Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Shalom Shalomis. Everyone everywhere. This is Rabbi Damien. I want to take a moment to introduce you to a new contributor, Derek Limbaugh, Education contributor, I should say. Derek and his wife Caroline and their sons are part of the Shalom Ekin family. Beyond that, Derek is a teacher. He has a degree in religion and philosophy and a deep, deep passion for study and teaching, and particularly Judaism, Jewish sources. He is also a messianic gentile young guy, Messianic gentile, living and breathing in this, in this messianic Jewish space. So he has a great perspective for our community on so many different things that he's passionately learned about and has a gift for teaching. So I'm excited to hear what he's going to bring forth. I think it's going to be good, a building up opportunity for us to learn together. I hope you enjoy it.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: Well, welcome. I'm Derek with Shalom Makin. Every year during the Passover Seder, we read in the Haggadah. In every generation, each person is obligated to see themselves as if they left Egypt. This is based on the passage from Exodus 13:8. For the sake of this did the Lord do this for me and my going out of Egypt? This teaches us that even though the exodus from Egypt took place almost 3,400 years ago, every year when we celebrate Passover, we are to view ourselves as if we personally are exiting Egypt. However, how is this possible?
We are not there. Most of us have never even been to Egypt, let alone been enslaved there. Furthermore, many of us are not Jewish and we are not even descendants of the Israelites who were enslaved in Egypt. So how are we supposed to view ourselves as if we left Egypt? Well, Jewish tradition teaches us that Egypt, or Mitzrayim, means double binds or a doubled constriction. While Egypt was the epicenter of the earth at that time, it was the land of a spiritual matrix, occluding Hashem from the awareness of the Israelites. Egypt was a place that not only enslaved the Israelites physically, but more importantly, enslaved them spiritually and psychologically. It is related in Amidrash that the evil Pharaoh decreed that the Israelites have extra labor, therefore working tirelessly, never having the mental capability or bandwidth to believe that they would see the day that the promise of freedom which had been given to their forefather Abraham centuries before be fulfilled. The nonstop labor under Pharaoh never gave them the ability to take a breath and dream of a life beyond Egypt, to dream of a promised reality in which they were free to become the people God called them to be so. As you can see, many of us may still be enslaved in Egypt. However, to truly leave Egypt, we need to look deeper into this story, to the one man who was perpetrating all of this evil Pharaoh. The sages state that Pharaoh was the embodiment of the evil inclination, our sin nature, that voice of the serpent that speaks to us from below within our subconscious mind. It is this voice that reminds you of your past failings and regrets, brings up mental images that you wish not to see, terrorizes you with anxieties of the future, and enslaves you with the traumas of the past. This Pharaoh is the one who both inflames our ego, wanting us to believe we are gods, while also telling us we are not worthy enough to receive Hashem's love. It is this voice that entraps us, causing us to serve it, leading us to inappropriate thoughts, sinful fantasies, debilitating fear and constant angst. Pharaoh leads us to believe that we have to keep up with the rat race of the world, exposing the unrectified parts of ourselves, reminding us that we are not whole and that we will never overcome, that we will never be free from the psycho spiritual matrix within ourselves called Egypt. However, Pharaoh, he has no power of his own. His voice only feeds on the holiness and spiritual potential latent within each and every one of us. He's like a parasitic force. Pharaoh, the embodiment of the serpent, represents our false self. These are the lies we continue to tell ourselves, creating a distorted narrative and belief about who we truly are, who Hashem has created us to be, and who Yeshua redeemed us to become. In the Exodus narrative, Moses represents our true selves, the spark of Messiah within us. He has an encounter with God at the burning bush, and it is there. Hashem speaks to him, calling out to him to go to Egypt and redeem the Israelites. Moses is afraid. He gives various excuses, but ultimately Hashem states that he will be with him. The sages reveal something even more incredible here. The Israelites, entrapped and enslaved in Egypt, represent none other than the pieces of ourselves that have yet to be redeemed. As I said earlier, maybe it's your thoughts or emotions or desires or actions that have at their core are pure, but have been co opted by that wicked Pharaoh and subjugated into serving him in an unholy way. At the essence of those unrectified pieces of us, there's holiness within, just as from the outside, the Israelites look as if they were worn out, beaten down, slaves. But ultimately, they were holy souls who would experience the miracles of God and receive the Torah from Hashem on Mount Sinai. Likewise, those oppressed, unrectified pieces of our souls are groaning out to heaven, waiting to be redeemed. The Torah states that while in Egypt, Hashem called out to Moses and stated, bo, come.
Come unto Pharaoh. This means our true selves, who we truly are created to be, must confront that imposter who lurks within the depths of our heart and mind. Although it may be scary, we need to gird ourselves with strength and boldly come unto Pharaoh into his palace and confront him, our biggest enemy, which is within us, and declaring to him to let my people go, telling him that he no longer gets to subjugate our moment by moment thoughts to the false narratives and counterfeit realities which he has entrapped us within. By doing this and facing the darkest parts of ourselves that have yet to be redeemed, we are able to be freed from Egypt and freed from the grips of Pharaoh. Remember, there is no regret too big, no piece of you too shameful that cannot be redeemed from Egypt and experience its redemption and rectification by Hashem. We have seen this on a cosmic level by our master Yeshua, who confronted sin and death itself, who during Passover, was crucified and resurrected, confronting the serpent and ultimately trampling over it. However, while this remains true and he has given us the keys to freedom, many of us still live in the shadows of Egypt, not believing we can have true freedom. So, friends, I say to you again, strengthen yourselves, do not be afraid, for there is hope and victory this Passover season. Believe even your darkest, most hidden struggles can be redeemed. We must be bold enough to confront Pharaoh and to free ourselves from the iron chains which he shackles us with. We must believe that there is holiness and light buried within our own darkness and that even the ghastly matrix of our own personal Egypt can be escaped. And we must believe that Hashem is behind it all, whispering in a still, small voice, come unto Pharaoh. So heed that call and confront Pharaoh, leaving Egypt behind and walking in the freedom of purity and holiness to which you have been destined. And remember, who the Son sets free is free indeed. May this be your most transformative and liberating Passover yet. Chag Pesach Sameim Shalom.
[00:08:17] Speaker C: I'm Darren with Shalom Macon. If you enjoyed this teaching, I want to ask you to take the next step. Start by making sure you subscribe to our channel. Next, make sure you hit the like button on this video so that others know it's worth their time to watch. Last head over to our website to learn more about Shalom Macon, explore other teachings and events, and if you're so inclined, contribute to the work that we're doing to further the Kingdom. Thank thanks for watching and connecting with Shalom Macon.
