The ‘daughter’ from the ‘other tribe’

Excerpt from 0:52 min:

Within every spiritual tradition, particularly within the Judaic-Christian tradition, and more particularly within the Hebrew Bible, are these signs, these invitations to recognize that heaven will use the vehicles that heaven chooses, whether the vehicles are part of our tribe or not. And so he's really challenging again that whole platform of "them and us" that tends to arise, well, just about in every space and time. And I think it was really meaningful to replay that interview particularly at a time when in so many places of the world, not just in the United States but throughout Africa and the Middle East, there are profound human conflicts unfolding because of the demonization of the other. And so he suggests that we look again at that founding, and I'm going to call it a parable of the people of Israel. He refers to the story that some of us will remember if we've seen the movie The Ten Commandments a hundred times, where the Pharaoh pronounces an edict whereby he wants all the baby boys of Israel killed. Why? Because he has demonized the Hebrew population and has suggested that if they don't take charge and get them under control, they're going to have a big problem on their hands. Yeah, that's original. Anyway, so all the baby boys under two, he orders to be killed. So we hear about a Hebrew woman who gives birth to a baby boy and hides him in a papyrus basket on the river—we aren't actually told it's the Nile, anyway, it's a river—and then ensures that her other daughter oversee and watch the basket to ensure it doesn't take off down the river. And lo and behold, one day the Pharaoh's daughter shows up with her servants to bathe in the river, and she hears crying coming from this basket, and she goes to investigate and opens up the basket, and there is a baby boy. And we are told that she took pity on this child. And what Rabbi Sacks reminds us of is that of the folk that all lined up in that parable to save this child, the Pharaoh's daughter is one of them. The Pharaoh's daughter, belonging to the empire, belonging not to the tribe but to the tribe that is trying to extinguish the Hebrew people—that she is part of this story of salvation. And I'm not sure why I didn't pay attention to that in the past. And I thought to myself, "Hmm, this is a parable worth sharing," not just because of what's happening nation against nation at this point, or how things are dividing nations at this point, but because I think we all have that deep tendency within ourselves, maybe even on a daily basis, to demonize the one who is not of our tribe. And yet, here is another parable suggesting that maybe we need to keep our eyes and our hearts open to the other, the stranger, the one who does not share our opinion or our worldview, because that one could very well be the one whose courage and whose breaking with empire, in fact, ushers in a new story, a new possibility for building and restoring the world with hope and gentleness.

Covid Sunday practice: For Such a Time as This - Living with Curiosity, Creativity & Courage