The following depiction is fictional. But it may not be as far from our reality as we think.

It’s Erev Shabbat, and the streets of Goshen are buzzing with the excitement that accompanies the imminent arrival of the Day of Rest.

For as long as they could remember, the idea of a thriving Jewish life and culture in the foreign lands of exile seemed like the stuff of dreams. For decades, adults lived under the unbearable reality of working every day of every week of their lives. There was little they could do other than comply with the expectations of their government and taskmasters.

And yet, even during the hardest of times – when even the most basic Jewish enlightenment seemed like an impossibility – there remained, in the land of Goshen, a select few whose role was to inspire the masses. The yeshivot, established centuries earlier by Joseph and his descendants, preserved a connection to Jewish tradition and sustained a spiritual backbone for the community.

Then, everything changed.

A messenger arrived in Egypt with a message of hope and faith. He stood boldly against the government and, with the help of God, sparked a revolution against the tyrannical regime. As the tides of Egypt shifted before their eyes, life began to feel almost magical. The Jews of Goshen experienced a renaissance of connection and spirituality.

What had once been reserved for a few devoted individuals was now accessible to the masses. Men and women who had spent their days in labor........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)