Dear Friends,

In this week’s Torah portion, one of the most mysterious plagues strikes Egypt—the Plague of Darkness. While darkness was a punishment for the Egyptians, the Midrash reveals that
for the Jews, it was an opportunity. Under the cover of darkness, they were able to locate and identify the treasures of Egypt, later to be taken as spoils when they left. At first glance, this seems surprising. Why would the Jews, who were about to experience the ultimate spiritual redemption, need physical wealth?

When G-d created the world, He placed our souls within physical bodies—not to escape the material world, but to elevate it. The giving of the Torah at Sinai was the moment when heaven and earth truly met, when spirituality became accessible through physicality. Our mission is not to reject the physical, nor to become attached to it, but to transform it into a vessel for holiness.

The Jews gathering wealth in Egypt wasn’t about personal gain; it was about redemption itself. The gold and silver taken from the depths of Egypt would later be donated to build the Mishkan, the dwelling place of the Divine Presence. The physical treasures of a dark and immoral land were not discarded but elevated, becoming part of G-d’s home on earth.

Each of us has our own Egypt, a place of darkness where sparks of holiness are hidden. Our task is to uncover those sparks—not by avoiding the physical world, but by using it for a higher purpose. Through following the mitzvot, G-d’s commandments, we transform the mundane into the sacred, turning this world into a home for G-d.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zushe Cunin

This week we will mark the 1st yartzeit of our dear Michael Finger OBM & the 5th yartzeit of our dear Dr. Meyer Khaksourri OBM - may their memories be a blessing to their families and our beloved community.