It is the time of year that we read about the Ten Plagues and the eventual liberation of the children of Israel from Egypt. Their thrust into the desert was the moment they became a people — a people of immigrants. For the rest of the Torah, they will be roaming the wilderness. So it’s not surprising that the Torah is full of mandates to love and care for the immigrant. The Torah calls us in dozens of different ways to love the stranger, as we were all strangers. Many immigrants pay with blood to arrive on safe shores. They make a blood covenant with Lady Liberty and the ideal of freedom, just as the children of Israel had to apply blood on their doorposts in order to leave.

As an immigrant and a son of immigrants, I always felt comfortable in America — the land of immigrants. Beyond the discussion about legal or illegal immigration, we must not forget that we are playing with many lives. But for those undocumented, they live in the shadows. Their liberation would not be to leave, but to stay. In America, immigration and its many issues should not be perceived as a hot potato, but rather as its meat and potatoes. While we are debating a comprehensive solution to the immigration system, let’s not forget that life doesn’t wait. Many families formed, many children were raised, and for many, this is the only reality they know. Let’s deal with this issue as we deal with life itself, starting with the life in the womb.

I often compare the discussion about immigration to that of abortion. Just as many of us wouldn’t want to end the life that developed in the womb, we shouldn’t want to uproot the life of a family. America may secure its borders but cannot ignore the life that developed in its womb. Deportation, like abortion, sometimes is necessary. According to Jewish law, “life” begins after 40 days in the womb, the time of the first heartbeat. Similarly, in immigration, after a certain point, life develops.

Immigration is a religious act. It is willing to leap forward through a bloody door. The Prophet Ezekiel says: “And when I passed by you, and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you: In your blood, live; I said to you: In your blood, live;” (16:6) According to our rabbis, Ezekiel is referring to the lamb’s blood on the doorpost and the blood of the covenant with God who gives life (also circumcision), the blood we are willing to give in order to reach a better existence. Immigrants don’t just develop life here, they bring life with them. Accepting the immigrant gives the other side an opportunity to fulfill many mitzvoth. Immigrants are our way to be God fearing. Ultimately, they can be the best ambassadors on earth, and also in heaven in front of God.

Blessings,

—Rabbi Gadi Capela