From The Thread Collectors by Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Richman page 18
Inside his jacket, tucked within the pocket of his waistcoat, he located the handkerchief Stella has embroidered. He surreptiously ran his fingers over the small flower she'd stiched carefully with blue thread. Even now, with the stench of rot and death heavy in the air, the buzzing of flies, and the intense hunger in his belly, thoughts of Stella were his constant companions. He brought the white cotton cloth to his nose and inhaled it, desperately searching for the last traces of her distinct scent. William knew breath was not something that always came from the lungs, but breath could break forth from the heart and mind as well, filling a body with life when it needed it most.
Inside his jacket, tucked within the pocket of his waistcoat, he located the handkerchief Stella has embroidered. He surreptiously ran his fingers over the small flower she'd stiched carefully with blue thread. Even now, with the stench of rot and death heavy in the air, the buzzing of flies, and the intense hunger in his belly, thoughts of Stella were his constant companions. He brought the white cotton cloth to his nose and inhaled it, desperately searching for the last traces of her distinct scent. William knew breath was not something that always came from the lungs, but breath could break forth from the heart and mind as well, filling a body with life when it needed it most.
(ט) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֛ה כֵּ֖ן אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִקֹּ֣צֶר ר֔וּחַ וּמֵעֲבֹדָ֖ה קָשָֽׁה׃ {פ} (י) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יא) בֹּ֣א דַבֵּ֔ר אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וִֽישַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ (יב) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הֵ֤ן בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֹֽא־שָׁמְע֣וּ אֵלַ֔י וְאֵיךְ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣נִי פַרְעֹ֔ה וַאֲנִ֖י עֲרַ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽיִם׃ {פ}
(9) But when Moses told this to the Israelites,
they would not listen to Moses, their spirits crushed by cruel bondage.
(10) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying,
(11) “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites depart from his land.”
(12) But Moses appealed to יהוה, saying, “The Israelites would not listen to me;
how then should Pharaoh listen to me, me—who gets tongue-tied!”
Rashi on Exodus 6:9
They would not listen to Moses. They took no consolation from what he said.
Their spirits were crushed. One's spirit is one's wind. One who is in distress is short of breath and can hardly draw their lungs full of air.
They would not listen to Moses. They took no consolation from what he said.
Their spirits were crushed. One's spirit is one's wind. One who is in distress is short of breath and can hardly draw their lungs full of air.
Yael Shy, "The Silent Center of Things, IJS 2022
This is an apt description of despair. Despair is different from sadness, fear or even suffering. Once can experience any of those different emotions or states of being and still have space in the mind and heart for the possibility of the unknown future--of things changing. In despair, one believe that there is only one answer you need, and it is no. Nothing will change. There is no hope and no possibility.
This is an apt description of despair. Despair is different from sadness, fear or even suffering. Once can experience any of those different emotions or states of being and still have space in the mind and heart for the possibility of the unknown future--of things changing. In despair, one believe that there is only one answer you need, and it is no. Nothing will change. There is no hope and no possibility.
Nachmanides on Exodus 6:9
Their spirits crushed. Not that they did not believe in God or his prophet, but that they would not listen because their spirits were crushed, like that of a person so crushed by toil that they do not want to live an extra minute in pain, even though they know there will eventually be relief. What crushed their spirits was the fear that Pharaoh wold kill them as teh foremen told Moses (Exodus 5:21).
Cruel bondage. This refers to the pressure the taskmasters were putting on them (Exodus 5:13), not giving them a moment to think.
Their spirits crushed. Not that they did not believe in God or his prophet, but that they would not listen because their spirits were crushed, like that of a person so crushed by toil that they do not want to live an extra minute in pain, even though they know there will eventually be relief. What crushed their spirits was the fear that Pharaoh wold kill them as teh foremen told Moses (Exodus 5:21).
Cruel bondage. This refers to the pressure the taskmasters were putting on them (Exodus 5:13), not giving them a moment to think.
Aviva Zornberg on Exodus 6:9 The Particulars of Rapture page 110-111
Kotzer ruach, literally "shortness of breath," can be translated "impatience."
The people can not listen to consoling narratives; this is connectedd to physical and emotional causes. A psychosomatic condition, in which deep breating becomes impossible, inhibits one from taking in words of consolation...
The sense of pressure that inhibits deep breating is notoriously only aggrevated by shallow breathing. "If only they coud take one deep breath," we think; the vicious cycle would be broken. But this is precisely the problem: the psychomatic condition represents a kind of "double bind" situation...the double bind is that although the capacity to hear the word of God, to take the deep breath, is the very condition of redemption, it is only after redemption that one is equipped to hear, to breathe...
Kotzer ruach, literally "shortness of breath," can be translated "impatience."
The people can not listen to consoling narratives; this is connectedd to physical and emotional causes. A psychosomatic condition, in which deep breating becomes impossible, inhibits one from taking in words of consolation...
The sense of pressure that inhibits deep breating is notoriously only aggrevated by shallow breathing. "If only they coud take one deep breath," we think; the vicious cycle would be broken. But this is precisely the problem: the psychomatic condition represents a kind of "double bind" situation...the double bind is that although the capacity to hear the word of God, to take the deep breath, is the very condition of redemption, it is only after redemption that one is equipped to hear, to breathe...
S'fat Emet on Va'era 2:40 (The Language of Truth, composed between1869-1900 translation by Arthur Green) pages 90-91
Hearing requires being empty of every thing.
"Hear O daughter, and see, give ear, forget your people and your father's house." (Psalm 45:11)
This is the essence of exile today as well:
our inability to empty ourselves, to forge this world's vanities so that we empty the heart to hear God's word without any distracting thought...
...Had they been ready to hear God's word, they woudl have been redemeed immediately.
Now Torah has already been given to Israel by "a great voice that did not cease (Deuteronomy 5:19).
It has never stopped.
Each day we say, "Hear O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One (Deuteronomy 6:4);
this is the voice says: "I am Adonai your God" (Exodus 6:7), it has never stopped.
But we have to prepare ourselves to truly hear the Shma without any distracting thought.
This is why we mention the Exodus before the Shma.
By being redeemed from Egypt we are emptyied of all distaction and become ready to hear God's word.
Hearing requires being empty of every thing.
"Hear O daughter, and see, give ear, forget your people and your father's house." (Psalm 45:11)
This is the essence of exile today as well:
our inability to empty ourselves, to forge this world's vanities so that we empty the heart to hear God's word without any distracting thought...
...Had they been ready to hear God's word, they woudl have been redemeed immediately.
Now Torah has already been given to Israel by "a great voice that did not cease (Deuteronomy 5:19).
It has never stopped.
Each day we say, "Hear O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One (Deuteronomy 6:4);
this is the voice says: "I am Adonai your God" (Exodus 6:7), it has never stopped.
But we have to prepare ourselves to truly hear the Shma without any distracting thought.
This is why we mention the Exodus before the Shma.
By being redeemed from Egypt we are emptyied of all distaction and become ready to hear God's word.
(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
(4) Hear, O Israel! יהוה is our God, יהוה alone.