Using the Past to Guide Us Toward A Brighter Future

By Rabbi Michael Schwab.

Just last week our Torah reading cycle celebrated the Exodus and the Israelites’ miraculous crossing of the sea — once and for all leaving the slavery of Egypt behind.  It was a glorious moment and the Torah relates that our people, led by Miriam, danced and sang in great joy. In a parallel fashion, this past week we marked the return of the last hostage, Ran Givili. Now there are no hostages left in Gaza for the first time since 2014.  This momentous occasion was a cause for tears of joy shed by Jews around the world and it allowed our people to take a deep exhale.  

And while it is critical to soak in moments of joy, success and relief, our Torah portion this morning reminds us that time always moves forward. The Israelites had to stop their dancing and singing and head towards Mt. Sinai. There, in a moment of great awe and seriousness they experienced revelation and were given the gift of the Torah. This was also an incredible moment.  However there was a deep gravity to this moment of creating a covenant with Gd and taking on the obligations of the commandments.  Liberation led to aspiration and obligation. This chain of events set our people on the course to becoming who we are today.

Now that the active war in Gaza has wound down and the last hostage has returned, our people must also move forward to the next chapter.  What lies ahead is serious and heavy.  Yet, like our ancestors we can use what came before to help lead us to greater heights in the future. Like Moses, we must be wise, optimistic and steadfast.  We must be guided by our relationship with Gd and the values embedded in our tradition.  And we must know that there is wilderness ahead but that we will once again arrive at our generation’s version of the Promised Land. If we keep alive Jewish hope and steer by the compass of our Torah we can go from strength to strength.