A Bar Mitzvah Message for Judah,
In
the Jewish tradition, Bar or Bat Mitzvah is the time of coming of age,
when an individual is considered big enough to be responsible for their
own actions. Until this age, a child is taught by their parents to abide
by the laws of the Torah on the basis of the parent’s obligation to
educate their children. From this point on, the individual is
accountable for his or her own deeds.
To mark this transition from childhood into
the world of adult responsibilities, it is customary for the young man
to be called to read from the weekly Torah portion during Shabbat
morning prayers.
In this week’s Torah reading, we will learn of
two righteous gentiles – both of whom were of great assistance to
Moses. Their help was instrumental in the path of the future leader of
the Jewish people.
Bitya, the daughter of Pharaoh, saved Moses’
life by taking him out of the waters of the Nile and raising him as her
own. Although growing up in the royal palace, Moses would not forget the
suffering of his people. Forced to flee to the desert after taking
matters into his own hands, Moses again encounters a stranger named
Yitro, who will not only become Moses’ father-in-law, but also a friend
of Israel.
Both cases are seen as phenomenal; how much
more so during the period of great oppression of the people of Israel by
the superpower of the time – Pharaoh of Egypt. Based on a long
historical narrative of oppression, the Jewish people have become
accustomed to gentiles not liking us, to say the least, and not
appreciating our laws and customs. So, understand that for the Jewish
reader, these events seem out of the norm and even extraordinary. A
“goy” came to the rescue – while Pharaoh had instructed all Egyptians to
throw our children in the river, one Egyptian woman reached out and
saved a Jewish baby. While Moses was on the run from the authorities for
acts of vigilance for the Jews, a gentile priest gave him refuge and
married him to his daughter.
When you read this Torah portion, consider the
special challenges that each of these Biblical figures went through and
how they each made the right decision to fulfill G-d’s will – even in
very difficult situations. Choosing to do the right thing is not a
given, but rather our ongoing challenge in this world.
Your family has made extraordinary choices by
deciding to align themselves with the people and G-d of Israel. Like the
righteous gentiles we read about in Parashat Shemot, they could have
taken the easy path and been just like everyone else. But instead, they
choose to dig deeper and work harder for the real thing.
I have great appreciation for your family,
their values and their true dedication to Israel. You are gifted to have
a solid foundation. Now it is for you to take this foundation to use as
a guide to take you through adulthood. I am sure that you will be a
fine example for your younger siblings and a source of pride to your
parents.
My blessings to you and best wishes of “Mazel Tov!”
David Ha’ivri
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