28 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 

I

t’s official: Israel will have 
its fourth election in two 
years. Israel’s Knesset, or 
parliament, dissolved the 
night of Dec. 22 after failing to 
pass the 2020 budget, trigger-
ing an election that will take 
place on March 23.
The exact date could change 
through a government vote.

The election will be Israel’s 
fourth in two years.
A coalition formed earlier 
this year by Prime Minister 
Benjamin Netanyahu and the 
centrist Blue and White leader 
Benny Gantz had been shaky 
from the start, as Netanyahu 
balked at the stipulation that 
Gantz become prime minister 
after 18 months. The two also 

fought publicly about a range 
of issues.
“The reason we’re head-
ing to an election is because 
Netanyahu refused to pass a 
budget as required by law and 
honor political agreements so 
that he can remain in power 
for the duration of his trial,” 
said Yohanan Plesner, presi-
dent of the nonpartisan Israel 
Democracy Institute think 
tank, to NPR.
Netanyahu faces charges 
of fraud, breach of trust and 
accepting bribes in exchange 
for positive news coverage 
about him and his family.
On Dec. 22, Netanyahu 
took to the TV to blame Blue 
and White for the breakdown. 
“We are against elections; this 
is a wrong decision by Blue 
and White,” Netanyahu said. 
“But if elections are forced 
upon us, I promise you we 
will win.” 

W

e spent the past hol-
iday season drawn 
in by an array of 
different lights and stories. 
Chanukah candles 
shared the story of a 
miracle; decorative lights 
in our neighborhoods 
shared the stories of fam-
ily traditions; Saturn and 
Jupiter in an apparent 
conjunction in the sky 
shared a story of cosmic 
alignment, and the glow-
ing ball descending from 
the top of One Times 
Square shared the cele-
brating of another cycle 
around the sun and an 
opportunity for beginnings.
Each of these drew us in for 
ritual moments of reflection and 
inspiration; and, because of this, 

maybe now we are more suscep-
tible to discover the light worth 
giving our attention to in 2021.
Shemot, the opening Torah 
portion in Exodus, is the 
beginning of one of the 
best known stories of all 
time. The story follows 
our hero Moses, who 
tradition says was drawn 
to “a blazing fire” before 
approaching the burning 
bush where he would meet 
the Divine Spirit (Exodus
3:2).
Rashi suggests that the 
flame was a “fire of the 
heart,
” which I read to 
mean, “it was inspiring.
” 
For Moses, this flame inspired 
curiosity and motivation. Some 
say the bush ignited specifically 
for him; others say the bush had 

been burning for some time 
and Moses was the first to pay 
attention. However, most peo-
ple I know might not believe it 
happened this way if it even hap-
pened at all. 
It’s the miraculous parts of 
our story, dramatic and designed 
to pull us in, that sometimes 
push us away. The drama of the 
burning bush, the plagues or the 
splitting sea are so fantastical 
that it’s often easier to doubt the 
stories’ credibility than to see 
ourselves as participating char-
acters. I’ll admit I don’t know 
exactly how this story happened, 
but I do believe in the power of 
our stories to inspire change and 
our ability to bring them to life. 
We held the shamash as we 
lit the Chanukah menorah and 
spoke of the miracles performed 
for our ancestors and gazed at 
the blazing fire. Today, the Torah 
is inviting us to give our atten-

tion to another flame to nurture 
and love — our own burning 
bush — to guide us out of our 
narrow place. Maybe this is a 
flame we’re already familiar with, 
like a new year resolution or a 
quarterly goal. In three months, 
the story we start this week will 
invite us to a seder experience, as 
if we lived this story. 
Rituals are the sacred theater 
that draw us in to pay attention 
to our stories. They also can be 
the habits to keep us accountable 
to our highest goals, once a week 
or once a year, with candles and 
meditations. This year, as we 
start the Book of Exodus and the 
Book of 2021, allow our rich 
tradition to provide the tools to 
guide you through your own 
story as you start your journey 
to freedom. 

Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh is executive 

director of The Well.

SPIRIT
TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Jeff 

Stombaugh

Parshat 

Shemot: 

Exodus 1:1-6:1; 

Isaiah 27:6-

28:13;

29:22-23.

Journey to Freedom

I

sraelis began a third lockdown 
Dec. 27, as the country bat-
tles yet another steep wave of 
COVID-19 infections.
The lockdown comes as the 
country aggressively works to vac-
cinate its citizens, allowing anyone 
over 60 to get the vaccine, along 
with health care workers and sol-
diers, and letting some vaccination 
centers operate around the clock.
Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu shared a chart showing 
that Israel had so far given doses 
to over 4% of its population, by 
far more per capita than any other 
country around the world. He has 
said he believes the country can 
vaccinate a quarter of its residents 
by the end of January.
The current lockdown will last 
at least two weeks, through New 
Year’s Eve and into 2021, but offi-
cials have cautioned Israelis to pre-
pare for longer. 

GABE FRIEDMAN JTA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu speaks to the media 

at the Knesset building in 

Jerusalem, Dec. 22, 2020.

YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90 VIA JTA

Election No. 4
in Two Years

Third Lockdown

JTA
ERETZ

in Two Years
Israel will have new election in March 
Israel will have new election in March 
after parliament of
 cially dissolves.
after parliament of
 cially dissolves.

