Seeing with Clarity

By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, WLCJ Executive Director

Parashat Re’eh begins with one of the Torah’s most striking invitations: “Re’eh—See! I place before you today blessing and curse.” The Torah could have said “listen” or “understand,” but instead it begins with the language of vision. It reminds us that how we see the world shapes how we live in it.

This message feels especially meaningful as I remember my father, Dr. Arthur H. Wolintz, on his yahrzeit this week, on the 22nd of Av. As a neuro-ophthalmologist, he dedicated his professional life to helping people see. He understood that vision is far more than healthy eyes; it is the remarkable partnership between the eye, the brain, and the mind. One of his favorite sayings was that the eye was the window to the brain. He knew that seeing clearly requires not only the ability to receive light but also the ability to interpret it.

In many ways, that is the challenge of Parashat Re’eh. The Torah asks us not simply to notice what is in front of us, but to choose how we perceive it. Every day presents us with opportunities for blessing and opportunities to lose our way. The difference often lies in the perspective we bring and the values through which we interpret our experiences.My father embodied that kind of vision. He approached life with curiosity and purpose. His practice of neuro-ophthalmology demanded precision and scientific rigor, yet those who knew him also remember his menschlicht, warmth, compassion, and unwavering belief that there was good in the world, and he had a very strong belief in God.

Perhaps that is the deeper meaning of Re’eh. It is not merely a command to open our eyes, but an invitation to cultivate a hopeful vision of the future. Jewish tradition has never ignored life’s hardships. Instead, it teaches us to face them honestly while continuing to choose blessing, kindness, and hope. We are called to see not only the world as it is, but the world as it could become through our actions.

As I remember my father on his 15th yahrzeit, I am grateful not only for the lives he touched through his medical expertise, but for the example he set. He taught that clear vision is a gift, but an even greater gift is having a positive vision for one’s life—a sense of purpose, compassion, and confidence that our choices matter. He taught me to have goals, and shoot for the stars.

I cherish the years I was able to spend with my father, and he continues to inspire me every day, to see the good in others, to pursue worthy goals with determination, and to look toward the future with faith and optimism. In the spirit of Re’eh, may we choose to see blessing, create blessing, and become a source of blessing for those around us.

May his memory be for a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
WLCJ Executive Director
ewolintz-fields@wlcj.org