Progressive Redemption hope
BY MOSHE KATZ 
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL

January 26, 2025, Israel

It is difficult to motivate people. It is difficult to get people to get out of their home, or even out of their chair, and get up and do something. It is difficult to release people from their personal slavery. 

Motivational speaking has become a "thing" in our generation. But in the synagoge, in the House of Study, this has been a "thing" for several thousand years. Krav Maga instructors struggle to motivate people to come learn self-defense, even though it is for the benefit of the participants. Keeping existing students motivated, student retention, is a challenge in itself. How can we reach people? Why are they reluctant to hear our message? 

I am sorry but I don't have any magical solutions, but just a little insight, and perhaps some inspiration and motivational speaking from the Torah reading of this week. Once again, we shall see the relevance to our daily lives. 

What is the scene? The nation of Israel has been enslaved. The Egyptians are treating them cruelly, the people cry out to God, and God hears their pain. I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel. And God has a plan, he will choose a messenger, a leader, Moshe, and send him with the message of Hope and Redemption to the nation of Israel.

"And moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant. 

Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments; and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am the LORD. And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel; but they hearkened not unto Moses for impatience of spirit, and for cruel bondage. "(Exodus Chapter 6, verses 5-9)

There are four words of Redemption included in this passage, and some rabbis say there are actually five.

They are;

1. Take you out (Bring you Out): I will bring you out from the under the burdens.

2. Deliver - I will deliver you from their bondage.

3. Redeem - I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.

4. Take - I will take you to Me for a people.

5. Bring you In - I will bring you in unto the land.

Many rabbis call these the four (or five) languages of Redemption, each phrase represents a different attribute of the redemption. As such this becomes the theme for the Passover Haggadah, The Passover ritual of reenacting Freedom. 

Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (20 November 1816 – 10 August 1893, Warsaw, Poland) suggests a different idea. It is the idea that these are various stages of the redemption, that the redemption cannot take place in one phase but must by necessity be gradual. We are dealing with a people born into slavery, raised in conditions in slavery, they cannot become masters of their own fate in an instant.

The First phase is Bring them out from under the burden of slavery, this represents the oppressive physical labor. The first step is reduce the terrible physical suffering. 

The Second phase is I will deliver you from bondage. This represents the end of slavery of any type. If we look at it in modern terms, we can say the first phase would be the inmates of the concentration camps being relieved of the slave labor, carrying around heavy bricks, digging quarries. The second phase would open the doors, getting rid of the guards.

The Third phase, I will redeem you. This is taking the nation of Israel out of the land of Egypt. In modern terms, this would be taking the Jews out of the concentration camps, beginning the process of physical, mental and spiritual rehabilitation. 

The Fourth phase, I will take you to Me for a people, is the forming of a proud nation, independence, shedding the victim mentality, learning to stand tall.  

The Fifth phase, I will bring you in unto the land, is national and political independence, in the modern comparison this would be the formation of the State of Israel 3 years after the liberation of the concentration camps, Jews coming out of hiding, from sewars, from Catholics convents, from attacks, cellers and back rooms, Achterhuis.

This is quite a powerful message. A promise of Redemption, of promise of glory, and it comes from no less a source then God! And what is the reaction..."But they did not listen to/hear Moshe". After this incredible bit of oratory, this incredible message, what is the reaction? Blah, we can't be bothered to listen to you, we can't even take a minute to consider the matter. 

This total lack of reaction totally discourages and depresses Moshe. He turns to God and is ready to give up. God says, let's try another angle, let's approach Pharaoh first and see if he can be moved to release them. But Moshe says, God, really, what is the point? If the slave nation of Israel did not give me the time of day, what makes you think the grand king of Egypt will pay any more attention. Let's face it, this is futile. And the rest is history.

Let's give a modern analogy. Your nephew is working in a menial job with no future. You approach him with a possibility of running his own business, doing something exciting, you have the funds to invest, you believe in his future! You give the speech of your life, great oratory about his personal redemption from the slavery of stocking shelves his entire life. And what is his response, "Uncle, leave me alone, I am too busy to be bothered with your crazy fantasy, I have shelves to stock."

And now we return to Krav Maga, where we started. We see people suffering from bullying, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, perhaps physical abuse, and we offer them one solution to all these problems!! We give the speech of our lives, oratorical skills at their best, and the reaction, indifference, total indifference, no interest in even listening, no response.  and I think of Moses/Moshe, delivering a message from God Himself, and he received the same reaction, and I don't feel so bad. I am in good company. 

My friend Rabbi Asher was discussing this message with his high school students, and one raised his hand, Rabbi, are you implying that this message is for us? That we don't listen? Well, yeah. 

But then Rabbi Asher added, and yet Moshe did not give up, and we as educators must not give up. Because in the end, many did listen, and many did leave the Egyptian bondage and today we are in Israel. So never give up, no matter what, even if we face total indifference, rejection after rejection, we must not give up. Someone will eventually hear us, and it will all be worthwhile. 

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Moshe Katz, 7th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt Hall of fame, USA and Europe.

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