Jews have many amazing powers! As  Jews, we can fall and rise. You may think everyone can fall and then get back up, but we take our fall and use that fall to make ourselves even greater. In Parshat Shemot, Pharaoh fears a rebellion will take place and wants the Jews to stop growing. He tries pushing them down and weakening them through taxation, backbreaking work, and by killing their babies. However, despite all his attempts, Bnei Yisrael grew and multiplied in number, and eventually were redeemed from Egypt.

In Hallel, Perek 118 in Tehillim, we sing a line that teaches us how the Jewish people were able to get back up when they were pushed down. “You pushed me to fall, but Hashem helped me (דָּחֹ֣ה דְחִיתַ֣נִי לִנְפֹּ֑ל וַ֖יהֹוָ֣ה עֲזָרָֽנִי).” This quote reminds us that the only way that we can get up after falling and have gotten up after falling is through the hand of Hashem. There is no explanation as to how we are still here besides Him!

That being said, Hashem does more than just pick us back up, He allows us to take the stone that was rejected and use it as the cornerstone (אֶבֶן מָֽאֲס֣וּ הַבּוֹנִ֑ים הָֽ֜יְתָ֗ה לְרֹ֣אשׁ פִּנָּֽה). This means that Hashem will enable us to use the event, object, or person that hurt us and pushed us down, to raise us and to make us stronger. This past Chanukah I saw a picture of a Chanukiah in the rubble of houses destroyed on October 7. It was lit to show that there is always light despite the darkness and that Hashem will always lift us back up to be even greater than we were. This is the Jewish people. People aim to hurt us, but we take what they do and bring light to the world and to other Jews.

May Hashem always help us get back up when we fall, and may we use those falls to become even greater and bring light to the world.

Shira Sedek is a passionate educator currently working toward a master’s degree at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration.