Darkness Which May be Felt...

[muninnskiss]

כא וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; וְיָמֵשׁ, חֹשֶׁךְ
כב וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדוֹ, עַל-הַשָּׁמָיִם; וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ-אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים
כג לֹא-רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת-אָחִיו, וְלֹא-קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו--שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים; וּלְכָל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר, בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם
21 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.'
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;
23 they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Darkness here is חשך, Choshek. It means "darkness" but can also mean "secret place".  It is the same "darkness" found in Genesis, the Darkness over the face of the deep.  The same Darkness that once covered everything was brought down on Egypt.  Notice that the Darkness can be felt.  It's more than just an absence of Light; it's something tangible, something that exists on its own.  For three days, Egypt felt the Darkness, felt that Secret Place.  It scared them enough that Pharaoh considered letting the people of Israel go.  This is the Fear of the Dark that we all have.  Are we willing to step into that Darkness that can be felt, into that Secret Place?  Can we last in the Darkness for one day?  How about for three?

~Muninn's Kiss