בס''ד
Sunk
deep within the most devastating enslavement and subjugation, the Jewish people
surely required no reminder of their plight.
Yet it seems that Hashem uses every opportunity to remind the Jewish
people of the circumstances from which they will be redeemed. Why is Moshe instructed to tell them that
Hashem “has heard the wail of…whom Egypt enslaves”, “will take you out
from under the burden” and “rescue you from your servitude”? Would not the notice of salvation alone have
sufficed without mention of their terrible predicament?
Redemption
will finally arrive we are told in the blink of an eye, but the process leading
up to the advent of the Moshiach will be a more painstaking one with all
requisite conditions to be fulfilled before it can be revealed. This was so of all the deliverances that
Hashem brought for us, including that of the exodus from Egypt . The Chidushei HaRim explains “the burden”
that Hashem will take the Jewish out from as being a prerequisite to their
being released from bondage. As hard as
it may be for us to fathom given our knowledge of the persecution the Jewish
people endured in Egypt ,
the miracles that would lead to their emancipation could only begin once the
Jews recognised the burden that they were carrying and the disgust for the
exile they had been placed in.
Mentioning the appalling state of affairs was not to provide context for
the salvation, which was known only too well, but to provide the condition that
allowed it to occur.
There
have been times in our history when Jews have felt the exile with every fibre
of their being, when they were faced with the starkest reminders every moment
of every day how far they were from the state of perfection that is intended
for us. We live in times where we are
fortunate to enjoy all the luxuries of life in an environment of religious
freedom and general acceptance. It is
all too easy for us to therefore forget how far we truly are from where we are
meant to be. But for our redemption to
take place we need that understanding and appreciation of that which is lacking
and how much we are missing. This must
be an essential part of our service to G-d and requires us to consciously try
to recognise how much we are missing despite all the blessings Hashem has
showered us with. If we truly long for
redemption, we must start with a sincere belief in our need to be
redeemed.
*May the inspiration of Shabbos
bring us one step closer to Moshiach*
לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם
לרפואה שלימה: שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר
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