Finding One's Authentic Voice: Empowered Through Others (Bo 5775)

We know Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be one of the most inspiring orators -- ever. Yet there is a legend about when he entered seminary that King was still developing his 'voice.'  For example, he took nine (!) homiletics courses in just three years at seminary.  According to one legend about his time there, King was encouraged to go out with classmates and listen to other preachers.  Learn from them.  Even before that, King had developed many powerful ideas.  But he needed to listen to and collaborate with others in order to develop his own authentic voice. 

Rabbi Heschel, Rev King, Rev Abernathy,
 Rabbi Eisendrath  Rabbi Gendler (1968)

I shared that message with the annual Women in Leadership conference of the Bay Area Teachers Development Collaborative hosted by Jewish Community High School earlier this week. The conference theme this year was "Honoring Your Authentic Voice."  

An oddity in this week's Torah portion suggests an insight.  It opens with God telling Moses, "Go to Pharaoh."  (Exodus 10:1) The Hebrew here is different from the first time Moses gets a similar instruction.  (Compare "bo" in Exodus 10:1 with "lech" in Exodus 3:27.) Yet usually both terms are translated the same:  "Go!"  The Hebrew term used this week literally could be translated as "Come!"  Like Martin Luther King centuries later, Moses was a community leader still trying to find his authentic voice.  Moses had developed powerful ideas but was reluctant to express them in words.  Just the opposite, Moses expressed reluctance to use his voice; afraid he was not up to the task.  

Perhaps, the message Torah using "Come" instead of "Go" here was meant as an encouragement.  It is an invitation to collaborate instead of an imperative to act alone.  It is as if God were saying "Come with Me and your brother Aaron. Don't worry, you won't be alone."  In that sense Moses was encouraged to come along and collaborate with.  Or in other words, instead of worrying that your own voice is inadequate, Moses, come along and let's do this together.

The confluence of Dr. King, women leader's honoring their authentic voices, and this week's Torah portion provides a powerful reminder that discovering one's authentic voice involves requires more than just having important things to say. It also means listening, networking, and collaborating.  It relies on others.   When we are afraid or unsure of our true voice, we can overcome those anxieties through collaborating with others and knowing we are not alone.  We are empowered through others.