A Short Lesson

When I am feeling deeply stressed, I might find my breath is cut short. Moreover, listening becomes difficult. Even if encouraging or hopeful words are offered, I retreat into my state of distress. Understanding my own reactions to distress, I can better appreciate how those in great pain or subjected to oppression can be both short of breath and short of spirit. Torah teaches this “short” lesson.

After Moses’ divine encounter at the burning bush, he returns to Egypt to share God’s promised redemption with the enslaved Hebrews. Moses invokes the names of the ancestors and their covenant with God.  He assures them of God’s plan to rescue them from their enslavement.  Thereafter, the people are told that God will return them to the Promised Land.

The Israelites did not listen. Perhaps, they could not listen because they were short of spirit. Like a person short of breath after strenuous activity, the slaves were struggling to catch their soul. In Hebrew, the phrase “short of spirit” is Meektzor Ruach,  מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ .

The root of the word for short, K-Tz-R, also means to reap or harvest. The word Ruach alternatively means breath, blow, wind, spirit or soul. This word pair might seem idiomatic. In the context of enslavement, the words expand upon their plain meaning, suggesting that the Egyptians had cut down these people both physically and spiritually.  The slaves could neither catch their breath nor their spirit.

Along came Moses, urging these people to anticipate redemption by an unseen, unheard redeemer. Multiple miracles will be necessary for these slaves to reclaim their ability to believe and restore their Ruach.

The distress of oppression is disabling and not easily reversed. The remedy offered by our tradition is to recall the outstretched arm that freed these slaves. Accordingly, we bless God each day as the redeemer of Israel. We celebrate Passover by retelling the story of our redemption. But, like the ancient ones, we are challenged to have faith in future Divine redemptions when God has withdrawn God’s presence from our sight and hearing.

The Torah I learn is that we should not wait around for miracles when people are in peril. Encouraging words are not enough, even when coming from Moses. Modern miracles are created when we extend ourselves in solidarity, advocate for human rights, protect the environment and rise against tyranny. God made us in the Divine image so that we too could act as a redeemer. The first step is to restore hope with our advocacy because the time is short.

R’ Evan J. Krame