As Cantor Bitton knows, I love the use of contemporary melodies matched with ancient liturgy. It’s one way of making prayer more accessible, something Jewish composers have been doing for hundreds of years. One of my favorite mashups is Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” sung as the melody for the Mi Chamocha prayer. The original lyrics to this song are often on repeat in my head. They speak of being redeemed from the “bottomless pit” which is the mental and physical pit of slavery in US history, but also paints a picture of the story of Joseph, who was thrown into a pit, escaped those bonds to fame in Egypt, and brought us to this moment in our Jewish narrative, as the Israelites have been thrown once again into the bottomless pit with a new pharaoh.

Parshat Shemot marks the beginning of the Exodus and redemption of the Israelite nation from Egypt to the story of their own nationhood. The themes of redemption and sacred human dignity repeat again and again throughout the book because redemption is both a human experience and a partnership with the Divine.

As part of the weekday Amidah we recite the following blessing, which is one powerful connection to the idea of redemption:
“בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’, גּוֹאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל”
“Blessed are You, God, Redeemer of Israel.”

Additionally, a meaningful personal blessing inspired by Parshat Shemot could be:
“May you be blessed to recognize your sacred mission, like Moses, and to act with courage and humility in partnership with God to bring freedom and justice to the world.”

This blessing encapsulates the idea of Moses’s journey from self-doubt to leadership and God’s call for human action in the pursuit of redemption.

– Rabbi Eve Posen

Source: Redemption Song