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Marathon Jewish
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Shabbat Bo
Exodus 10:1-13:16
Candle Lighting Time: Friday,
January 11, 2008 4: 29P.M.
Finally Pharaoh lets our
people go in this week’s Torah portion. Because of the last plague,
“The Egyptians urged the (Jewish) people on, impatient to have them
leave the country…The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,
600,000 men on foot, aside from children.” (Ex. 12: 33ff) Finally we
were free! Nevertheless, have you ever wondered why we had to be slaves
in the first place?
A talented violinist was scheduled to play before a very critical
audience. Although she had a fine instrument, she was not satisfied
with the quality of its sound. So she said to her father, “This violin
must yield its full resonance and vibration of tone. I’m going out to
buy some tested strings.” When asked what tested strings were, she
replied, “First they’re put on a rack and stretched and strained to take
all the vacillation out of them. Then they are hammered and put through
an acid test. This is what enables them to produce a perfect and full
tone.” When she attached the tested strings and tuned the instrument,
the music was noticeably more warm and rich than before.
If our lives are going to produce beautiful music for the Lord, testing
is imperative. Because of the Egyptian slavery, we learned and
internalized some very important lessons. For example, the Jewish
response to the whole undocumented immigrant issue has to balance
national security with the humanitarian lessons we learned as unwelcome
strangers in Egypt. The Torah is quite clear about this when it says:
“When strangers sojourn with you in your land you shall not do them
wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the
natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were
strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Lev. 19:33-4)
Let’s be honest. We all tend to vacillate. Sometimes we are up;
sometimes we are down. Sometimes we are hot; sometimes we are cold.
This hinders the spiritual tone God desires. Although we don’t enjoy
the stretch, the strain, and the stress, what Godly results they can
produce! Just as tested string gives the highest quality of sound, so
can trials bring out the best in us as the Psalmist sings, “For You, O
God have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.” (Ps.
66:10)
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Gary Greene
Services Schedule:
Friday night 7:00 p.m.
Shabbat 9:00 a.m.
Mon. & Thurs 6:30 a.m.
Sun. -Thurs night 7:30 p.m.
Announcements:
Tuesday, January 15 Adult Education Classes 10 a.m. as usual. We are
studying the Book of Nechemiah in the Bible and reading Modern Israeli
poetry in translation.
Sunday, January 20 No Sunday School in honor of MLK Weekend.
Shabbat, January 19, Lunch and Learn featuring an open political forum.
Sen. Padavan and Rep. Weprin will join us.
Tuesday, January 22, Adult Education Classes 10 a.m. as usual. We are
studying the Book of Nechemiah in the Bible and reading Modern Israeli
poetry in translation
Saturday, January 26 Join us for our Second film in our Israel Film Festival
in honor of Israel’s 60th Birthday.
Donation of $5.00 in advance or $7.00 at the door. All donations will be
put towards refurbishing our lobby. Please make all checks out to MJCC with
a notation Israel Film Festival
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