Dear CBO family,
How far have we come? It’s a question for us to ponder. This time last year we were experiencing the attack on Washington, the promise of vaccinations, as well as the beginning of Exodus, our story of freedom. Since every moment is a beginning, we could not have known where the year would take us. And if we had been first-time-readers of Exodus we would have been unaware of how the story of Moses would unfold and clueless to our eventual imperfect steps of redemption.
This year, the anniversary of the attack falls out a few portions into Shemot and we can see how the story is starting to formulate. The Israelites and Moses are trepidatiously anticipating a possible exit. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart multiple times after saying they could leave, not unlike our yoyo between emerging and sequestering within our homes. We all know how deeply we want a clear path ahead, but the Torah reminds us that change is choppy, imperfect, and uncertain, but it is still there and I can see how far we have come.
Almost 2 years into this virus, some things are starting to seem familiar. It’s bizarre how comfortable we have become looking at each other in masks. When challenges start to feel like “been there, done that,” you realize that your resilience has kicked in somewhere along the way you have learned from experience. Because they are familiar, challenges can seem somewhat surmountable. At some point even Pharaoh's hardened heart was not a surprise anymore.
When you’re in the midst of something scary, it can be hard to see how strong you have become. Yes, we have experienced some surreal and destructive times. The grief, fracturing, and pain is there, but so is the growth, the learning, and the perseverance.
In the words of Helen Keller: “All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” How far have you come?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bernstein
Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism