From the Rabbi

Our Torah reading this morning described that historic moment when, after 210 years of slavery, God informs them that He is going to take them out, “mitachat sivlot mitzrayim – from under the yoke and suffering of the Egyptians.” But, as we know, no sooner did they see Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursuing them when they left, they cry out, “Let's go back to Egypt!”  And then comes the crossing of the Red Sea. No sooner do they run out of water then they cry out, “Let's go back to Egypt!” 

This is why the Kotzker Rebbe read the words: “From under the yoke and suffering of the Egyptians” a bit differently. “Sivlot,” which we translate as “suffering” can also have another meaning. It comes from the Hebrew root s.v.l. meaning “patient,” or tolerant.” The Jews had to be taken out from the mindset they had developed in Egypt; a mindset of being patient, a mindset of: well, it's not so bad, could be worse … as bad as it is we can manage through it … who knows if it'll ever get any better … let's just continue with things just the way they are.

Indeed our sages make a remarkable commentary and tell us no Jewish slave ever escaped out of Egypt. On a simple level, this is telling us the Egyptians had such a powerful security system that made escape impossible. But on a deeper level, it means that none of the Jews ever attempted to escape. They developed this attitude of: better the devil I know than the one I may have to meet and adjust to. So God had to take the Jews “mitachat sivlost mitrayim” - had to take them out of a complacent mindset that accepted things just the way they were.

Let’s all think about the areas of our lives where complacency and inertia have conspired to prevent true improvement and growth – professionally, personally, and of course, spiritually. Let’s take ourselves “out of that mindset”, and like the Israelites before us, journey to where will experience our best selves, in every sphere of activity and endeavor.

Shabbat shalom