Often we get frustrated when presented with new challenges.
“What did I do wrong? Why do I deserve this problem?”
Instead of investing all our energy in finding a solution to the problem, it is often more tempting to engage in self pity and rage at the fact that the day is not going as initially planned.
The second parsha we will read this week, Parshat Masei, opens with a complete itinerary of the forty-year Israelite journey through the desert, from Egypt to the outskirts of the Promised Land.
“These are the journeys of the Children of Israel as they departed from Egypt.” (Numbers 33:1)
On Passover the Israelites did not embark on a direct flight to Israel. There were many stops and delays on the way until they finally made it to Israel.
Why then does the Torah preface the itinerary by referring to all the journeys as departures from Egypt? Since they departed from Egypt only once it would have been more accurate to call them “journeys to the Land of Israel.”
The Hebrew name for Egypt is “Mitzrayim” and appreciating the root meaing of this word provides the answer to our question.
“Mitzrayim” means boundaries and limitations. On Passover we did not only leave a geographical location called “Mitzrayim,” we were empowered to break through any type of limitation we may ever encounter in our lives. Our ancestors did not reach the Promised Land on the first trip to teach us that life is a constant reality of breaking through limitations. Every juncture in life presents an opportunity to prove our freedom and every day we are presented with new challenges to overcome, to act upon our freedom once again.
Although the goal was to reach the Promised Land - a reality where divinity was apparent and revealed in its full glory - the real story to tell was how we got there. Because every journey was another Exodus.
During the terrifying years of Communist persecution the Previous Rebbe once said: “Fellow Jews! Take advantage of the opportunity to sacrifice for Judaism. One day you will be free to practice Judaism without trouble and you will pine for the days when Judaism came with a price.”
We must not place ourselves in challenging situations, but when the challenge presents itself, realize its potential to make you truly free.
Leslie wrote...