Bring it down to Earth

While the Torah comes from Heaven, it was given on this Earth.  It can be tempting to want to soar heavenward in our pursuit of spiritual fulfillment.  In many ways it is easier to get lost in a spiritual high or in a spiritual event.  It’s less demanding and doesn’t require the inner work we need to put in to truly create transformation.

While doing the day to day hard work of personal transformation and engaging with the physical reality may seem to be the work of the holy, it is in fact the most holy.  It is a simple act of kindness, a small victory over our negative spirits and the small act of a mitzvah that achieves the highest of spiritual connections.

This idea is reflected in a simple comment that Rashi chooses to make on a verse in our portion. 

The Torah is speaking about the plague of darkness.  The Torah says that the darkness pervaded over Egypt for three days.

The plague of darkness was a significant part of the Exodus.  Rashi explains; this is because while the darkness was at play the Jews sought out where the Egyptians kept their riches.  When they left Egypt the Egyptians were not able to deny that they possessed these riches because the Jews had already seen them and identified them.

One of the Midrashic commentators tells us that during the plague a miracle occured that there was a light that showed the Jews where the Egyptians kept their riches.

Rashi, does not quote the Midrash and as such demonstrates that he doesn’t follow the opinion of the Midrash.

There are two reasons the Jews needed to take these riches with them.  The first is to fulfill the promise that Hashem made to Abraham when He told of the Egyptian slavery “and afterwards they will go out with great wealth”.  The second is that the wealth represented spiritual sparks and energies that were captured by the unholy forces that were Egypt at the time.

Accordingly, the Exodus and the removing of this wealth was a fulfillment of G-d’s instruction.

Rashi is teaching us by not choosing the miraculous Midrashic interpretation, that when it comes to fulfilling G-d’s command, we have to work hard to seek out the spark and fulfill it on natural terms.  While Hashem set the stage in a miraculous manner, (as He always does), the Jews still needed to do the hard work of searching and seeking in order to fulfill their Mitzvah.

It’s not always easy but it’s always rewarding.

Good Shabbos!