But Jewish tradition teaches us that justice, true justice, is at the very heart of the Divine. And that the way we act in the world has cosmic repercussions.

In Shemot Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, we find a fascinating exploration of this concept. It all centers around the verse, "Draw, and take for yourselves lambs" (Exodus 12:21) – a seemingly simple instruction before the Exodus. But the Rabbis see so much more within it.

The verse is connected to Proverbs 16:11, "A just balance and scales are the Lord's." This idea of divine justice, of a perfect cosmic balance, is key. The Midrash uses the examples of Moses and Samuel to illustrate this point. Both towering figures, both prophets, yet their interactions with God were different. Moses would ascend to God to receive divine speech. But with Samuel, the text says, "The Lord came and stood" (1 Samuel 3:10). Why the difference?

According to the Midrash, God says, "With justice and righteousness I interact with the person." Moses sat in one place, and people came to him for judgment (Exodus 18:13). Samuel, however, traveled throughout the land, going to the people so they wouldn't have to travel to him (1 Samuel 7:16). Because Samuel went the extra mile, God met him where he was. A beautiful idea, isn't it? That God responds to our efforts, meeting us in our own dedication to justice and righteousness.

The Midrash continues with another example: Judah. Because Judah saved three lives – Tamar and her two sons – from being burned, God saved three of his descendants – Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya (better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) – from the fiery furnace. Again, "a just balance and scales are the Lord's." One good deed begets another.

But what about suffering? What about injustice? The Midrash doesn’t shy away from this. It recalls the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt. For eighty long years, they endured hardship. The Egyptians would flaunt their food, eating meat while the Israelites were denied even a taste. As it says in Exodus 16:3, the Israelites remember "when we sat by the fleshpot," emphasizing that they could only sit near the meat, unable to partake.

So, what was God's response? The Midrash says that God declared, "You caused My children to drool with the meat that you would eat, and you would not give them any; I, too, will arrange for My children to slaughter the lambs to which you prostrate yourselves. They will eat and you will be envious. Why? Because I am the true judge."

This brings us back to the original verse: "Draw, and take for yourselves lambs." It wasn't just about preparing for the Exodus. It was about divine justice. The Egyptians, who had denied the Israelites even the scraps of meat, would now watch as the Israelites sacrificed and consumed the very animals the Egyptians worshipped. It was a reversal of fortune, a rebalancing of the scales.

The Shemot Rabbah here reminds us that the world operates on principles of justice, even when it doesn’t always appear that way. Our actions have consequences, not just for ourselves but for the world around us. And perhaps most importantly, it suggests that even in the face of injustice, hope remains, because the scales, ultimately, are held by the One who is just.