Parshas Beshalach: Facing Our Fears Head-On

Travel brings to the surface many of our fears.  Often, the mere thought of traveling scares people.  In fact, I am often told by other travelers that they have friends and family who are afraid to travel.

There are many reasons why people are scared of travel.  Maybe they have children to schlep along.  Traveling or backpacking with a baby or infant is no joke, after all! Often people are afraid of the cost. Travel is expensive.  Or they are afraid of asking their boss for time off to do something that seems (to many) so frivolous.  Perhaps travel would require them to stand up to their friends and family who are not supportive.  A friend of mine recently told me that one of her friends was afraid to travel because – wait for it – she had furniture.

No matter what you’re afraid of, travel means confronting it head-on.  Ironically, people often think that we who travel are running away from our fears. It couldn’t be further from the truth! We’re running toward our fears.  We are deliberately putting ourselves in situations where we will have to face obstacles and challenges without being able to fall back on family and friends for support.  We step outside our comfort zones.

In this week’s parsha, the Jews also need to step out of their comfort zone.  They have just left Egypt and the Egyptian army is pursuing them. They have never known any life other than that of a slave.  It would be so much easier to fly the white flag and go turn themselves in, return to the life they had known.  But that is not what G-d expects of us. G-d expects us to go above and beyond, even when it is hard, even when it is uncomfortable.  Of all the Jewish people, only one man, Nachshon ben Aminadav, was able to face his fears and walk straight into the sea, away from his enemies.  He walked in until the water was up to his ankles, his knees, his chest, his chin, and then… Only with the waves lapping over him did the sea split.

If we really step outside of our comfort zones, if we immerse ourselves in life until it feels as if we might drown, if we challenge ourselves to the utmost in order to face our fears, then G-d will reward our efforts and split our own personal sea.  G-d will provide us safe passage.  As the sages teach, we have only to open a space the size of the eye of an needle to allow G-d in and He will open it to the size of a doorway we can walk through.  But we have to take that first step. We have to open the eye of that needle.  We have to face our fears.

This week, let us all work on facing our fears, challenge ourselves to new levels of growth, and step outside of our usual comfort zones.  Click here for some advice on facing your fears. Have strength and G-d will be with you!

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The Hmong New Year: What the Jews Can Learn from the Hmong People

Last week, we went to a village near Chiang Mai in Thailand to join in the celebration of the Hmong (Mong) New Year.  The Hmong people are an ethnic minority, originally from Southern China, but beginning in the 18th century, they started moving south due to political unrest.

A Hmong woman doing traditional string weaving while carrying a basket on her back. She is dressed in traditional Hmong clothing.

One thing really impressed me about the Hmong people when Rabbi Ben and I were at the Hmong New Year celebration last week.  That was how the vast majority of the Hmong still clung so steadfastly to their traditional ways.  Most of the Hmong were dressed in very traditional costumes, which they still make themselves, to this very day.  Most of the activities and competitions were traditional ones that would have been exactly the same hundreds (if not thousands) of years ago.  And most of the dances, songs, and performances were completely traditional.  Even the food was still cooked on the fire like it has been since time immemorial.

The Ba’al Shem Tov says that everything we see has a purpose and that Hashem shows us each and every detail because we must learn a lesson from it. So, what lesson can we learn from the Hmong people?

The Hmong hill tribes of Thailand are not assimilating.  They do incorporate certain useful tools from the modern world, such as trucks, phones, and microphones/speakers.  They even use washing machines! Yet, they do not change their fundamental culture.  They still keep to their traditions.  They dress differently from the rest of the people living in Thailand.  They still sew their own clothes; even though it would be simple just to mass-produce and sell them, their clothing is a way they demonstrate their skills and also their unique identities.  They still have their own language, spoken at home and in the village.

Rebbetzin Rachel dressed in traditional Hmong clothing, standing with a young Hmong villager. She is dressed in traditional Hmong clothing. All the Hmong women, young and old, still sew their own ceremonial outfits, holding onto their tradition.

We Jews also have our own culture and heritage.  Yes, we can take certain advantages from the modern world; there is nothing wrong with that.  Yet, we must cling to the vital parts of our traditions.  Unlike the Hmong people, we no longer need to sew our clothes; however, we must still make sure we are holding to our beliefs and dressing modestly, even if it makes us different.  We have certain foods that we must and must not eat; we should not assimilate with the world around us that eats anything and everything with no limits.  We have our own community… let’s not lose it. Like the Hmong people, let’s stick together!

So that is what I learned from the Hmong people when I attended their New Year’s celebration.  It was a beautiful experience and I am really glad I went.  I learned so much, both about them and about myself.

Happy Hmong New Year!