This Shabbat we begin the reading of Exodus, the second book of the Hebrew Bible.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., understood the Exodus as a story about good versus evil. The drowning of Pharaoh’s army at the Sea of Reeds represents the destruction of evil itself. But in this battle against the worst impulses of humanity, King cautioned us against allowing hatred to take root in our hearts against those whom we battle: “Let us remember that as we struggle against Egypt, we must have love, compassion, understanding and goodwill for those against whom we struggle, helping them to realize that as we seek to defeat the evils of Egypt we are not seeking to defeat them but to help them, as well as ourselves.”
Of course Dr. King was speaking about the Civil Rights movement. We can apply this same thinking to those we might oppose in our day in our own battles against antisemitism, bigotry, sexism, or homophobia. Every day we have the opportunity to fight for the good, for justice and truth. May we have the strength to fight for what is right with love and compassion in our hearts.
One way to avoid hating our ideological foe is to develop greater empathy for them. Why might they hold the opinions they do and how might you help them better understand the values that animate your actions?
— Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
