Let’s Transcend our Ego
In the 1950s, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, walking on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, encountered two administrators of a local yeshiva (Jewish day school) gazing closely at a yellow school bus parked on the road.
When the Rebbe asked them what they were looking at, they informed him that the bus was on sale and they were thinking of purchasing it for the yeshiva. "We desperately need our own bus," they told the Rebbe.
"But this bus looks like an old ‘shmateh’ (rag)," the Rebbe said. "It seems like it's on the verge of retirement. Why not purchase a brand new bus for the children?"
"If we could only afford that type of money!" they exclaimed. "The price of this old bus is something we could fit into our budget."
"Let me tell you something," the Rebbe responded. "You know why you can't afford the money for a new bus? Because in your mind, the old and run-down bus will suffice for your yeshiva. If it would be clear to you that your children need a new and beautiful bus, you would have the money to purchase it."
In this week's Torah portion we read of the beginnings of liberation for the Jewish People from 210 years of Egyptian slavery.
The Hebrew term for Egypt, Mitzrayim, actually means barriers and limitations. Thus, the process of leaving Egypt can be translated as “leaving limitations”.
Every one of us professes our own inner "Egypt," those inner voices or powers that hold us down from living a truly meaningful and profound life. Whether it be self-centeredness, temptation or our ego, these forces obstruct us from becoming who we really should be.
As we read the Biblical story of the exodus we ought to think about the human potential to liberate ourselves from physical, mental and spiritual slavery. For if we read the text carefully we will see that it gives us insights into how we can transcend the barriers that obstruct the heart's inner glow and how we can reveal that infinite beacon of G‑d we each possess.
Like the Rebbe’s message in the story, our limitations are what ultimately define the quality and destiny of our life. If we put ourselves in a box and say “this is who I am and I won’t leave my comfort zone”, then we’ll remain enslaved in our personal Egyptian exile.
But if we learn the secret of redemption and transcendence then, no matter where we come from and how low our starting point may be, we can each leave Egypt and fulfill our mission on earth proudly and faithfully.
Let’s do a mitzvah today!
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
