dance with the Torah late into the night. The yearly reading cycle of the Torah is completed and a new cycle is begun. Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah mark the end of the holiday season. In some congregations, the Torah scroll is unrolled in its entirety, and selected verses are read or sections noted. (pg. 173, 2008 edition). Used here with permission of CBST.