Early Thursday morning, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake woke me up. Barely. Perhaps it was just a dream? For many, it came as a surprise the next morning that they had missed out on the "action". Its epicenter was located in Berkley 45 miles away. Thankfully, no injuries or damage.
Everything we experience in life can teach and inspire us.
Living a peaceful life sounds like a dream. Imagine not having to worry, not having unmet needs, simply able to kick back and relax. However, with it, comes a 
certain danger, or at the very least something to be wary of. Complacency. A gentle shake every now and then can be our natural alarm clock, not to fall asleep on the job. Floating along on your kayak can be relaxing, but it won't necessarily land us at our destination.
In Egypt, which is where the Jews find themselves swimming in this week's Torah, the greatest challenge that they faced was getting too comfortable. If they learned to accept life the way it was, slavery and all, they would no longer have any desire to leave, to find a better life, to become free.
So they set up safeguards, mechanisms to help them from forgetting the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel. They resolved to keep their Jewish identity strong by not adopting an Egyptian lifestyle. They kept their names, their mode of dress, and their language. They decided to paddle upstream.
In our own lives, we can think of where complacency might be hampering our dreams and aspirations. And whether or not we woke up from the earthquake, we can use it as a jolt to remind us to keep on growing.
p.s. Like the Jews in Egypt, if you'd like to read Hebrew, join RIIH - a 5 week Hebrew Reading crash course, that will take you from A to Z (or Aleph to Tav as the case may be). Enter without knowing a single letter, leave being able to read straight from a Hebrew prayer book.
ב"ה