Our Torah portion, parashat Shmot, outlines the rise of a new king who did not know/remember the past and perhaps particularly, did not appreciate that context in which he led.
The new king of our parasha was worried about a part of the population that he singled out and riled others to deal shrewdly with.
While we face such rulers in our time, let us find wisdom and perspective through our history and text and let us remember that resistance came in many forms.
As new rulers abound, let us know that the Am Yisrael of this week's parasha is one that outlives and outlasts. This time, may we do it explicitly in solidarity and relationship with all those singled out, targeted, and dealt with oh so shrewdly.
Shabbat shalom,
R’ David
PS– While you might be at the workshops and rally with the Seattle MLK Coalition this Monday, you might also want to know about this virtual multifaith prayer circle during the inauguration with participation from Rabbis for Ceasefire.