V'eileh
sh'mot b'nei Yisrael haba'im Mitzraima et Ya'akov ish u'veito ba'u
Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came towards
Egypt with Jacob, every man with his household. (Sh'mot 1:1)
At the beginning of
the book of Sh'mot, the children of Israel are embarking on a new adventure.
They are entering a new stage of life. How appropriate it is that we are
reading this chapter in the first week of a new year being celebrated around
the world. The past year has been one of difficulties and joys. Our world has
seen many changes. Many of us worry about what may be coming for the future. We
worry about the world we have created for ourselves, for our children, for our
grandchildren, and for generations to come.
During the past
year, and even now, I find myself thinking back to my own teenage and
university years. I am sure it is partially due to my family's stage of life
with two teens at home and one in university, but also in reaction to those who
look back at "the good old days." I find myself wanting to quote
Billy Joel, "The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow's not as
bad as it seems."[1]
I vividly remember
worrying about the Cold War. We seemed on the brink of world annihilation. We
hoped the "Russians loved their children too."[2] If you ever chance to visit the War Museum in Ottawa, check out the
music of the Cold War. It defined my generation, and a few before me. Before
that there was Vietnam and Korea. There were the wars to end all wars.
Life is different today. Gone from my heart and mind is the fear of world annihilation. Unfortunately, we have created new worries. We live with world knowledge, for good and for bad. Anything that happens anywhere can and is broadcast around the globe. Unfortunately news reporting has not changed. Scandal and horror still leads headlines. Through this, the 24-hour news
cycle damages us. We are bombarded with horrors from around the world. Not only
the news, but so-called entertainment. Between reality TV and dramas, we are led to
believe that most people want to stab their neighbours in the back, whether
figuratively or literally.
Still, positive moments, while not the choice of news sources, go viral. We seek out and share happy moments, funny quotes, anything that makes us smile or feel. While the news cycle promotes terror and egocentrism, the majority of individuals share positive and helping moments.
The world has changed. During my first trip to Israel, bombs
were regularly found in garbage cans. Twenty years ago busses and pizza places
were hit by terrorists with similar frequency and much greater damage. I grew
up visiting New York City, a much more violent place in the 1970's and 80's.
Contrary to the images broadcast to us, the world has positively evolved. We
will go through difficult times. They may seem never ending. Nonetheless, we
know, as we embark on our journey into Egypt, that though the future holds
great difficulty, we can be sure there is a light and a path on the other end.
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