** Join Daily Giving today, and help make your $1 turn into so much more!
Tell a friend, share and like, and together we can change the world, $1 at
a time. www.dailygiving.org **
In an era where information is always at your fingertips, it's rare to find
thoughts on Pesach that one hasn't seen before. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
provided one such rarity for me this past week, and I hope I do it
justice...
The very first of the Ten Commandments proclaims “I am the Lord your G-d,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2). Would it not have
made more sense to reference the creation of the world? Why reference an
event that G-d put us in to begin with?
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that the answer lies in the epic difference
between Paroh and Moshe’s approaches to building an enduring nation that
defeats mortality. While Paroh built monuments that stood the test of time,
Moshe’s approach was reflected in his first address to his people, the
night before the last plague, the night of Pesach: On no less than 3
occasions, Moshe spoke about children, and our duty to pass on memory to
generations to come. The Jews were told that they were to become a nation
of educators. As Rabbi Sacks beautifully explains, “to defend a land you
need an army, but to defend freedom you need education.”
The exodus is mentioned in the very first commandment because it gave us
the perspective of having once been weak. While G-d is served by protecting
the dignity of the orphan, the stranger and the neglected, that perspective
comes from having once been an underdog. Egypt was a reminder of what
society can become when people worship human constructs rather than caring
for their fellow man. This is a crucial lesson every parent imparts to
their child as we “build” their empathy through Torah values, and transmit
the tradition of those before us by encouraging thoughtful questions and
responsive answers.
Shlomo Ressler
Quotation of the week:
“What others think of you is none of your business."
** Join Daily Giving today, and help make your $1 turn into so much more!
Tell a friend, share and like, and together we can change the world, $1 at
a time. www.dailygiving.org **
In an era where information is always at your fingertips, it's rare to find
thoughts on Pesach that one hasn't seen before. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
provided one such rarity for me this past week, and I hope I do it
justice...
_______________________________________________
The very first of the Ten Commandments proclaims “I am the Lord your G-d,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2). Would it not have
made more sense to reference the creation of the world? Why reference an
event that G-d put us in to begin with?
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that the answer lies in the epic difference
between Paroh and Moshe’s approaches to building an enduring nation that
defeats mortality. While Paroh built monuments that stood the test of time,
Moshe’s approach was reflected in his first address to his people, the
night before the last plague, the night of Pesach: On no less than 3
occasions, Moshe spoke about children, and our duty to pass on memory to
generations to come. The Jews were told that they were to become a nation
of educators. As Rabbi Sacks beautifully explains, “to defend a land you
need an army, but to defend freedom you need education.”
The exodus is mentioned in the very first commandment because it gave us
the perspective of having once been weak. While G-d is served by protecting
the dignity of the orphan, the stranger and the neglected, that perspective
comes from having once been an underdog. Egypt was a reminder of what
society can become when people worship human constructs rather than caring
for their fellow man. This is a crucial lesson every parent imparts to
their child as we “build” their empathy through Torah values, and transmit
the tradition of those before us by encouraging thoughtful questions and
responsive answers.
Shlomo Ressler
_______________________________________________
Quotation of the week:
“What others think of you is none of your business."
