T orah P ortion
And God Remembered the Covenant
BY RABBI JASON BONDER
PARSHAT SHEMOT
THIS WEEK’S TORAH
portion, Shemot, begins with a
list of those who made their way
down to Egypt from Canaan.

While the Torah goes into
detail about their dramatic
stories back home, we know
very little about what it was
like for Jacob and his family
once they immigrated. They
presumably needed to learn a
new language, learn new trades
and begin the arduous process
of building a new life for their
descendants. While we don’t see all
their struggles in the text,
we do learn that their efforts
bore fruit. “But the Israelites
were fertile and prolific; they
multiplied and increased very
greatly, so that the land was
filled with them.” (Exodus 1:7)
The generation of those who
came to Egypt did the best they
could to set up a bright future
for their descendants.

Then that bright future
suddenly turned dim. “A new
king arose over Egypt who
knew not Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8)
Perhaps by happenstance, and
perhaps by willful ignorance,
this new Pharaoh did not
remember what Joseph did
for Egypt. This Pharaoh felt
threatened by the thriving
community of Israelites
instead of marveling at how
they worked so hard to create
a bright future. The new king
of Egypt lacked the imagina-
tion to anticipate that there
might be a baby born in that
Israelite community who had a
once-in-a-generation — even a
once-in-history — influence on
the world, as Moses did.

Imagine how lucky all
of Egypt would have been
if Pharaoh would have only
embraced and supported the
Israelites. In November of this year,
at a Central Bucks School
Board meeting, there arose a
man who knew not Joseph.

Nor did he know much of
anything at all. In his allotted
three minutes, he spewed false,
hateful, antisemitic language.

Either by passive or inten-
tional ignorance, this man
did not know how much the
Jewish people have positively
contributed, and continue to
contribute, to our United States
of America.

That man, and this week’s
portion, both serve as a warning
to us. Things can change
quickly. Antisemites can arise
at any time from anywhere.

Like the Israelites in the portion
who continue in their faith, it
is our job to fight back against
this ignorance in all its forms. I
hope the following example can
sustain us in this never-ending
fight against hate.

In this week’s portion, I
see a theological concept that
both challenges me and serves
as inspiration. The Torah tells
us that “... The Israelites were
groaning under the bondage
and cried out; and their cry
for help from the bondage rose
up to God. God heard their
moaning and God remembered
God’s covenant with Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob.” (Exodus
2:23-24). What challenges me here
is that God “remembered” the
covenant. Had God somehow
forgotten it? But as I contem-
plate that challenge, it leads
CAN DL E L IGHTIN G
Dec. 24
Dec. 31
me to realize something else.

Perhaps there is a lesson meant
for me in this perplexing verse.

Perhaps we are the more likely
party to forget the covenant.

Before I point fingers at God,
I should probably evaluate my
own behavior.

Modern history has shown
that we cannot wait for God to
hear our cries. So it is crucial
to remember that the covenant
is only something we can rely
on when we are also willing
to act as equal partners. When
we encounter a bigoted person
spewing antisemitism, let
us be the ones to remember
our covenant with God and
act accordingly. We can light
Shabbat candles, celebrate
Jewish holidays, participate in
the Jewish community, read
the Jewish Exponent or listen
to a Jewish podcast. All these
are equally important tools in
the fight against antisemitism.

Let each antisemitic rant
be a reminder to us that we
must build up our Jewish insti-
tutions. May each diatribe
remind us to double down
on our commitment to an
America that enabled — and
4:23 p.m.

4:28 p.m.

enables — Jewish people
to weave ourselves into the
tapestry of this great nation.

Celebration of
our traditions, building our insti-
tutions and strengthening our
commitment to America is the
perfect response to antisemi-
tism. Our covenant with God
is what has led us to be a light
unto the nations for millennia.

When antisemites spew
their nonsense, let us remember
our covenant with our Creator
and embrace our Judaism so
that never again will God need
to hear the groaning of our
people. l
Rabbi Jason Bonder is the
associate rabbi of Congregation
Beth Or in Maple Glen. The Board
of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia
is proud to provide diverse
perspectives on Torah commentary
for the Jewish Exponent. The
opinions expressed in this column
are the author’s own and do not
reflect the view of the Board of
Rabbis. Historian Details Antisemites’ World View
NATIONAL JARRAD SAFFREN | JE STAFF
CONSPIRACIES ABOUT
all-powerful Jews, like the
Rothschilds and George Soros,
offer a false sense of clarity
for some Americans facing an
increasingly traumatic society.

The larger problem, histo-
rian Jonathan Sarna told a
Zoom audience, is that you
cannot disprove an argument
rooted in fantasy.

“If only we gave up Israel, or
reshaped our noses, or gave up
the Sabbath, antisemitism will
disappear,” Sarna, a professor
20 DECEMBER 23, 2021
of American Jewish history
at Brandeis University, said
of the futile arguments Jews
often make to themselves. “But
antisemitism tells us much
more about the antisemite than
it does about Jews.”
And in the Dec. 15 lecture,
sponsored by the Haberman
Institute for Jewish Studies
in Rockville, Maryland,
Sarna explained the nature of
antisemitism today.

“Antisemitism is a cultural
code,” he said. “It tells us a
lot about the problems of the
day, and not about the Jews
See Historian, Page 23
Brandeis University professor Jonathan Sarna lectured on antisemitism on Dec. 15 over Zoom. 
JEWISH EXPONENT
Screenshot JEWISHEXPONENT.COM