SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION
Lessons of the Past
T
his week’s parshah, Bo, encourage our children to ask contains what I believe is questions and why in answering one of the Torah’s most them we point to the text from important mitzvot: It is a dediwhich we seek our answers. cation to education, to knowing When we look at this week’s our past and ensuring that our portion, we read v’gam erev rav history informs our future. alah itam (a mixed multitude Having just won their freewent up with them.) While dom from Egyptian these five words don’t bondage, the Israelites change the essence of our are instructed by story of liberation, they do Moses on the laws of expand it. In the erev rav Passover, which they (mixed multitude) we find are to observe for all not only ourselves and the Rabbi Ari time. As they prepare people who look like us, but Witkin for their sojourn in a people inherently comthe desert, Moses says, posed of multiplicity. Parshat “And when your chilIn the midst of a struggle Bo: Exodus dren ask you, ‘What for liberation, it can be easy 10:1-13:16; do you mean by this to narrow our conception Jeremiah rite?’ you shall say ‘It is of who is “with us.” Each 46:13-28. the Passover sacrifice year, when we return to to the Lord because He passed parshat Bo, we have the opporover the house of the Israelites tunity to expand it again and …” (Exodus 12:26-27). Here, at remember that not only are we the most climatic moment in more diverse than we may have the people’s history, standing thought, but that our story is on the edge of freedom, Moses also not ours alone. demonstrates a most important In the midst of a year when MEL DRYMAN Raised in Detroit, Experienced in Arizona skill for any religious leader — the forces of oppression are Your Professional bringing the ritual to life and more apparent than ever, we & Dedicated making it relevant. can all be buoyed by another ARIZONA REALTOR More than 2,000 years later, five-word phrase. Not from the Mobile: (480) 239-8686 the Passover seder is the most text of the Torah but painted on mel.dryman@azmoves.com observed ritual in Jewish life. the windows of our houses and According to the Pew Research signs in our front yards —“We Center, more than 70% of are in this together.” Each Office Independently Owned & Operated American Jews attend a seder As we move into a new year annually. Here, in the retelling in the shadow of a rhetoric of of our story, every generation hatred and division, let us not Boca BocaRaton, Raton, has the opportunity to find itself forget that sacred commandDelray Beach, Boynton Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Beyond! Delray Beach, Boynton Delray Beach, Boynton Delray Beach, Boynton within the history of the comment to teach our children the Beach and Beyond! Beach Beyond! Beach andand Beyond! Beach and Beyond! munity. We are inspired by the history of our liberation — that Boca Raton, Now selling Valencia Delray NowBeach, selling past as we chart out the future. we walked to freedom hand Boynton Sound Beach Sound & Avalon Trails Now Valencia andselling NowNow selling selling Now selling Teaching history is not in hand as an erev rav, a mixed & Beyond! Avalon Trails Valencia Sound and Valencia Sound and Valencia Sound and and Valencia Sound Avalon Trails multitude. Ever knowing that Avalon Trails Avalon Trails Avalon Trails simply a process of repetition. Buying or Selling? We Specialize in Active Adult History is a critical endeavor just as it was in the past, so, too, Buying orClub Selling? We Specialize in Active Adult Buying orSelling? Selling? WeWe Specialize inin Active Adult Country and Beachside Communities Buying or Specialize Active Adult Buying or Selling? Specialize in Active Adult that asks that each time we will it be in the future. Country Club Beachside Communities Country Club andand Beachside Communities Country Club Beachside Communities Country Club and Beachside Communities Advantage Plus return to the same story we do Advantage Plus 601 S. Federal Hwy. • Boca Raton, FL 33432 Advantage Plus Advantage Plus Advantage Plus so with new eyes, new questions Rabbi Ari Witkin is the director of Elly & Federal EdHwy. Lepselter 601 S. Federal •Hwy. Boca Raton, FL 33432 601 S. • Boca Raton, 33432 601 S. Federal Hwy. • Boca Raton, FL 33432 601 S.• Federal Hwy. • Boca Raton, FLFL 33432 leadership development at the Jewish and an openness to learning (561) 302-9374 Visit us at &www.edandellyhometeam.com Elly Elly &Lepselter Ed Lepselter Elly &Ed EdLepselter Elly & Ed Lepselter ••Visit Federation of Metro Detroit. new things. That is why we (561) 302-9374 (561) 302-9374 us at www.edandellyhometeam.com (561) 302-9374 Visit•usVisit usatatwww.edandellyhometeam.com www.edandellyhometeam.com
COME TO FLORIDA IN IN THETHE NEW YEAR COME TOTO FLORIDA NEW YEAR COME ININ THE NEW YEAR COME FLORIDA THE NEW YEAR COME TOTOFLORIDA FLORIDA IN THE NEW YEAR
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(561) 302-9374 • Visit us at www.edandellyhometeam.com
JANUARY 21 • 2021
