Dear TBZ Community,
I have this particular memory of an activity at summer camp -- Camp Ramah in Chile -- where my father was the Director of the camp and I attended as a child. I was perhaps 6 or 7 years old and we had an activity - a
peula
- to re-enact the Exodus of Egypt. The campers, the
chanichim
, were the Israelites and the counselors, the
madrichim
, were the Egyptians who enslaved us.
Our Moses led us and I remember how we had to walk fast to get outside of camp and make it to the water --I can’t recall if it was the ocean or a river. A counselor played the Pharaoh, who came after us. I still have a very clear image of that counselor and I remember not knowing if we were going to be ok. Almost 40 years later, what I remember the most is how afraid I felt. Although I knew my dad was there running the activity (and probably behind making it scary, so we would never forget the story), and although I knew it was all just pretend, I was scared.
This week we read parshat
Bo
, The continuation of the plagues, including the tenth plague and Pharaoh's letting the people of Israel leave.
Verses 29-43 on Chapter 12 gives us a dramatic description of this liminal moment in the story, please note as I have highlighted the words
לַּ֗יְלָה
,
Night
in the following verses.
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֲצִ֣י
הַלַּ֗יְלָה
וַֽיהוָה֮ הִכָּ֣ה כָל־בְּכוֹר֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ מִבְּכֹ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשְּׁבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַבּ֑וֹר וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה׃
In the middle of the
night
the LORD struck down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle.
וַיָּ֨קָם פַּרְעֹ֜ה
לַ֗יְלָה
ה֤וּא וְכָל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וְכָל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃
And Pharaoh arose in the
night
, with all his courtiers and all the Egyptians—because there was a loud cry in Egypt; for there was no house where there was not someone dead.
וַיִּקְרָא֩ לְמֹשֶׁ֨ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֜ן
לַ֗יְלָה
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ ק֤וּמוּ צְּאוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עַמִּ֔י גַּם־אַתֶּ֖ם גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּלְכ֛וּ עִבְד֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם׃
He summoned Moses and Aaron in the
night
and said, “Up, depart from among my people, you and the Israelites with you! Go, worship the LORD as you said!
גַּם־צֹאנְכֶ֨ם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶ֥ם קְח֛וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּרְתֶּ֖ם וָלֵ֑כוּ וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּ֖ם גַּם־אֹתִֽי׃
Take also your flocks and your herds, as you said, and begone! And may you bring a blessing upon me also!”
וַתֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָעָ֔ם לְמַהֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּחָ֣ם מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י אָמְר֖וּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ מֵתִֽים׃
The Egyptians urged the people on, impatient to have them leave the country, for they said, “We shall all be dead.”
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א הָעָ֛ם אֶת־בְּצֵק֖וֹ טֶ֣רֶם יֶחְמָ֑ץ מִשְׁאֲרֹתָ֛ם צְרֻרֹ֥ת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם׃
So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks upon their shoulders.
וּבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עָשׂ֖וּ כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁאֲלוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּלֵי־כֶ֛סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָ֖ב וּשְׂמָלֹֽת׃
The Israelites had done Moses’ bidding and borrowed from the Egyptians objects of silver and gold, and clothing.
וַֽיהוָ֞ה נָתַ֨ן אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֛ם בְּעֵינֵ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וַיַּשְׁאִל֑וּם וַֽיְנַצְּל֖וּ אֶת־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And the LORD had disposed the Egyptians favorably toward the people, and they let them have their request; thus they stripped the Egyptians.
וַיִּסְע֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵרַעְמְסֵ֖ס סֻכֹּ֑תָה כְּשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֨וֹת אֶ֧לֶף רַגְלִ֛י הַגְּבָרִ֖ים לְבַ֥ד מִטָּֽף׃
The Israelites journeyed from Raamses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children.
וְגַם־עֵ֥רֶב רַ֖ב עָלָ֣ה אִתָּ֑ם וְצֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר מִקְנֶ֖ה כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃
Moreover, a mixed multitude went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.
וַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּֽי־גֹרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃
And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay; nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.
וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃
The length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years;
וַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה יָֽצְא֛וּ כָּל־צִבְא֥וֹת יְהוָ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
at the end of the four hundred and thirtieth year, to the very day, all the ranks of the LORD departed from the land of Egypt.
לֵ֣יל
שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים הוּא֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה לְהוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הֽוּא־
הַלַּ֤יְלָה
הַזֶּה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה שִׁמֻּרִ֛ים לְכָל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃
That was for the LORD a
night
of vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt; that same
night
is the LORD’s, one of vigil for all the children of Israel throughout the ages.
The exodus happens deep in the night.
“When does redemption come? We learn that the Israelies were delivered from Egypt at midnight, in the middle of the pitch-black darkness. At a time like that, people are usually frightened. So from the story of the Israelites, we can see that redemption does not come when things are going well. Rather, it occurs at moments of agony, darkness, and fright. As a popular saying reminds us, “It is always darkest before the dawn”.
This teaching perhaps helps us to think about darkness and fear, not as an absolute reality, but as a transition moment toward the light that can come. Last night TBZ hosted
Ali Abu Awwad
, a Palestienan peace activist and proponent of nonviolence. Mr Awwad founded a Palestinean national movement promoting nonviolence to achieve and guarantee a nonviolent solution to the Israeli-Palestienan conflict. His passion, his story, was inspiring. As I listened, I heard all the suffering and darkness that he has encountered in his life. And as I listened, I was inspired by how he has transformed this darkness into passion and commitment to bringing light.
In darkness, it is hard to see the possibility of redemption. My prayers are that this
parsha
can remind us of the courage of the people of Israel, and that even when afraid, and even then all is dark and scary, there is redemption at hand. It is not an easy journey for there is no magic, but darkness is never absolute.
Today, the 5th day of Sh’vat I commemorate the 6th yartzeit of my father, Rabbi Angel Kreiman-Brill, z.l. I would like to dedicate this message to his memory.
My father instilled in me the love of God, Torah and the Jewish people. My dad also fostered in me a commitment to care for those most in need, to work for social justice and to fight for Human Rights. My rabbinate and my life are inspired by the legacy of my father.
May this Shabbat bring renewal and blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May in moments of darkness remember that dawn is coming.
May we have a joyful Shabbat!
Shabbat Shalom,
