Plague of Darkness
Light the way
Bo, Exodus 10:1-13:16
Rabbi Sadie Reuben
“No person could see his brother, nor could any person rise from his place, or three days; but for the children of Israel, there was light in all their dwellings” (Exodus 10:23).Darkness, the ninth of the 10 plagues, discussed in this week’s parsha, was not just a plague of physical darkness, but one of spiritual darkness as well. In addition to the physical darkness imposed by God, the Egyptian people fashioned a self-imposed darkness created by their lack of belief and faith in God.Rabbi Nehemiah taught that the darkness, which spread over all of Egypt, originated in the regions of geheinom (purgatory). The Chasidic masters explain that this type of darkness was both a physical and spiritual darkness, a curtain that hid God’s presence. It was, in other words, a lack of physical light and a curtain that concealed God’s light, God’s presence. I would submit that the spiritual darkness is far more serious than the physical.The plague of darkness did not affect the Jewish people. Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin offered his interpretation that within every Jew is a ray of light, a ray of light that is brightened by God’s presence. This spiritual light lives within a person and not within one’s dwelling. Therefore, although one’s environment may conceal the physical light within, if a person retains faith in God, the spiritual light will not be extinguished.Furthermore, our rabbis teach that our internal light is brightened by the mitzvot (commandments) that we perform, the acts of kindness that we do. By acting justly and participating in tikkun olam, repairing the world, we have the opportunity to share our personal light with all of humanity.Rabbi David Wolpe tells a story about a man who once stood before God; his heart was breaking from the pain and injustice of the world. He was angry at God. He shook his fists at God. He said, “God, look at all the suffering, the anguish and the distress in your world. Why don’t you send help?” And God responded, “I did send help – I sent you.”The defining characteristic of greatness is the willingness to intercede when one witnesses the difficulties faced by others. Individuals who accomplish this are historically judged to be great. The book of Shemot, Exodus, begins our journey with Moses. Moses is considered our greatest leader because he did not sit by passively in the presence of evil. He did not justify inaction with the claim that it was none of his business. He intervened and did whatever he could because he understood that all men are responsible one for another. In essence, Moses shared his spiritual light with the Hebrews at a time when they experienced spiritual darkness.We can learn from Moses and follow in his footsteps and respond to the human needs of the horrible disaster in Haiti. As Rabbi Tarfon said, “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” Tikkun olam, repairing the world, is our mission.Yours are the hands of God. Yours are the eyes of God. Yours is the heart of God. And yours is the light of God. As Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin said, “Every Jew is a ray of light.” In other words, as Jews, we have a duty to do all we can, whether by donations or by other actions, to help relieve the suffering in places such as Haiti or Darfur. This is a reminder that we count, and that we can bring light to a dark place.Whenever a dark cloud metaphorically covers our world, it is imperative for us to find the light within us in order to spread this light to humanity.
Rabbi Sadie Reuben is the spiritual leader of Temple Havurat Emet in Sun Lakes.