Shabbat Gathering: The mixed multitude.

Gud Shabbos Khaveyrim, as is our custom, we will gather tonight at 5.45p ct to welcome Shabbat. These are the coordinates:

Zoom
Meeting ID: 883 8469 4181
Password: 822665
Phone: +1 312 626 6799

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Here we go.

Torah says it was a “mixed multitude” (Exodus 12:38 Contemporary JPS) leaving Egypt after the plagues. In addition to the Israelites, I imagine there were more than a few Egyptians who had survived the plagues and figured out they were playing for the wrong team. And along the way, other people from other lands joined up.

It was a mixed multitude, but it was united in a vision of a better life, the possibility of a better tomorrow. They were leaving everything behind. Everything. The Israelites were freed from generations of slavery, but they weren’t ever again to dine on leeks, cucumbers and fish. They complained about that. All gone. And there was no going back because Hashem well and truly burned that bridge. They had a one way ticket . Destination: Unknown.

For the Israelites, they were marching away from generations of chattel slavery. And the Egyptians? Certainly there was an underclass of Egyptian who probably had just as hard as the Israelites. But when I daydream, I daydream about middle class and upper middle class Egyptians as part of that multitude. How did all those people get along with each other?

My Jewish home.

There’s a picture in my mind when I hear mixed multitude: our congregation. And I am proud to be a congregant, a small tile in our mosaic. Many years ago, when I was surveying the Madison Jewish community from my perch in California, I could tell right away that Congregation Shaarei Shamayim would probably be my new Jewish home.

And I was right. Years later, I am davening with Jews across a spectrum of beliefs, practices, backgrounds, and more. I’m shuckling in a mixed multitude. And I couldn’t be more pleased. Annie Lamont said that the outline for prayer is “Help, Thanks, Wow.” And I believe her. And when I get to “Thanks,” I think of us. Thank you for being you.

And may it be for all of us a blessing.

See you tonight!
Mit vareme grusn,
(With warm regards,)

All my love,
brian.

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