In Parashat Va-eria, Moses begins his sacred duties by bringing the Israelites news of their impending deliverance, but the Israelites cannot hear his words because, “their spirits had been cut short and they labored bitterly (Exodus 6:9).
Often, the solution to a pressing problem may evade us because we remain too “in it,” encircled by the confines of the issue tormenting us. As such, fresh perspectives are often invaluable to problem-solving, but when a problem persists for long enough, fatigue can easily set in, numbing us to possibility of resolution.
As such, the very first gift of the Exodus is the gift of hope, one conveyed through the plagues upon Egypt, a sign not for the Pharaoh, whose heart is hardened at each turn, but for the Israelites, who required the spark of hope in order to take even the smallest step toward their own liberation.
When we confront problems, both social and personal, that have persisted long enough to extinguish hopes of a resolution, how might we light the spark of hope in those we care about?
— Rabbi Josh Knobel