In this week’s parashah we’ll read about the first of the plagues and God’s explicit hand in the Exodus narrative. One of the elements that strikes me the most is the way that God talks about the Israelites. God appears to Moshe and reminds Moshe of God’s relationship to his ancestors. Then God says, “I have now heard the moaning of the Israelites because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant” (Shemot 6:5). But why does God say this again here? God had established at the Burning Bush that God knew about the plight of the Israelites and God was calling upon Moshe to be an agent, to help bring them to freedom.
I wonder if God needed to be reminded of the injustice that was happening in Egypt. Perhaps God needed to keep saying it out loud, needed to remind Godself of the way the Israelites were treated, knowing that it’s actually quite easy to not see painful realities. We do this all the time, but we, like God, sometimes need reminders of the things around us that require our attention.
This weekend is an important reminder, as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his legacy, and the important work he championed in his short life. We remind ourselves of the work he didn’t get to accomplish and what we can do to continue to bring blessing to his memory. Ten days prior to his assassination, Dr. King spoke to the Rabbinical Assembly, the organizing body of Conservative Rabbis of which I am a member. He was introduced by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a primary theologian of the twentieth century, who deeply believed that racial injustice was one of the major issues plaguing our country.
Heschel said the following about King on that day:
“Where does God dwell in America today? Is God at home with those who are complacent, indifferent to other people’s agony, devoid of mercy? Is God not rather with the poor and the contrite in the slums? … Where in America do we hear a voice like the voice of the prophets of Israel? Martin Luther King is a sign that God has not forsaken the United States of America. … Martin Luther King is a voice, a vision and a way. I call upon every Jew to hearken to his voice, to share his vision, to follow his way. The whole future of America will depend upon the impact and influence of Dr. King.”
We know that voice, that vision, and that way can still live on through us as we work to bring about a world of greater justice, and Heschel calls on us to be a part of King’s crucial work. His work is nowhere near complete, and we cannot be indifferent. We will remind ourselves, just like God did about the plight of the Israelites, for as long as we need until our country is a safe and fair place for all people regardless of race. This Shabbat morning, I hope you’ll join me in welcoming The Reverend Dorothy Wells and some of her parishioners from St. George’s Episcopal Church. Reverend Wells will be giving the sermon and speaking about the legacy of King and what it means to honor his work after 50 years. I hope you to see you on Shabbat to hear her powerful words.
