Was the Exodus orchestrated by Heaven?
To remember, we avoid any leaven.
Spelt, barley and oats
Wheat and rye’s gluten coats
We don’t eat for days one plus seven.
Synopsis: I’m a Family Practitioner from Sioux City, Iowa. In 2010 I danced back from the brink of burnout, and honoring a 1 year non-compete clause, traveled and worked in out-of-the-way places in Alaska, Nebraska, Iowa, and New Zealand. I followed 3 years Community Health Center work with further travel and adventures in temporary positions in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Canada, and Alaska. 2019 included hospitalist work in my home town and rural medicine in northern British Columbia. Since the pandemic started, I did 10 months of telemedicine in my basement, staffed a COVID-19 clinic in southeast Iowa, more telemedicine, visited family, attended 4 funerals, worked 12 weeks as a contractor for the Veterans Administration in South Dakota, and traveled to Israel.
I’m Jewish, and I traveled to Israel during Passover.
To find out why I don’t write about politics, religion, or sex, please read https://walkaboutdoc.wordpress.com/2010/09/13/why-i-dont-write-about-religion-politics-or-sex/.
Bethany and I haven’t visited Israel for 2 years, but the Jewish urge to be in the Holy Land during Passover goes back more than 3000 years. Neither us has celebrated the holiday there until now. But for all of our lives, every years we say, Next Year in Jerusalem.
Our daughter lives in Be’er Sheva, not in Jerusalem. Jerusalem proper goes to chaos for the Jewish holiday and for the Christian Easter that immediately follows.
(Not all Christians celebrate Easter at the same time, which, sometimes leads to problems.)
We had a lovely seder in Be’er Sheva. Our daughter honored me by asking me to lead, even though her Hebrew is much better than mine, and Bethany’s Jewish learning exceeded mine until recently.
I love the Passover story because of its universal relevance.
Sooner or later each person will find themselves re-enacting the Exodus as an individual. Things change: maybe a partner crosses the line from binge drinking to alcoholic, may the good boss gets replaced by the jerk. The circumstances (geographic, emotional, financial, personal, work, home) become constricted; the Hebrew word for Egypt: Mitzrayim, meaning narrowings. Successful redemption demands personal action, and frequently requires leadership and help (sometimes, Help). Redemption never comes easily, and not everyone accepts the opportunity. The urge to return will tempt the wandering redeemed, who will also face the tension between moral turpitude and moral compass.
If all works well, we learn, grow, and strengthen. We come to a set of conclusions having to do with personal integrity. If we follow those, we come to the land of milk and honey.
On the second day of the 8-day holiday we visited Jerusalem.
Due to travel and internet access, some posts will appear out of order.
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