Dear Friends,
Whether we like to admit it or not, life these days can feel very heavy. With the seemingly endless barrage of bad news, it can be incredibly tempting to return our head to the pillow and stay in bed. Nothing we do makes a difference anyway, right?
In this week's Torah portion, the Jewish people receive the unbelievable news that they will be leaving Egypt. It was so unbelievable, in fact, that it says "they did not listen to Moshe out of shortness of breath." The Hebrew word used for breath here is ruach, which also means spirit. So it could also be saying "they did not listen to Moshe out of lack of spirit."
After generations of brutal slavery, the Jewish nation was understandably beaten down. They were so used to their bitter reality that they couldn't even process the news that it was going to end. They couldn't fathom a new way of life, no matter how much they longed for it. Their spirits were low, which is a dangerous place to be.
I remember hearing a famous teaching from Reb Mendel Futerfas when I was a young teen that always stuck with me. He said there are three things in life: money, health, and spirit. If you lose your money, it hurts but money comes and goes. If you lose your health, it is unfortunate but life continues on and better health may return. If you lose your spirit, however, all is lost. Our spirit is what gives us our will to live. It's the fire inside of us that tells us to keep going no matter what battles we have to fight and obstacles we must overcome.
We can see this all around us. When the world is in crisis, there are those who feel so bogged down by the negative that they can barely put one foot in front of the other, and there are those who rise up, burning from within with the spirit to carry on and create positive change. Like the Iranian people, who are fighting for their freedom with a fiery passion.
In Egypt, it was the women who nourished and maintained the spirit of the Jewish people. Despite the dire conditions, they encouraged their husbands to continue having children. They had complete faith in God that their redemption would come, and they were not afraid to stand up for what was right in the face of a powerful enemy.
Miriam famously led the women in song after they escaped the pursuing Egyptians. This was particularly noteworthy because the women brought tambourines with them as they were fleeing. Can you imagine? They were so confident that God was going to lead them safely out that they had the forethought to prepare for a proper celebration.
These feminine qualities are celebrated every Friday night when we sing "Eishes Chayil," the song King Solomon wrote purportedly about his mother. It always reminds me of the strength and grace of my wife, my mother, and so many other Jewish women in my life. There is a line that says "she looks smilingly toward the future..." They do not operate from a place of fear but from a place of hope. They are focused on the future and making it the best that it can be. We are fortunate to be celebrating the Bat Mitzvah of Julie Ellis, Rachel, Saturday night. When you hear her sing "Eishes Chayil" her spirit shines through. You can tell how committed she is to being a light unto the community, and a carrier of the Jewish torch for the next generation.
So let us follow the example set by the incredible Jewish women of our time. When life gets tough, we don't simply roll back over and pull the covers over our head. We get moving! The actions we take in order to help other people and spread joy and light really DO make a difference. Reigniting the spirit in others is never futile, and it is within all our power to do so.
You can start right now! Coming together with the community at shul this Shabbat lifts your spirit. Joining a JLI class and learning something new lifts your spirit. Coming to see Elon Gold and enjoying his comedy lifts your spirits. So I can't wait to see you soon, so that we can lift our spirits together.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos