A Soulful Journey

The death of the Egyptians upon the seashore is a glaring symbol of the ultimate doom of evil in its struggle with good. There is something in the very nature of the universe which is on the side of Israel in its struggle with every Egypt. There is something in the very nature of the universe which ultimately comes to the aid of goodness in its perennial struggle with evil.     Martin Luther King,  "The Death of Evil Upon the Seashore,"  1956.  The  fears that we have today we have had throughout the epochs.   Trust is key. Trust in the covenant. Trust in the downfall of each generation's Pharaohs. Trust God.

A Sage taught: Amram- the future father in law of Moses- was the greatest man of his generation.   When he saw that the wicked Pharaoh had decreed, “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river,” he said, “We labor in vain.”   And so he divorced his wife.   All the Israelites followed suit.   Whereupon his daughter said, “Father, your decree is more severe than Pharaoh’s which applied only to male children.   The implementation of your decree has severe implications for both males and females….    Furthermore, in the case of the wicked Pharaoh there is at least some doubt as too whether his genocidal decree will be fulfilled or not, whereas your divorce action most certainly will bring about an end to our people.   Talmud Sotah, 12a It is not always possible to do everything we want.  If, for example, a house were burining how could you hope to remove everything from the home?  You would just take what is mo...

There is a tradition that during our ancestor’s enslavement in Egypt Pharaoh ordered husbands and wives to live apart, to ensure that they would refrain from sexual relations.   Rabbi Shimon the son of Halafta said: “How did the daughters of Israel react to this decree?   They procured food and wine for their husbands in the fields who were exhausted from crushing labor.   After their husbands ate, their wives would take mirrors and gaze into them along with their husbands.   Each woman would say endearingly to her husband, “See I am more attractive than you.”   In this fashion each wife aroused the passion of her husband with the result that these women became the mothers of many children.   - Midrash Tanhuma Several lessons emerge: 1.      Do not give up. 2.      In your relationship keep the flame of intimacy burning. 3.      Love triumphs when given a chance. ...

In the midst of the story of the story when Pharaoh’s handmaid stretches out her hands ( vayishlach et amah ) to grasp the floating basket that contains baby Moses, Rabbi Judah commented that her arm miraculously lengthened so that she could reach the basket without endangering herself in the treacherous Nile. Generations later the Kotzker Rebbe asked, “How did she know that her hands would be lengthened to grasp the child?”   He answered, “It is our responsibility to reach out, even if we think we cannot touch the victim.   God will do the rest.” Miracles happen when we put forth effort.

"There is a midrash that asks how Moses managed to gain access to Pharaoh when he first sought the release of the Israelite laves.   After all, how could anyone just march into the palace of a ruler, past the guards and advisors, and gain the ears of the Pharaoh?     The midrash explains that when we speak truly from the heart, our words go directly to the heart of our listener.   When Moses told the guards outside the palace what mission he had come to accomplish, the guards were so moved that they allowed him entry.   Even Pharaoh was so touched by the heartfulness of Moses’ message that he was ready to let the Children of Israel go, until God hardened his heart to make the Exodus a supernatural event.” –Susannah Heschel

Have mercy!   Lord, have mercy on my poor soul!”   Women gave birth and whispered cries like this in caves and out-of-the-way places that humans don’t usually use for birthplaces.   Moses hadn’t come yet, and these were the years when Israel first made tears.   Pharaoh had entered the bedrooms of Israel.   The birthing beds of Hebrews were matters of state.   The Hebrew womb had fallen under the heel of Pharaoh.   A great ruler in his newness and new in his greatness had risen in Egypt and he had said, “This is the law.   Hebrew boys shall not be born.   All offenders against this law shall suffer death by drowning.” - Zora Neale Hurston , Moses , Man of the Mountain