This Shabbat we begin the reading of Exodus, the second book of the Hebrew Bible.
“Exodus is arguably the most important book in the Bible since it presents the seminal events in Israel’s history and the definitive institutions of its religion, themes that have reverberated to all subsequent Jewish and Western history.”
— Professor Jeffrey Tigay
The master narrative of the Jewish People is contained in this book: we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. God freed us for a purpose. As we retell this story, we give thanks for the gift of our freedom, for the dignity we enjoy especially today in a time when American Jews have considerable influence and Israel exists as a sovereign state with real power. We also reflect on ways that we might bring more freedom into the world for others – part of our unique mission as Jews.
What are you grateful for today as a Jew or as someone who is “Jewish adjacent” (sharing a home with a Jew, raising a family with a Jew, or a friend of the Jewish community)?
How can you do more to bring dignity and freedom to others?
— Rabbi Yoshi