Imagining Redemption While Living In War
How is a new moon rising again? That first moon given to Israel in Exodus 12:1 as a passing of the mitzvah - now it is our turn to sanctify the new month and remember God’s gift each time anew.
It is hard for some to cast their minds to a different world - of living as Jews in the desert. We are so used to our lives today, and the memories we have inherited from the immediate years of Jewish history, that we forget about the ages in between. The many wars, the endless losses and moments of fear amidst a love of life and of the Jewish spirit. The holidays and new moons honored each month filled their homes and hearts with inspiration. They sang the songs, even if in a whisper, and they prayed, each day, each week, for redemption.
Then, like now, we have turned to prayer as a solace to our woes, and to our community as a safe space, evidence that we are not alone in our pain. What was it to be a Jew all those generations before us and suffer persecution, dehumanization, terror, and still find hope and positivity?
Maybe they, like so many of us, knew Torah and its stunning stories that carried the spirit through time, but not the nuances of Shmirat Shabbat stringencies and still they filled their families with a love of being a Jew in spite of it all. Maybe they didn’t understand the prayers, or were able to read and dissect the words, but their prayers, their hopes, their dedication to our identity and our heritage in spite of all obstacles can inspire our own practices and connection, and can renew our feeling of belonging wherever we may be in the world.
As we enter the month of redemption, it is hard to reach beyond our current struggles and imagine that such freedom could be fulfilled for our nation again. The celebration of Rosh Chodesh Nisan honors God as the Creator, Master and Controller of time - even when time stands still as it does for all of us after October 7. We wait impatiently for this tragic time to pass, or to show us its lessons, we are reminded of the honor and responsibility Hashem entrusted to us - to remember that we must declare the new moon, declare our connection, declare our pride and intention.
TWO WAYS YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT THIS PESACH
1 - GUARDIANS OF ISRAEL GIFTCARDS
Help us provide a proper celebration of freedom for 70 soldiers and their families. Donate NOW to help feed milium/reserve soldiers of the elite YATAR unit.
Sponsor or twin with therapeutic mosaic programming for families from the north of Israel still displaced from their homes.
MAKE YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT TOWARDS THE REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL IN HER TIME OF NEED
We are all coping on the brink of uncertainty. And we are all wanting to feel strengthened to live without fear. We all know the song, and maybe we have sung the words. Now, we have a chance to learn and teach how to actualize the meaning as we face the threats around us.
HELP US SUSTAIN THAT BRIDGE THROUGH DIRECT CONNECTIONS AND CONVERSATIONS.
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