Shemot
Can we escape from who we truly are?
Reflection by Ariel Yisraelah Hendelman, the Or HaLev Team:
"The book of Shemot begins by naming all of Yaakov’s sons who came to live in Egypt and moving the story along by stating that, by the time the book of Shemot begins, that whole generation has died. It’s a fitting way for a new book of Torah to begin, by stating the ending of the saga of Yaakov and his children.
The Torah goes on to say, `the Israelites were fertile and prolific; they multiplied and increased very greatly, so that the land was filled with them.` This seems like a good thing. But then right after, `A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us` (1:7-8).
The scene of living in exile changes very quickly, from one of prospering to one of persecution. The new Egyptian king tells Shifra and Puah, the Israelite midwives, to kill any boys who are born. The midwives are crafty and try to save the newborn boys, and of course, one of them just happens to be the greatest prophet to ever live – Moshe. He is put in a basket, sent along the Nile, saved by Pharaoh's daughter, and then ends up being nursed by his own mother, unbeknownst to anyone.
And isn’t this the way of life? Tradition tells us that Moshiach will come from the lineage of Yehudah and Tamar, whom we read about a few weeks ago just recently. Tamar dresses up as a prostitute, so that her father-in-law will have sex with her unknowingly. This is the line that Moshiach comes from?
It is in the most unlikely of places where miracles can occur; where consciousness can expand and rise. This is what our tradition teaches us. Our greatest prophet is born during a time of great oppression and fear, born into waters that carry him both towards and away from his people. He grows up separate from them, and yet their cries penetrate his heart. We can not escape who we truly are, and as unlikely as it may be, the soil from which miracles grow has weeds sticking out of it. May our meditation practice remind us to defy the odds, to let stillness overpower rushing and silence speak louder than shouting. Let it be so."