Content warning – discussion of war and death
This week’s parashat Bo is a doozy. But it is important to remember the 10th plague in the context of how this story began two weeks ago at the end of Exodus 1: “Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.’”
Pharaoh showed intent, the UN Genocide Convention might agree, to commit genocide.
But is this week’s 10th plague any different? Exodus 12:29 reads: “In the middle of the night Ado-nai struck down all the [male] first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle.”
The International Court of Justice is in the midst of hearing the case for genocide against the State of Israel. The decision could come as you read this. And we are in the midst of reading about ancient genocide attempts in the Torah, and perhaps the echoes of past charges of genocide are (or should be) ringing in our memory. I am on record as calling Israel’s military aggression genocidal as early as October 23 when Israeli government leaders were making their feelings plain and public.
And a comment from a Kadima elder at our December membership meeting keeps replaying in my mind. The way I remember it goes like this: “Genocide is hard to identify as it is happening. I do not know if what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. But what I do know through ancestral experience is that there can be a slow creep. And at some point, a mass bombing turns into a genocide. And when that happens, naming it as such is extremely important.”
I agree that if this is indeed a genocide, it is important to name it as such. While that will not stop the killing on its own. The pressure we and so many others are continuing to put on those who can stop it – the US government as one key player – is essential, if not frustrating to continue to have to do. We must learn to keep doing it in even more sustainable and healthy ways for ourselves and the others doing that work as well. On that note, I wish health and healing and recovery to all the Mennonites who were arrested in the US Capitol this week, including one brave Kadima mom.
Whatever classification the current onslaught in Gaza is deemed through the ICJ, we will all have to face the reality of how to tell the story of what happened on October 7 and its aftermath. The parasha concludes this week with an ancient example while describing some laws of Passover, including language for how to retell the 10th plague in Exodus 13:14-15:
“And when, in time to come, a child of yours asks you, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall reply, ‘It was with a mighty hand that Ado-nai brought us out from Mitzrayim [the narrow place], the house of bondage. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Ado-nai slew every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt, the first-born of both human and beast…”
How will we retell what is happening now “in time to come”? When a child of ours asks? And how might we make a physical reminder – the “this” referred to in the verse – that might mark this atrocity and cause others to never forget?
How we answer this question is of vital importance and we have the opportunity to answer that future question now: what did you do while it was happening? Let us answer that question in all the ways we can, now.
Toward a sustained movement: shabbat shalom.
R’ David
PS – I had the honor this week of closing the Seattle MLK Rally in prayer. You can read my words here.
PPS – I also had the honor of speaking as part of the Seattle College’s MLK Social Justice Week. You can read my prepared remarks here.
This week’s parashat Bo is a doozy. But it is important to remember the 10th plague in the context of how this story began two weeks ago at the end of Exodus 1: “Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.’”
Pharaoh showed intent, the UN Genocide Convention might agree, to commit genocide.
But is this week’s 10th plague any different? Exodus 12:29 reads: “In the middle of the night Ado-nai struck down all the [male] first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on the throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle.”
The International Court of Justice is in the midst of hearing the case for genocide against the State of Israel. The decision could come as you read this. And we are in the midst of reading about ancient genocide attempts in the Torah, and perhaps the echoes of past charges of genocide are (or should be) ringing in our memory. I am on record as calling Israel’s military aggression genocidal as early as October 23 when Israeli government leaders were making their feelings plain and public.
And a comment from a Kadima elder at our December membership meeting keeps replaying in my mind. The way I remember it goes like this: “Genocide is hard to identify as it is happening. I do not know if what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. But what I do know through ancestral experience is that there can be a slow creep. And at some point, a mass bombing turns into a genocide. And when that happens, naming it as such is extremely important.”
I agree that if this is indeed a genocide, it is important to name it as such. While that will not stop the killing on its own. The pressure we and so many others are continuing to put on those who can stop it – the US government as one key player – is essential, if not frustrating to continue to have to do. We must learn to keep doing it in even more sustainable and healthy ways for ourselves and the others doing that work as well. On that note, I wish health and healing and recovery to all the Mennonites who were arrested in the US Capitol this week, including one brave Kadima mom.
Whatever classification the current onslaught in Gaza is deemed through the ICJ, we will all have to face the reality of how to tell the story of what happened on October 7 and its aftermath. The parasha concludes this week with an ancient example while describing some laws of Passover, including language for how to retell the 10th plague in Exodus 13:14-15:
“And when, in time to come, a child of yours asks you, saying, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall reply, ‘It was with a mighty hand that Ado-nai brought us out from Mitzrayim [the narrow place], the house of bondage. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Ado-nai slew every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt, the first-born of both human and beast…”
How will we retell what is happening now “in time to come”? When a child of ours asks? And how might we make a physical reminder – the “this” referred to in the verse – that might mark this atrocity and cause others to never forget?
How we answer this question is of vital importance and we have the opportunity to answer that future question now: what did you do while it was happening? Let us answer that question in all the ways we can, now.
Toward a sustained movement: shabbat shalom.
R’ David
PS – I had the honor this week of closing the Seattle MLK Rally in prayer. You can read my words here.
PPS – I also had the honor of speaking as part of the Seattle College’s MLK Social Justice Week. You can read my prepared remarks here.
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