Parashat Beshalach
Exodus 13:17-17:16
This week's little Torah is coming from the play I saw last night "Rasheeda Speaks". If you live in NYC - go and see this play! If you don't live in NYC, plan a visit and go and see this play! Thank you dear friend, Michael Lezak for bringing this treasure to my attention.
"Rasheeda Speaks" is about confronting truth, confronting the truth about self. This is done though the lens of racism, explicit racism and what I call "unintentional racism". Unintentional racism usually has to do with the time in which a person was raised, it's a generational "thing". The best example I can give is from my grandma Sophie (z'l). When I was growing up, she used to refer to Velma, our housekeeper, as a "shvartza". She really didn't think she was saying anything racist. After all, "That's what everyone calls "them"." She certainly didn't think she was saying "nigger". But she was doing both.
It's a play with only 4 characters - 3 are white and one is black. The entire play takes place in the reception area of a surgeon's office. The two main characters are both women, one is white and one is black and they both run the day to day operations of the doctor's office - greeting patients, managing appointments, taking care of all the paperwork etc…
The play moves quickly and there isn't an intermission. You are immersed in the story and engaged in the lives of the characters, without any real time for reflection. At the end of the play, I didn't like anyone. They were all racists. They were all living in the stereotypes of one another. They were all unwilling to be honest with themselves. And then, as my friends and I discuss the play, something happened. I recognized a truth about myself. I am racist and I don't want to face that truth about that either.
I am not racist in my values or in my large deeds. I believe in equality for everyone. I want all people to be treated fairly. I am outraged by unjust police brutality. But, and there are so many, do I actively stand up against, speak out against, those who are racist in their values and in their deeds? Do I have real relationships with people of color? Are there subtle comments made where I eat or as I am walking down the street? What's my response? Do I laugh when other's laugh? Do I pretend not to hear? Do I walk away?
In this week's Torah portion, Pharaoh finally lets the Israelites go. They cross the sea (insert scene from "THE TEN COMMANDMENTS" here). Of course, Pharaohs' heart is hardened (by God) again and he sends his army to bring the Israelites back. When the Israelites get to the other side, they turn and face the water. The walls of water have collapsed and the Egyptian soldiers and horses are drowning. The Israelites watch in horror and then recite a poem in memory of all those who died and also in praise of God who saved them. Our freedom comes with a heavy price. Freedom always does.
We are commanded to take care of the other, to help the other because we were the other. Recognizing our own internal racism is a way of helping the other. Standing up and speaking out against racism is one way of taking care of the other. Seeking friendships with the other is one way of taking care of the other. And of course, there are so many more. What way will each of us choose?
Mekor HaChayiim, Source of Life, as we move into Shabbat, may we have the courage to confront the truth about our own racism. May we have the courage to be honest about the times we stayed silent or pretended not to hear. May we remember the struggle of the Israelites the sacrifice of life on the part of the Egyptians so that we can live freely and celebrate Shabbat today.
Shabbat shalom u'mevorach,
Laurie
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