My late mother-in-law Rhoda Kadalie, who passed away on April 16, fought hard for abortion rights in the new South Africa. She was instrumental to their inclusion in the new South African Constitution, in the form of a right to "bodily integrity":
*2. Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right
a. to make decisions concerning reproduction;
b. to security in and control over their body; and
c. not to be subjected to medical or scientific experiments without their
informed consent.*
After moving to the U.S., however, she was shocked at what the pro-choice movement was doing -- namely, arguing for abortion through birth.
That was not what Rhoda signed up for.
In South Africa, the right to abortion typically applies in the early stages of pregnancy, prior to 13 weeks.
In other words, the right to abortion in the world's most liberal constitution is more restrictive than almost every state law on abortion in the U.S.
After 13 weeks, and up to 20 weeks, abortion is only provided for specific reasons. And after 20 weeks, it is only performed to save the life of the mother.
Rhoda didn't "become pro-life." She remained pro-choice. But she came to oppose the contemporary pro-choice movement in the U.S., especially Planned Parenthood, because it tried to ignore the moral question of what abortion meant for the potential human life at stake in late-term pregnancies.
https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/South_Africa_2012.pdf?lang=en
This week'd portion begins the book of Numbers. Interestingly, the Hebrew name for the book is "In the Desert," not "Numbers." The portion, which happens to be my bar mitzvah portion, focuses almost as much on the names of the princes of each tribe as the number of soldiers it fielded. It also focuses on the configuration of the tribal camps around the central Tabernacle and the Levites.
So why "Numbers" instead of "Names" or "Places"? The numbers are, to be sure, a unique feature of the opening of this Biblical book -- but they are not the focus of the rest of the narrative. The Hebrew focuses on the place where the events in the book take place, because essentially this is the narrative of the Israelites' wanderings from Egypt to Israel, across 40 years. We move from the giving of the Torah and the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus and Leviticus, to the final valediction of Moses in Deuteronomy -- Bamidbar is the story of wandering that happened in between.
The question of ...
This week's portion begins with the laws of the Sabbath and the Sabbatical year, and the Jubilee year that restores all land to its original (tribal) owners. It also explores laws of property and labor that will apply in the Land of Israel, and the laws of vows and inheritance.
The Israelites are presented -- not for the last time -- with the essential moral choice that they must face, and the rewards for choosing well, along with the consequences for choosing poorly.
We learn that doing good things will earn God's protection from enemies. That does not mean that victims of terror, God forbid, were sinful. But it does mean that we can respond to evil by committing ourselves to a higher path.
This week's portion describes the major sacrifices that are to be offered by the Jewish people, including those that are offered only by the priestly Kohen class, and physical requirements of the people (men) who serve in that role.
Inter alia, there are interesting commandments -- such as an injection to treat animals with respect and care, first, by letting a mother animal nurse her offspring for a week before being offered in any sacrifice; and second, by refraining from slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day.
The commandments regarding animals remind us of the purpose of those regarding human beings: to uphold a divine connection, through ritual.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/111878/jewish/Rabbi-Isaac-Luria-The-Ari-Hakodosh.htm
