The trial of the man who took her life was yet another reminder that our justice system does not work very well.
"We must translate pain into action, and tears into growth" —The Rebbe
When Cain decided that he could choose whether his own brother could live or die, we recall that after he murdered his brother Abel, G-d said to Cain, "The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). With events of this week in the , I am reminded of these famous biblical words.
On April 3, 2010, was robbed of her life. This innocent child was killed by . The soul of Emily is eternal and lives forever. Our memory of Emily is always with us.
The trial of the man who took her life was yet another reminder that our justice system does not work very well. It took nearly two years for the trial to begin as a a long, drawn-out process took its course. And with the result being a mistrial, the process will continue with another trial. I pray that enough people will realize that something must be done so that no person should have to endure as the Shane family is doing with such courage and grace—the continuous agony of reliving Emily's death.
As readers recall, in the immediate aftermath of Emily’s passing, the Shanes—in Emily's memory—began . The Shanes took all of the unbearable pain of the loss of their dear Emily and channeled it to inspire people from around the world. Their idea was to motivate each person to do one more benevolent act which, in turn, would spur another to do the same. Many heartwarming stories have been shared by people who have joined this cause, and the stories just keep coming in.
As long as people act kindly, with a continuous ongoing chain of acts of goodness and kindness, there is hope to correct the failures of justice. What the Shanes have done and are continuing to do is to help assure that our planet will be filled with people who see the world not as a lawless jungle, but as a beautiful orchard, granted to us as a gift from G-d, and requiring our partnership and ongoing nurturing.
Perhaps the delay in justice calls upon us to take the Shane campaign up a few notches! There is much healing needed in our families and our community—and beyond. In Hebrew, acts of goodness and charity are termed Tzedakah. Consider that this same word also means righteousness or justice.
Surely, giving to others in the memory of Emily Shane and letting the Shanes know about it will help them during this difficult period. And it will help you as you ask yourself, "Do I hold the key to healing?"
The heroic response of the Shane family continues to give new meaning to these famous words: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares."(Isaiah 2:2-4).