A powerful biblical thought written by my 19 yr. old, Shaina: The Moses Approach In last week’s Torah reading, Parshas Shemos, the first volume in the book of numbers, the Jewish people begin their horrific enslavement in Egypt. G-d seeks Moses in the desert and appoints him redeemer of Israel. G-d commands Moses to inform the Jewish people that He – I will be what I will be – has heard their cries and remembered them. He instructs Moses to speak to the Jewish people and revive their faith in G-d. Thus, he tells them: I will be with you in your current suffering as I will be with you in your future suffering. Moses, however, thinks differently. Rashi, a leading commentary on the Torah, says that Moses had challenged G-d and told him not to speak of the future. Why should I mention another trouble? They have enough with this trouble .Even more shocking than a mortal man’s censure of G-d is the fact that G-d listens. I believe Rashi is touching on a more profound idea. In his refusal to address the future pain Jews will experience, Moses is really demanding of G-d there be no future, whether positive or negative. He wanted them to experience an imminent and absolute redemption: Moshiach. I heard something recently that resonated with me and reinforced my love for the weekly Torah portion. It goes like this: “If you live with the weekly Torah reading, you live with the day.” Unfortunately, the horrors of the past few months, and especially the past few days, have been appalling. The Har Nof massacre, the Australian hostage crisis, and then seventeen innocent lives taken in France by cold-blooded terrorists who do not value life. Now, seventeen families sit in anguish and indescribable pain. I believe this is the time that the world must fortify itself against terrorism, battle it, and finally obliterate it from our world. The terrorist must be held responsible for their sickening attacks and be brought to justice once and for all. Nonetheless, G-d must also do his part. He must fulfill his promise in protecting humanity and bringing the redemption immediately. For centuries, we have followed G-d’s instruction of and you shall choose life. Even in the most challenging times of crusades, inquisitions, pogroms and holocausts, we have never abandoned it. G-d must do the same and in a way we can actually see it. I have heard even my classmates’ claim that the postponement of redemption is because of sin. They try to justify the tragedies that befall the Jewish people on the basis of their sins. Initially, Moses had adopted a similar approach. When Moses was commanded by G-d to go and redeem his people, he attempted to blame the Jewish people for his potential inability to complete the mission. They will surely not believe me nor heed what I say. G-d himself reprimanded Moses for blaming the Jewish people. Striking Moses with leprosy, G-d explained to him that slandering Jews is never an option. For the Jewish people today, G-d’s directive is only more fitting. We dwell in a cold and dark diaspora where G-d’s revelation is especially scarce. As we strengthen our Judaism, we should be sure to never be motivated by punishment or sin. We are the most loyal nation to ever exist – and deserve encouragement and not incrimination. It was this admonition from G-d that taught Moses how to be a true leader – one who is a man of his people and always stands with them. It is time, we as the Jewish people cease saying that the future will be better—because the future should be now. Moses reminded G-d, there must be no better future but a better present. We must do the same. As we combat terrorism in the world, we must also demand of G-d to finally bring the redemption—Now. G-d must be he who will be with you now, transforming the future redemption into our current reality. At the end of this Torah portion, Moses takes this conviction to an extreme. When Pharaoh increases the labor of the Jewish people, while Moses holds Pharaoh responsible, he does the same for G-d. G-d had promised him the redemption, but he doesn’t buy into the “better future.” At that moment, Jews were suffering and he couldn’t bear to witness it, even for a moment. Instead, he challenges G-d. Raising his voice directly to G-d, he says: Why have you acted wickedly with this nation. Can you imagine the courage it takes to be able to say those words to G-d? To point your finger at G-d and say “ you acted wickedly?” And yet G-d gives in. He says to Moses, Now you will see what I will do…. One of the Rabbi’s from Mayanot, the Womens’ Yeshiva I had the privilege to study at last year in Jerusalem, told me something I pray stays with me forever. To paraphrase, he said that a true Jewish leader is someone who is a “protector of his people” – he who does not see iniquity and innocence in his people, but chooses to see the virtue in his people at any given time. That is precisely the reason Moses was among the greatest leaders of the Jewish people, if not the greatest. We must be the Moses of today. We have to stop blaming Jews for delaying the redemption and insist that G-d bring salvation immediately. To those who claim that the recent atrocities are tests, I say to you: they are too demanding. Its time we take the “Moses approach,” the stance of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who cried out in response to pain and suffering: Until When? How much longer will you conceal yourself from us? How much longer will the Jewish people and the world experience suffering? G-d, we have always appreciated the blessings you have granted, but we can’t tolerate the darkness of reality. We have been in exile for over two thousand years. We are tired of speaking about a ‘better future.’ It’s time for a better present.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:15:14 +0000