This Shabbat we begin the reading of Exodus, the second book of the Hebrew Bible.
“The Exodus story isn’t a story of universal liberation. The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt saves only the Israelites. But the idea is that this can be repeated, and it invites people to imitate it, to do it again.”
— Professor Michael Walzer
The story of our people’s liberation has inspired countless others over the centuries. Many African American slaves found hope in our tale of freedom. The well-known spiritual, “Let My People Go,” invited all those who sang it or heard it, those who were oppressed so hard that they could barely stand, to imagine themselves as the Hebrew children who, by God’s grace, were freed from the cruel shackles of bondage. It is a testament to the power of the narrative itself, the power of a story to make an idea possible and influence the future as a result. It reminds us that the stories we tell and retell shape how we see ourselves, our world, and our purpose.
How does the Exodus story shape your self-identity? How does it influence the way you experience the world, the way you live your life?
— Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback