Our portion of the week opens, in the second verse (Exodus 10:2), with the reason for the Ten Plagues. You might have thought that they are to punish the Egyptians and to teach them a lesson. But it says very clearly: So that you – the Jews – will know that I’m G^d. First-and-for-all, it’s a Revelation for us.
The same verse touches on something else that is important to realize. We don’t best remember things by thinking, reading or hearing them. We memorize things best by saying them. Not when you see or hear My Miracles and not when you hear about them but when you relate the story.
Teaching is more important than learning because that way, we better retain the learning. And, as a rabbi confessed in the forward to his collection of sermons: When you’re preaching, it’s hard not to overhear yourself. It just penetrates deeper into our being when we talk about it to others.
The Jewish religion makes us do that all the time. Our twice-a-day profession of faith, we are saying to the whole of the Jewish People: Shema’ Yisrael (Deuteronomy 6:4). We don’t just read it or even just say it out-loud – we tell it – as it is – to all Jews. We testify – the first and the last letter (extra large in the Torah scroll) of the six-word Shema’ spell testimony in Hebrew.
In our thrice-a-day prayers, we talk to G^d. We don’t just contemplate or just declare – we approach. The question should be asked, why don’t we just say these things to ourselves? Two more reasons.
When you promise something to people you love, your commitment is much stronger. When you speak to some-One you care about, your words get more meaning than if you would just say something to yourself.
There may be an additional reason why we don’t just pray or confess in isolation. Loneliness is one of our greatest enemies. All people are already told early (Genesis 2:18) that it’s not good to be alone – with our evil inclination. But, in addition, by necessity, Jews must be a small People (Deuteronomy 7:7) that dwells alone (Numbers 23:9) – not to assimilate – ourselves or our mission, to be a Kingdom of Ministers, a Holy (meaning: separate) People (Exodus 19:6).
Therefore, we do ourselves a favor when we don’t just speak of what is dear to us only to ourselves but when we declare our convictions and mindset to others we love.
Say it to your children and children’s children so that you may know that I am G^d.
***
In one verse (Exodus 10:9) we find the verb “we will go” twice. A clever boy in my shul asked why. This question must be asked. How could we read this and not ponder that?! One could further easily wonder why it first says youngsters and elderly – what do they have in common – and what commonality is there in our sons, our daughters, our flock and our cattle?
My simples answer is that giving two groups who will leave is dramatically very different from just giving one whole slew. The latter sounds like bragging; the former is a double whammy. That’s the simplest answer I got.
A deeper simple answer lies in the Hebrew for with. It doesn’t say Eem; it says Be-. Like earlier (in Genesis 15:14), the Torah uses Be- when Abraham gets promised that we will leave captivity in great wealth. It means that these groups will not walk out – they will be [as if] taken, like things. And that, sons, daughters, flock our cattle may have in common. They can be taken. They know how to obey.
But youngsters and the elderly are the opposite. The former have their newly found autonomy and the latter don’t think that anyone should still tell them what to do – compare the beginning of verse Genesis 48:19. They decide for themselves.
Now, we know that the story of the Exodus doesn’t only describe the way we left Egypt but also predicts how we will leave at the final Redemption – may it be soon. We are told here that not only will the rebellious ones be there – they will lead the pack!
Just think about that, next time someone talks derogatorily about rebellious Jews!
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
