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Jews Without Borders

Thursday, 2 February, 2017 - 7:55 pm

Borders are something all of us live with.  Countries have borders. Homes have borders. Families have borders. Businesses have borders. Bodies have borders.  Space has borders.

We can debate how many borders we should have, what they should look like and how to best to uphold or diminish them. But, in some form or another, borders are a part of our lives.

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The final plague that Hashem brought upon the Egyptians was the Death of the Firstborns, which we read about in this week’s parsha, Bo.

Meticulous instructions were delivered to the Jewish people prior to this catastrophic blow to their oppressors.  Jews were to celebrate with a Pesach offering, put blood on the doorposts, and prepare for departure. Additionally, the Jewish people were warned not to exit the doorway of their homes until morning.

Our Sages point out that there was death and disaster in all the Egyptian homes. But G-d ‘passed over’ the Jewish homes and didn’t kill any Jewish people.  Not only that, even if a Jew happened to be in an Egyptian home, he would be spared.

But, how could a Jew be found in an Egyptian home if the Jews were barred by the Almighty from exiting their homes?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that this refers to a Jew who disobeyed the prohibition. In other words, we’re talking about a Jew who was disobeying G-d’s instruction, or careless at best. Such a Jew must have drifted far away from his faith.

Nonetheless, Hashem came to his rescue.  This Jew was not necessarily deserving of any assistance. He had defied the rules and risked his own life.  But, G-d’s love for His people knows no borders.

Yes, the borders exist (we have a bunch of holidays highlighting this distinction!), but G-d’s love transcends borders.

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We are often faced with a similar challenge. We might see an addict and decide that they don’t deserve our help because they made poor choices. We might see someone struggling and withhold support because we feel that they are hanging out with the wrong people. Or, we may see someone who has drifted from Jewish tradition and decline to reach out to them because they are too far gone.

If we wish to emulate our Creator, we ought to switch gears and reach out across all types of borders to help others. Instead of offering assistance, ‘when they come to our doorstep,’ we should be reaching across party, family, social and spiritual lines to uplift those that need our help, both spiritual and material.

Don’t wait for your fellow Jew to ask about Shabbat. Go invite them to your home and share the warmth and beauty of Shabbat. Don’t wait until someone is on your turf to teach them Torah. Don’t limit your Torah teaching and charity to those within your social circles and neighborhood. Even the most distant fellow is still your fellow.

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