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spirituality
BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL
FOUNDATION
Parshat Shemot: Exodus 1:1-6:1;
Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-29:23.
T
his year, I read the first por-
tion of the book of Exodus
differently. After the death
of Nelson Mandela, I saw the story
through different eyes.
Similarities between Moses and
Mandela, both liberators of an
oppressed people, I am sure have been
drawn countless times in the past. But
now, Mandela has been gathered unto
his ancestors just as Moses, though
he was only blessed with 95 years, not
120.
In truth, there could
never be an acceptable
reason for any group of
people to enslave another.
Moses knew that. Nelson
Mandela knew that. And for
both, the task to unlock the
chains seemed insurmount-
able. But that did not stop
either man. As Mandela
said, "It always seems
impossible until it's done:'
When God's voice came
from the burning bush
imploring Moses to return to Egypt
to free God's people, Moses doubted
himself and his capabilities. Even
after the assurance that God would be
with him, Moses claims that a speech
impediment would not allow him to
complete the task. So with Aaron's
help, Moses was to be God's messenger
to Pharaoh.
As Mandela said, "Everyone can rise
above their circumstances and achieve
success if they are dedicated to and
passionate about what they do:'
Moses admits to God, though, that
he is afraid. Moses fears that Pharaoh
will not believe that he was sent by
God to free the slaves. Instead of once
again asking to be relieved of this mis-
sion, he asks God for proof to take to
Pharaoh. He finds within himself the
courage to find a way to complete the
task, not to run away from it.
Mandela, too, did not allow fear to
overcome the sense of responsibility he
felt to South Africa and to bringing an
end to apartheid.
About fear, he said, "I learned that
courage was not the absence of fear,
but the triumph over it. The brave man
is not he who does not feel afraid, but
he who conquers that fear."
I can't imagine the fears that
Mandela had to overcome during his
decades of imprisonment. However,
he taught us that those fears have the
power to create a kind of courage that
can lead to the freeing of nations.
Perhaps my favorite quote that
binds the two men together over the
centuries is this: "Do not judge me
by my successes; judge me by how
many times I fell down and got back
up again:' Both men rose
up against oppressors, and
both men fell. Both men
sought to end the tyranny
of one people over another;
and even when they did,
they still faced enormous
challenges as leaders of free
nations.
Even when the goal of
liberation was reached, the
work of achieving freedom
and equality was far from
done. In fact, the real work
had only just begun.
When we look at these two giants,
we must admire how they conquered
their fears, how they pursued their
passions, how they persevered. But
I think the lesson that we can most
identify with is the last one: No matter
how many times we fall, we must get
right back up.
Nelson Mandela tried to teach
that as adults we have to rely on that
inner strength that we all possess that
doesn't recognize the falls as failures,
but rather as opportunities to rise up
once again. Yes, it's exhausting and
frustrating and can feel defeating. But
if Moses had given up ... if Mandela
had given up ... imagine what the
world would look like today.
r
TRANSFORM AN ENTIRE GENERATION
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Jennifer Kaluzny is a rabbi at Temple Israel
in West Bloomfield.
Conversations
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tikkun olam every day?
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community working toward
peace and equality?
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JN
December 19 • 2013
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