Ex. 13:17-17:16
Précis: And when Pharaoh “had let them go” (b’shalach), the story of the Exodus from Egypt is almost concluded. Carrying with them the bones of Joseph and the “spoils of Egypt,” Moses leads the Israelites by way of the Red (or Reed) Sea. They cross ahead of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, which subsequently drowns in the returning waters. Moses sings his triumphant Song of the Sea, and Miriam’s song of joy follows. The Israelites begin to murmur against Moses and Aaron because of a lack of food and water. God provides heavenly “manna” to eat and provides water as well. The Shabbat is introduced as a day of rest, even before it appears in the Ten Commandments. In their first battle led by Joshua, against Amalek, the Israelites are successful as long as Moses’ hands remain in the air, and with the help of Aaron and Hur (who support Moses’ arms), they prevail.
Ex. 16:3 “If only we had died by the hand of the Eternal in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, when we ate our fill of bread! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole congregation to death.”
With this week’s reading containing some of the most memorable parts of our Jewish Nation’s “foundation story,” (the Exodus, crossing the Red Sea, etc.) what may stand out the most is how quickly the People began to ignore the miracles they had personally witnessed and began to grumble about their conditions. Memory was (and probably still is) ephemeral.
That brings me to mind of recent developments of the new political establishment in the United States. A President who incited insurgency and was impeached for it now seems poised to avoid any consequences because his followers within the Senate seem intent on finding ways to forget about it – it’s unconstitutional, it’s moot. All as if what transpired was forgotten. The former Majority Leader threatens roadblocks if the new majority uses the same tactics as he did when he had the authority to do so, and seems to have forgotten that our constitutional democracy has installed a new group of leaders of the opposite party.
Human nature has not changed in 3,000 years. When faced with difficulties, the troubles of the past are all too easily forgotten. As Michael Gerson (a conservative columnist) wrote in the Washington Post earlier this week, if we forget the events of January 6, the phrase "Remember the 6th!" will become the motto of those who believe that the attack on our Capitol was the modern equivalent of Lexington and Concord - in other words, just the opening shot at armed revolution. Now that our society is faced with a virtually unprecedented set of challenges, we must avoid the kind of amnesia the Israelites faced and we are now facing.
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