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 of Passover. I hope you find these messages meaningful and inspiring. Feel free to share/forward.
30 Days of Liberation: Day 16 Pharaoh rises to power under the pretext of the falsehood of not knowing Joseph. He enslaves the Israelites through a distortion of facts, claiming that their sheer numbers proved their menace; he then uses the same lie to justify murdering their babies. The way the Bible tells it, scarcely a word Pharaoh speaks throughout the entire narrative can be considered wholly true. This ought not be surprising. Untruth is the currency of the despot. After all, “if nothing is true, then no one can criticize power,” as Timothy Snyder puts it in his recent book, “On Tyranny.” Rejecting despotism, Snyder argues, requires steadfastly venerating fact, insisting on veracity, and refusing to retreat an inch from demanding truth, especially from those in power, even if the fiction is more pleasant or personally beneficial. The liberation of the Israelites depends, first and foremost, on exposing Pharaoh’s lies. But true redemption will arrive only when the Children of Israel fully devote themselves to a God of truth, a God whose very seal is truth.
As of today, we have raised $38,045 and the GOOD NEWS is we still have 19 days to meet the $100,000 goal! We can do this – it won’t be easy but It will be worth it.
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