We end the first full week of 2015 with enormous sadness as we join with people the world over in condemning the barbaric acts of terror that claimed innocent lives at the offices of Charlie Hebdo and the kosher supermarket in Paris.

In the face of these events, I find myself looking for insight and comfort in this week’s Torah portion. Parshat Shemot is the first in the book of Exodus, and represents a shift from the book of Genesis, with its focus on a single Jewish family, to the story of a Jewish nation that shares history and responsibility.

Early in the narrative, we learn that Moses, raised in the privilege of Pharaoh’s palace, sees the burden and suffering of the Jews, a people with whom he had little prior connection. He observes an Egyptian guard striking a Jew, and the text reads: “Moses looked this way and that, and he saw there was no man, so he struck the Egyptian.”

Some have understood this to mean that Moses is a coward, looking around to ensure no one would see him before striking the guard. But I join with those who interpret this moment as Moses’ first act of courageous leadership in the Bible: he “looked this way and that,” and seeing that no one else would come to the aid of this defenseless man, stepped in to help a total stranger.

In fact, I’ve long viewed this text as framing the core mission of UJA-Federation: to help build caring, inspired, and connected communities, and to do all we can so that our children and grandchildren feel a sense of connection and obligation to care for Jews in need around the world. But more fundamentally, Parshat Shemot reflects Moses’ courage to act in the face of evil, including on behalf of total strangers.

As I write, we are still learning what exactly transpired. We pray that on the other side of these horrific events, people the world over will reaffirm their commitment to face and address evil and injustice — refusing, like Moses, to look away.

Shabbat shalom