Bo: A Different Way to Say Thank You

I wonder if it will ever stop amazing me how often the weekly Torah reading seems to coincide with events going on around the world. Once again, we find ourselves reading a (seemingly) random section of our Torah, and finding poignant connections to our lives today. I would like to highlight one particular theme which has jumped out at me from our Torah portion, Parashat Bo.

The reading this week picks up in the middle of the story of the ten plagues. Pharaoh continues to refuse to let the Israelites leave, and God continues to rain down devastating punishments. This week we see the last three; locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. They are all horrible plagues, and many people read about the suffering of the Egyptians with a significant amount of discomfort. And especially right now, as we read about the utter devastation that has befallen Haiti, our uneasiness at reading about such mass destruction only increases.

We would like to differentiate completely between the two situations. Especially when certain public figures, like Pat

Robertson, make all religions look bad by linking the tragedy in Haiti with Divine retribution - we would much rather leave the comparisons far behind. And I do want to emphasize that I wholeheartedly disagree with Robertson's shameful assessment, but I cannot help but think of the Haitians when I read about the plagues in Egypt. I sympathize more with the innocent people in Egypt who suffered for their Pharaoh's terrible choices. I become painfully aware that a plague is not only the initial attack, but also the devastating aftermath that is left in its wake. I am also reminded how vulnerable we human beings really are; how exposed we are to the elements, and how we must help one another to recover once destruction hits.

I don't judge the Bible. Or God. For 3,000 years Jews read this story and rejoiced. How could we blame them? They were being oppressed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Romans, Crusaders, Spaniards, feudal lords, Russian Cosacks, and Nazis (to name a few), and each year when they read about the Ten Plagues they would wish the same fate upon their attackers. This story had a captive audience for millenia, and I acknowledge that as part of my heritage.

But I cannot share their sentiment. I read the story of the Exodus and I cringe at the hardening of Pharaoh's heart and the suffering of the Egyptian people. I imagine the devastation of flaming balls of hail crashing into the land, hordes of locusts eating the land bare, darkness so penetrating that you could touch it, and finally the death of the firstborn of all Egyptians, including animals! How can I rejoice when I read that?

Tragedies of mass proportion are sadly nothing new. Whether Divinely orchestrated or part of the randomness of our planet's natural forces, we have seen this kind of devastation before and

we may sadly see it again. I don't believe they all come from the same place, and sometimes even when they do, our evaluation of events changes over time. But right now - standing in the face of yet another disaster of unimaginable proportions - we have a job to do. We must band together, we must rise above it, and we must do what we can for the people of Haiti. I am tremendously proud of the work already being done by Israeli rescue workers in Haiti. But please consider your own part in this crisis. The main message of Exodus is: God saved you from slavery in Egypt and brought you to the Holy Land. Let us use this as an opportunity to say "Thank You" and to fight for another people to be redeemed from its horrible plight.