Rabbi Knopf's Blog

The Talmud teaches that 30 days before Passover, we should start learning about the festival and its meaning. In that spirit, over the past several years, I have offered "30 Days of Liberation," a brief message on each of the 30 days leading up to Passover, drawn from the wisdom of the holiday and the Exodus story. I am thrilled to announce that I am in the process of completing my first book, which will be a compilation of those messages from years past. This year, for “30 Days of Liberation,” I will be sending out brief selections from the book. I look forward to sharing the book with you all in its entirety when it is completed. Meanwhile, I hope you find these messages meaningful and inspiring. Please feel free to share/forward.

Day 7: Brother from Another Mother
The first time we meet Moses as an adult, we read that he “went out to his brethren and witnessed their suffering” (Ex. 2:11). How did Moses know the slaves were his kin? After all, he grew up in Pharaoh’s palace, presumably as Pharaoh’s grandson. Perhaps Moses, upon seeing others suffer, imagined what it would feel like if he or someone he loved were similarly afflicted, and psychologically made the Israelites as brothers and sisters. Through cultivating that empathy, he was moved to act for justice. When you see others in pain, ask yourself, “What if it were me?” and you will never again stand idly by.