This weekend Jews around the world will begin reading the book of Exodus as part of our annual cycle of reading the Five Books of Moses.

Every year I marvel at the Exodus story, with its classic villain, reluctant hero, female resistance movement, determined Deity, and cast of thousands. It’s easy to see why the movies about it were so successful. So much drama! So many nubile women and handsome men! And such fabulous special effects!

It doesn’t really matter that there’s no proof that any of it happened, and no record of slaves numbering in the tens of thousands escaping from Egyptian bondage. Because the truth of the story lies not in facts but in its ability to convey deep Truths.

The Truth of the Exodus is that it is the foundational story of the Jewish people. It envisions us as a people who have a mission on behalf of ourselves and others. We are beholden to a vision of a world that can be a better place for all.

Like Abraham before him, Moses answered Hineini when God called; “Here I am,” he said.

It’s one of my favorite moments in Torah, because it is an exceptionally brave thing to say, and Moses wasn’t a very brave person at the beginning of his story. He was sometimes hesitant and unsure. But when the moment came, he rose to the occasion.

When I was in a college public relations class, a professor once wrote on the board, “One day, you will be asked to cross your ethical threshold.” And he signed it with a flourish.

He explained that, as much as we believed that we would rise to the occasion, we could never truly know how we would respond until the moment came.

Mine came a few years later when I was assigned a client that manufactured guns, and I was told that part of my job would be to join the NRA. I asked my boss what would happen if I declined, and he said that there would be an invisible and unofficial black mark next to my name, and that I would never receive a promotion. I declined the assignment and eventually left to work for a university.

God wasn’t about to let Moses off the hook so easily. Once God picks you out of the crowd, it isn’t easy to say no.

But God didn’t leave Moses to undertake the task alone. Aaron joined him, and God was there too, every step of the way. It was a long, hard, journey. The Torah says that there were moments when Moses despaired, when Aaron despaired, when even God despaired.

Over the thousands of years since that mythical journey my people have despaired, and been nearly destroyed again and again.

Yet every day we say Hineini. Here I am. Here we are. We stand together, never seeing exactly eye to eye, but always determined to continue as a people with a mission.

This is the message of the Exodus. Its echoes reverberate through the ages, giving us strength and renewed determination. We may falter and sometimes we may fail, but we will continue to say Hineini. Here I am.