Breathing is one of those daily miracles that we take for granted. Whether awake or asleep, our lungs provide the oxygen which nourishes and sustains our bodies.
The importance of breath is expressed clearly at the beginning of the Torah where in Chapter 2 of Genesis we read, “va-yipach b’apo nishmat chayim va-y’hi ha-adam l’nefesh chaya - (and God) blew into his nostrils the breath of life and the human became a living being.”
We thank God for the gift of life every day when we say “Elohai, n’shama shenatata bi t’horah hi...Atah n’fachta bi - God, the soul which you have given me is pure; You breathed it into me.”
If we’ve learned nothing else from the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s how important it is that we be able to breathe. In the early weeks of the outbreak, governors were pleading for ventilators to keep the sickest patients alive. How many died when their lungs just gave out?
And now, in the aftermath of the senseless death of George Floyd, the words “I can’t breathe” have become the rallying cry for protestors throughout the United States and abroad.
How ironic is it that police have to resort to the use of tear gas, which inhibits the ability to breathe, to dispel protestors who have become violent?
What we need so desperately in these difficult and tumultuous times is breath - and air. How many phrases like the following are appropriate right now?
“Let’s clear the air.” We need dialogue, not confrontation.
“A breath of fresh air.” We need new ideas, new approaches, new understanding to effectively combat the systemic racism that still pervades our American society.
“Take a deep breath.” We need to step back from the emotions of the moment in order to confront the issues with a clear mind and rational thought.
“Breathe easy.” We hope for a day when all people, of all races, creeds, religious beliefs, sexual orientations and nationalities will be able to “breathe easy,” secure in the knowledge that they are safe wherever they live, wherever they work, wherever they worship and wherever they travel.
There is no life without breath, there are no people without breath, there is no humanity without breath. Let’s use our breath and the bodies it powers, to become agents for real change. If we succeed, the results are guaranteed to be breathtaking.