Saturday, May 14, 2005
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Shira
Shira Ann Brody was born the day before Passover. Here is a Shira story from the Torah:
The last two days of Pesah celebrate our arrival by the shores of the sea, the mustering of courage to make the waters part, and our arrival to the difficult challenges of Freedom on the other side. Passover is made of many, many miracles, but one miracle of Passover is seldom noted, but is repeated over and over in our own daily lives.
The greatest miracle of Passover took place just after Moses informed the Israelites to pack in haste for their own impending flight. As Hebrew families ran through their homes, hurriedly stuffing a few necessities into a cloth so they could carry it on their backs as they fled to freedom, women in the households were making anguished choices about what was necessary and portable, and what was not necessary, hence dispensable.
And the women chose to pack their timbrels!
Picture what that must have looked like, as Hannah and Esther and Elana were rushing through their meager possessions, deciding what their families would absolutely require in the new unknown ahead. And they stumbled upon a timbrel, on a shelf, in a sack, on the floor. And each woman paused and thought, "We are going to become free. I've never been free, and my grandmother couldn't even remember freedom. But I think we might need to dance, so I think I will take this with us."
Woman after woman, these bold Israelites took their timbrels and packed them away, knowing that bleak misery would someday give way before joy and justice. They knew, in their bones, in their feet, that soon they would need to dance.
So they packed their timbrels even though they were still slaves, even though Pharaoh remained in power, even though they could barely imagine what freedom would feel like.
And because of those myriad acts of faith, Miriam was able to dance with the women, and our people were able to taste the heady intoxication of liberty! All of us live lives interspersed with suffering and pain. All of us face challenges, disappointments, tragedy and sorrow. But the darkness does give way to the light, and joy comes in the morning. That is the message of the last two days of Pesah - don't despair. Better times are possible, and they will come. God liberates slaves and destroys despots. To be free, we must dance.
Don't forget, in your sorrow and your isolation, to pack your timbrels. You are going to need them soon!
The last two days of Pesah celebrate our arrival by the shores of the sea, the mustering of courage to make the waters part, and our arrival to the difficult challenges of Freedom on the other side. Passover is made of many, many miracles, but one miracle of Passover is seldom noted, but is repeated over and over in our own daily lives.
The greatest miracle of Passover took place just after Moses informed the Israelites to pack in haste for their own impending flight. As Hebrew families ran through their homes, hurriedly stuffing a few necessities into a cloth so they could carry it on their backs as they fled to freedom, women in the households were making anguished choices about what was necessary and portable, and what was not necessary, hence dispensable.
And the women chose to pack their timbrels!
Picture what that must have looked like, as Hannah and Esther and Elana were rushing through their meager possessions, deciding what their families would absolutely require in the new unknown ahead. And they stumbled upon a timbrel, on a shelf, in a sack, on the floor. And each woman paused and thought, "We are going to become free. I've never been free, and my grandmother couldn't even remember freedom. But I think we might need to dance, so I think I will take this with us."
Woman after woman, these bold Israelites took their timbrels and packed them away, knowing that bleak misery would someday give way before joy and justice. They knew, in their bones, in their feet, that soon they would need to dance.
So they packed their timbrels even though they were still slaves, even though Pharaoh remained in power, even though they could barely imagine what freedom would feel like.
And because of those myriad acts of faith, Miriam was able to dance with the women, and our people were able to taste the heady intoxication of liberty! All of us live lives interspersed with suffering and pain. All of us face challenges, disappointments, tragedy and sorrow. But the darkness does give way to the light, and joy comes in the morning. That is the message of the last two days of Pesah - don't despair. Better times are possible, and they will come. God liberates slaves and destroys despots. To be free, we must dance.
Don't forget, in your sorrow and your isolation, to pack your timbrels. You are going to need them soon!
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