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Out of Egypt Part IV
Egypt occupies a large space in Jewish consciousness. Our Torah tells us the Jacob descended to Egypt with 70 members of his family to escape famine in the Land of Canaan. The descendants of that family were enslaved. The Festival of Passover is devoted to telling the story of our bondage in Egypt and re-enacting…
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Why Did God Bring the Israelites out of Egypt?
I was the guest rabbi at Congregation Sons of Zion in Holyoke last Shabbat. I asked those in attendance what they thought was the main purpose of the Exodus from Egypt. Here are a few of the responses I received: The 13th Century scholar Ibn Ezra answers the question by citing Exodus 29:46: “And they…
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Out of Egypt Part III
Perhaps the most impressive site that we visited in Egypt was the Temple of Karnak. It is a massive archeological site that dwarfs anything I have seen in Israel. This complex was begun around 2000 BCE. Approximately 30 Pharaohs contributed to its building down to the Ptolemaic dynasty. (300 BCE). The picture above shows my…
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Out of Egypt Part II
When I was a child growing up in Scranton Pennsylvania, the Everhardt Museum of Natural History was a short walk from my house. I would visit frequently on my own. The Bird Gallery had an impressive permanent exhibit of over 600 preserved birds from around the world. The Rocks and Minerals collection featured a case…
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Out of Egypt
My wife, Middy, and I just returned from a two-week trip to Egypt. The impetus for visiting Egypt was to visit our son, who is living temporarily in Cairo. We decided to combine that visit with an organized tour of Egypt which focused on the ancient historical sites of the Pharaohs. Egypt is of course…
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We Feel the Earth Move
The Torah gives a vivid description of the giving of the Ten Commandments. “….. There was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn. And all the people in the camp trembled ……… Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the Lord had come down…
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Riddles
Who is buried in Grant’s tomb? When was the War of 1812? Who fought the French and Indian war? If a plane crashed on the border of the United States and Canada, where do they bury the survivors? These kinds of riddles are told by Dad’s to their kids when their children reach the age…
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Today we are bombarded with the comings and goings of the rich and famous on social media, television, magazines and newspapers. Scientific American magazine reported a study that a desire for fame solely for the sake of being famous was the most popular future goal among a group of 10-12 year olds. That is, when…
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Cultivating Humility
Our Torah reading juxtaposes two men who are of very different character. When Moses approaches Pharoah to let the Israelites go, Pharoah responds, “Who is this God that I should heed him and let Israel go. I do not know the God of Israel, nor will I let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2) Thus Pharoah asserts…
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Pray for Your Country
This Shabbat, as we do every Shabbat, Jewish congregations around the world will pray for the welfare of the government of their respective countries. The prayer in the congregation where I worship asks God to bless the government of the United States, its leaders and its advisors, so that they may govern wisely and bring…
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Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph 