Antigay bullying prompts suicide

[Tallit]

Friday morning was the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah, the day we finish the cycle of Torah reading for the year. The reading included Deuteronomy 33:24 "24 About Asher he said:
"Most blessed of sons is Asher;
let him be favored by his brothers,
and let him bathe his feet in oil."
i couldn't help thinking about this story when I heard those words.

Today at Shabbat the reading was the story of creation, and the rabbi's midrash stressed the idea that we are made in G-d's image, and specifically refered to the recent rash of suicides due to people not treating others as an image of G-d. This was a very good message, since this Shabbat is the day when the high school students in the congregation take turns reading the Torah portions.