A wise man once said that insanity is doing the same thing over again and somehow expecting a different result to occur. I think it's important to keep this in mind as we read about the exodus from Egypt in this weeks parasha. Just as our redemption from Egypt has been the defining moment in our history, it was also the starting point for everything else that we as a people and a "light unto the nations" were to become.

And now, we in our lifetimes, face some of the same challenges, tasks and responsiblties, both as individuals and as a nation. The Jewish State has come to life against all odds and opposition. But what we have today is only the starting point for everything else that will follow. It is important for us to look towards our future while using our past as a guiding light, by paying close attention to what transpired, both the successes and the failures of our ancestors, in order to make this thing work this time around. This is our third attempt at building Jewish sovereingty in our homeland, lets not let this one slip away again.

And while Judaism places much emphasis on our past, it is important to remember that the underlying principle throughout the Tora is our dreams, aspirations, and building for the future. But this can only be done by using the examples of the past to help find our way through today and tomorrow. To do anything otherwise, to think that we can succeed without the knowledge of the Tora and of all that our ancestors have been through, would be sheer arrogance and destined to fail.

Shabbat shalom um'vorach.

posted by Avi G @ 14:58