thinking about that 5% as I put on my mask each day and wash hands religiously. Even with their ritual practice in Egypt, the children of Israel experienced danger. Gathered at the sea, on the cusp of freedom, their lives were still imperiled. And yet, as the sea parted, the taste of freedom on their tongues, the spray of the sea on their skin, u'v'nai yisrael halchu vayabashah b'toch hayam/ the Israelites moved forward on dry ground in the midst of the sea. Holding risk and deliverance as one, they travelled towards emancipation, demonstrating danger and potential can live side by side.
How do we live without 100% protection or full certainty of safety? The way we have always been called to do, responsibly and carefully, holding the needs of community in mind. Living as full and intentional a life as possible. In his beautiful song Davka Achshav, sung here with his daughter Meshi, Rami Kleinstein reminds us to live moment to moment, painting a picture of the ways in which we can and must connect to family, friends and the world that surrounds us. A time such as this, the one in which we live right now, calls for appreciation, awareness and song. The more we see buds blossoming, the more we notice the sound of the birds returning from their winter migration, the more we appreciate the color and energy returning to our surroundings, the more joy, commitment and hope we inject into that 5%, the more we will find freedom, davka achshav/especially now.
Enjoy these final days of the Passover holiday. May they infuse you with a sense of potential and an appreciation for what is yours so that we may continue to find freedom for all.
Shabbat Shalom and Hag Kasher v'Sameach,
rg
