Boundaries are important elements of the way we live our lives and help play a big part in our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. We make sure not to overeat, not to speed, not to engage in reckless behavior, not to over indulge, not to let our relationships with others slip out of balance, and many other important self-applied, communal or spiritual boundaries. In all of the above cases, boundaries are not restrictive or oppressive; in fact those kinds of boundaries actually enhance our life and allow us to foster and develop a sense of healthy wellbeing.
Yet at times, boundaries can be misplaced and can actually restrict and confine our wellbeing and become roadblocks in the developments of our personalities and spiritual progress. An unwillingness to push oneself to improve at something, or a fear of trying out something new and positive are sometimes reflective of boundaries that are oppressive, restrictive and counterproductive.
Often we settle into an emotional comfort zone in which we live with our boundaries that we like and dislike, some are positive and some are negative or neutral. We like being comfortable where we are and don’t necessarily want to rock the boat even if positive change could result when we outgrow or overcome our boundaries.
Can Exodus Shed Light on Boundaries
This Saturday we continue reading the story of the slavery of the Jews in Egypt. As we do so we are reminded of the spiritual dimension of the Exodus as well as the historical storyline of what occurred which have a lot to offer us as we go about our lives.
Pharaoh created all kinds of boundaries for the Jews which had nothing to do with their wellbeing and everything to do with his cruelty and lust for power. Historically, Egypt was one of the most powerful countries of its time with zero possibility of escape. The Jews living in this oppressive situation fell into a sense of hopelessness and sadness and almost believed that freedom will never come.
Yet G-d had other plans and through a series of dramatic events, Egypt’s stranglehold on the Jewish people was dramatically weakened and Egypt was eventually begging the Jews to leave the land as quickly as possible. After the Jews left and were saved, we are told to remember and contemplate the story and message of the exodus from Egypt on a daily basis. Over the course of history, the story has become an engrained part of the story of the Jewish people’s birth and development and has provided a wealth of life lessons and spiritual teachings.
In Judaism, randomness doesn’t exist, and there is a very interesting spiritual dimension of this story that sheds some light on the topic of “boundaries”. Egypt is pronounced and spelled in Hebrew as “Mitzrayim”, which itself comes from the word “Meitzarim”, meaning “boundaries and restrictions”. In other words, when we are told that we need to re-experience the exodus on a daily basis throughout our lives, the spiritual message imparted is that the need for growth out of our restrictions, boundaries and baggage is a constant and vital part of our spiritual wellbeing.
The Necessity of Outgrowing our Baggage and Boundaries
Obviously this is not about breaking the positive boundaries that we have in our life, but this is definitely about breaking free from self-imposed boundaries and baggage that restrain us from growing and developing, or inhibit our ability to learn, or block our desire to change and be the moral and spiritual person that we need to be.
A boundary in this instance may not necessarily be a physical restriction, and it might very well be a mental or an emotional boundary that we have either placed around ourselves, gotten used to living with, or we simply feel safe and comfortable living in its shadows. Yet as we read the story of Exodus once again, it serves as a reminder that sometimes these boundaries can really get in our way of experiencing joy, positivity and change for the good. The message of reflecting on the Exodus is to remind us each day of our lives that the need for outgrowing our boundaries and self-imposed restrictions is a must.
We all have things that hold us back, yet we are mandated to find a way to strive for a better and upgraded life. We are obligated to constantly seek to become a better parent, spouse, or Jew and we must realize that the power for success in change is within us and just need to be uncovered. Our job is to find a way to nurture and develop the innate yearning and built in tools that will sustain and make a success of our drive for growth and positive change.