Stop Tolerating It (adapted from Rabbi Y. Y. Jacobson)
An English translation of the Torah rarely captures the multi-dimensional underpinnings behind many words in the Hebrew tongue.
Here’s a powerful example from a sentence we’ll read in the Torah tomorrow morning. (PS: Listening to the Torah is a most wonderful way to spend the first day of the secular year. Don’t feel shy to pop in!)
G‑d commands Moses to tell the Jewish People, "I will take you out from under the burdens of Egypt" (Exodus 6:6)
Now, the Hebrew word for "burdens" - sivlot - can also be translated as "tolerance." And thus, another way to translate the very same sentence would be: "I will take you out from tolerating Egypt."
This dual definition gives us a very insightful glimpse into the process of redemption, whether it be physical, mental, psychological, or spiritual.
Unfortunately, many of us, after being subjected to a dysfunctional condition for a time, learn to somehow tolerate it and accept it as the innate composition of our life. This acceptance can be worse than the condition itself, since it guarantees surrender and paralysis.
The beginning of the Egyptian redemption could only occur when we refused to tolerate our slavery and exile. If we can still tolerate our present state of exile, if we can come to terms with our enslaved mode - our journey of redemption cannot commence.
The sense of frustration with our status quo, the feeling of grief over our life's obstacles, may be a profoundly painful experience, for it exposes the truth that our life, relationships, and inner identity may be a mess. But, paradoxically, it is at this moment of absolute frustration that we have begun the voyage toward liberation.
Allow me conclude with a short story:
In the 1950s the Rebbe (Rabbi Schneersohn) while walking on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, encountered two administrators of a local yeshiva (Jewish day school). The two were 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."
It is we who define the quality and destiny of the life we choose to lead.
And so, as we venture into this Shabbat – one that coincides with a new secular year - let us use this opportunity no longer tolerate our status quo. Let us break loose our personal Egyptian exile and connect to G‑d through Torah, mitzvahs, and prayer.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
