Looking for God in the Mundane

Shemot
Exodus 1:1 - 6:1

Précis: With this parasha, we begin the second book of the Bible, Exodus. In Hebrew, the title for this book is “Shemot” (“names”) because the first verses begin with a listing of “names” of the Israelites who came down to Egypt with Jacob, Joseph, and the rest of the family.
     A new Pharaoh has arisen who “does not remember Joseph.” He afflicts the Israelites and orders the killing of all male children. A Levite male child is born, is hidden by his parents, and is sent down the river in a reed basket where he is found by Pharaoh’s daughter. He is, of course, subsequently identified as Moses.
     Nothing appears in the text about Moses’ childhood, other than that he is raised in the house of Pharaoh. As an adult, Moses witnesses a taskmaster beating a Hebrew, and slays the taskmaster. Next, he witnesses a fight between two Hebrews. When he attempts to intervene, one mentions Moses’ killing of the Egyptian. Fearing disclosure, Moses flees to the desert.
     There, Moses becomes a shepherd in the camp of Jethro, a Midianite “priest. ” He encounters the burning bush and learns God’s “name.” Moses receives his charge to free the Israelites and is provided with signs to authenticate his mission. Before leaving Jethro, Moses marries Zipporah, and they have a child. Moses and his brother Aaron go before Pharaoh and ask that the people be freed to worship God in the desert. They are refused, and the burdens are increased on the slaves, who become angry with Moses for his interference. The parasha ends with God telling Moses, “You now will see what I will do to Pharaoh.”

Exodus 4:2-4: “The Lord said to him. ‘What is that in your hand?’ And he replied, ‘A rod.’ He said, ‘Cast it on the ground.' He cast it on the ground and it became a snake, and Moses recoiled from it.”
     As JTS Chancellor Schorsch has noted (JTS Distance Leaning Project, 1/ 22/04), Moses’ staff is found in many places, first here at the burning bush, but later in connection with various plagues, at the parting of the Red Sea, to help beat back an enemy during a battle, and when Moses strikes the rock seeking water. There is nothing special about the staff; in fact, midrash suggests that it the same one used by Moses when he worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro.
     The Egyptian worked their magic through spells and incantations; Moses' use of the staff is accompanied only by silence. The distinction in not between our God and other gods, but rather between God and the mortals who appeal to false, nonexistent gods. As such, the rod becomes a symbol of monotheism in Judaism. Men lacked the power to coerce “god” into action through spells or incantations. The entire concept of superstition and magic are alien to Jewish thought and practice (which is not to say that we as a people have not from time to time been influenced by such factors). So the first lesson of this verse is an affirmation of the unity and uniqueness of God.
      There is a second lesson about the rod: it was a symbol of God’s involvement in the world. It was by using an inconspicuous common tool that God made His presence felt in the world. How often do we overlook symbols of God’s involvement in our world today? When we see a tree giving shade, a beautiful seashore or mountain, we may certainly think of God's presence as a Creator. The real challenge is to see God in the mundane, ordinary things of life. To remind ourselves of God's involvement in the world, our tradition teaches us to recite blessings in connection with all of the mundane activities of daily life. We bless God's name when we arise, when we wash, when we eat and when we drink in order to remember that He is part of our daily lives. Like the simple rod, a "bracha" is a reminder that God is ever-present.