Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is widely known for the inspiring insights he pulls from the weekly Torah portion. His commentary on this week’s portion, Shemot, is a striking illustration of how the rabbi’s wisdom can be the jet stream, pulling us forward to the horizon we seek.
The departure point for his commentary this week is the response by God when Moses asks Him how he should identify God when the people ask His name? God replied: “Ehyeh asher ehyeh” (Ex. 3:14). “It means ‘I will be what, where, or how I will be’, Rabbi Sacks writes. “The essential element of the phrase is..the future tense. God is defining Himself as the Lord of history who is about to intervene in an unprecedented way…”
Typically, Rabbi Sacks mines various meanings from the rich and rewarding veins of language and concept that fill the parsha. He imparts a key message that is relevant for GAJE’s mission and for the wider community in trying to make Jewish education affordable.
“The future is the sphere of human freedom… I cannot change yesterday but I can change tomorrow by what I do today,” Rabbi Sacks wrote.
We can indeed achieve our goal. We can indeed change tomorrow by determining today and acting today to make Jewish education affordable.
If we but will it, it will be no dream.
Shabbat shalom.
••• Rabbi Sacks’ article is available at: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/FMfcgxwGCkmWFPZXQRTnHQLGBZRsCgrT
GAJE, January 17, 2020
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 