Rabbi Knopf's Blog

a message from Rabbi Knopf

The Talmud teaches that 30 days before Passover, we should start learning about the holiday and its meaning. In that spirit, I humbly offer "30 Days of Liberation." For each of the next 30 days, I will offer a brief message, drawn from the wisdom Passover imparts. I hope you find these messages meaningful and inspiring. Feel free to share/forward.

30 Days of Liberation: Day 9
Why were there no rebellions against Pharaoh? Because, if nothing else, authoritarians are uniquely skilled at holding on to power. They create systems, structures, and norms designed to render revolution nearly impossible. But just because you can't overthrow a despot doesn't mean you can't resist. In her extraordinary work on resistance during the Holocaust, Nechama Tec points out that, in general, resistance wasn't about toppling Hitler. That would have been unattainable. Rather, it was about noncooperation and saving lives. While ultimately Hitler could only be deposed through foreign military force, there was throughout his rule successful widespread resistance to his policies within his borders. Similarly, while ultimately only God could defeat Pharaoh, the actions of brave figures like Shifra, Pu'ah, Yokheved, Miriam, Pharaoh's daughter, Moses, and Jethro show that just because a ruler has a firm grip on power, it doesn't mean he has total control. We always have a choice about whether we will capitulate to cruelty or resist it however we can. Resistance is not futile. More than merely being all we have, in some crucial ways, it works.

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