If you walked past Stephen Nedoroscik on the street you probably would not think too much of him. A nebbish, bespectacled young man with a goofy smile and curly brown hair, he certainly doesn’t conjure thoughts of an all-time athlete. You wouldn’t think: ‘There goes a superhero.’ But Stephen is a superhero. Born with a disease that keeps his eyes permanently dilated, Stephen is much more than a gymnast; he is a role model to anyone who lives with a disability. Like Clark Kent, when he peels away his glasses and dons his uniform, Stephen transforms into someone else entirely. You may have seen his mastery on the pommel horse on Monday night, when he clinched a bronze medal for the men’s gymnastics team. It was to be sure a holy and wholly inspiring moment. An entire nation celebrated Stephen’s grit and courage.

Last week’s Torah portion was all about inclusion. We read that Zelophehad’s five daughters advocate for inheritance laws that honor women as much as men. When their father dies, is it right that they would be passed over? Moses heeds their call and promptly updates the law. The daughters thus become emblems of social justice, speaking truth to power and fairness. (Lisa and I were so moved by this story that we named our own daughter after one of the five girls – Noa). This story comes following a census that feels rather incomplete; only the men are counted and only the men over age twenty. It’s a reminder that the work of inclusivity is ongoing. In every generation we have an obligation to go further in terms of acceptance and tolerance.

That portion, like Stephen’s performance, urges us to look beyond the fore and see the power and sanctity we all have within us. As the daughters were looking to be seen as worthy, Stephen reminds us to see all people who look different or learn differently or socialize differently or relate to our world differently as worthy and deserving of our utmost kindness and compassion. Imagine if we only judged Stephen Nedoroscik by how he looks without finding out about his skillset or his amazing story. Imagine if we hastily judged him or 4’ 8” Simone Biles by physical stature, not ability or bravery. Imagine too if people did that to you, which perhaps they have. Too often we judge the book by its cover.

As we come to the end of the Book of Numbers, which took us through a vast portion of the biblical wilderness, we are reminded of the many times people judged Jews from afar. Numbers was full of such events, whether from the Moabites, the Midianites or even within our own community. Still today, when antisemitism abounds, we know what it feels like to be mistreated because of how we look, how we pray, the holidays we observe, the values we live. We can strive to lead by example, choosing curiosity over judgment, denying stereotypes and lazy, knee jerk opinions and always aiming to bring in rather than push away.