I’ve always loved stories. They bring joy, impart powerful lessons and connect us to one another. I can recall the bedtime stories my father used to tell me about LachLachLachus the flying horse and his buddy Omdreidel. They would go on adventures to far off magical lands. I remember LachLachLachus’ deep bellowing voice and how much I would laugh at Omdreidel‘s silly antics. By the time the duo made it back on the mystical shoreline of Miami Beach, I’d be fast asleep, curled up tight in my bed, nice and warm and loved. The other day, Asher and I saw a picture of a horse with wings and without hesitation he looked up at me with the biggest smile, “look, mommy, it’s Papa’s friend, LachLachLachus!” The tradition continues!
We read this Shabbat from Parashat Bo where we find the Israelites standing at the threshold of their liberation. But before they flee Egypt, God commands them to do something unexpected— they must sit together and tell a story.
“And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of what יהוה did for me when I went free from Egypt. You shall keep this institution at its set time from year to year. And when, in time to come, a child of yours asks you, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall reply, ‘It was with a mighty hand that יהוה brought us out from Egypt, the house of bondage. (Exodus 13:8-10, 14).
In the midst of the darkness, they gather with their families to tell of their experience of oppression and bondage in Egypt and how they felt when they learned of their redemption by the outstretched arm of God. They are commanded to tell their story as they are living it. God asks the Israelites to reflect on their past, be cognizant of their present and imagine the light of promise on the horizon. From this moment forward we are commanded to tell our story. Storytelling is not just about remembering the past. Storytelling is about making meaning out of the moments of our lives.
Over the past month, our congregation has been deeply immersed in the words and wisdom of our Scholar in Residence Rabbi Naomi Levy. Her writing masterfully links together prayer, spirituality and faith intertwined with the personal stories of the people she has shepherded over the course of her rabbinate and her own powerful life journey.
The threads of her work weave together a tapestry of hope, resilience, struggle, joy, soul and prayer. During our Lunch and Learn sessions this month we have cried together, shared personal revelations, and witnessed spiritual breakthroughs as we explored the thought provoking and soulful words of her teaching. Her prayers give voice to the emotions we often struggle to express. She has taught us that prayer is not about finding the right words, but about finding our voice within.
One of the most powerful lessons we explored is her idea that within each of us is the Me within Me, our soul, that is longing to be heard. She teaches that the soul is our truest self, the part of us that is deeply connected to God, to meaning and purpose. Too often, we silence that voice with fear, with doubt, and with the noise of the world around us.
The Israelites, too, had to rediscover their Me within Me. For centuries, they had been told that they were nothing more than slaves. And yet, deep within, there was another voice—a voice that whispered: “you are meant for more, your story is not over, there are chapters waiting to be written”.
Rabbi Levy teaches, “over time, as we make our journey away from pain and toward life, something strange will happen to us. We may not even notice the gradual change. But one morning we will wake up and realize that we are feeling good, that we are actually taking pleasure in things, that small tasks don’t seem as difficult, and life doesn’t seem as bleak. We may wonder how we ever got through the pain, but we will see that we are approaching the other end of the darkness. The light before us is visible and welcoming.”
Our ancestors told the story of their lives while still in darkness and from that place imagined a future of promise and light. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks taught, “we are a nation of storytellers and the stories we tell are ones that help explain ourselves to ourselves and give power and resonance to a collective vision.” May our stories continue to be a source of inspiration, strength, and deep connection.
“I pray you will learn to see your life as a meaningful story. I pray you will learn to listen to your soul’s insistent yearnings. I pray you will come to see just how strong and powerful you are. I pray you will learn to believe you can transform your life. I pray you will learn to live and shine inside your imperfect life and find meaning and joy right where you are. Sometimes liberation takes a lifetime. Sometimes liberation can happen in an instant. Seas part, gates open, our awareness expands, and we are filled with awe.” – Rabbi Naomi Levy
Rabbi Levy will join our clergy tonight in leading Shabbat services and offer a beautiful teaching, Repairing this Beautiful Broken World. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 am join Rabbi Levy for Talking To God, A Prayer Writing Workshop followed by minyan at 10:45 am.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Laila Haas
