Yitro
Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
Précis: Following last week’s trip through the Red Sea, Moses is reunited with Jethro (“Yitro”), his wife Zipporah, and with his two sons. Jethro gives sage advice to Moses about delegating responsibility, and Moses appoints assistants (judges). The Israelites come to the foot of Mount Sinai where, in the definitive transcendental experience, they experience Revelation, as the “Ten Utterances” (Commandments) are spoken to the People by the very Voice of God.
Exodus 20:2 "I the Lord am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage."
It is often said that Judaism is a faith and a way of life. Let’s take a closer look at this concept, because it says something that is indeed profound. While some religions suggest that faith alone is needed for salvation, Judaism is a faith which demands observance of a plethora of actions. In other words, it suggests and demands a comprehensive way of life: actions, attitudes, as well as belief.
On one hand, some Jews seem believe that Judaism means we can observe all (or some) of the detailed commandments of Torah, even if we lack a faith in a Supreme Being. They may be cultural Jews, agnostic Jews, ethnic Jews, or even gastronomic Jews. On the other hand, many believe that not only do we need to observe the commandments, but we also need to have faith and belief in a well-defined God.
The Ten Commandments begin with an affirmation of God's reality, from which flows our moral obligations. Jewish texts demand both faith and action. The first “utterance” (commandment is perhaps an improper translation) ends with the resonant phrase, "from the house of bondage (mi-beit avadim)." Rashi stresses: in Egypt, the Israelites were slaves (avadim) to Pharaoh; now they are the servants (avadim) of God, as the Torah says later: "For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants: they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt, I the Lord their God" (Leviticus 25:55).
The issue of faith or action is honed by Rashi’s comment: we are freed from slavery in order to submit to God’s commands. We are not, however, substituting one slave master for another: with and through faith, we are free to accept God’s commands (however we might interpret them).
Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
The Challenge of Freedom
B'shalach
Exodus 13:17-17:16
Précis: And when Pharaoh “had let them go” (b’shalach), the story of the Exodus from Egypt is concluded - almost. Carrying with them the bones of Joseph and the "spoils of Egypt," Moses leads the Israelites by way of the Red Sea. They cross the Sea ahead of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, which is subsequently drowned. 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 instructs Moses to strike a rock to obtain water. The Shabbat is introduced as a day of rest, even before it appears in the 10 Commandments. In their first battle, with Amalek, the Israelites are successful as long as Moses’ hands remain in the air, and with the help of Aaron and Joshua (who support Moses’ arms), the Israelites succeed.
Exodus 13:17-18 “Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer....so God led the people round-about, by way of the wilderness...”
The People have finally left Egypt. Let me ask a simple question: Why?
Moses had repeatedly stated to Pharaoh, "Let my people go" (e.g., Exodus 7:16, 7:26, 9:1, etc.). But to what end? We often forget that there is a second part of the phrase: "Let My people go that they may worship Me." "Let my people go" implies freedom "from" slavery, but “that they may worship Me” describes a freedom "to." What are we to make of this distinction?
In his song “Me and Bobby McGee" (made famous by Janice Joplin), Kris Kristofferson writes that “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” To me, the lyric implies that we’re not free until we have no possessions and no connections with others. The lesson of the Torah is profoundly different: Freedom is another word for the ability to accept limits on one's ego and desires. Freedom is not a free pass from responsibility, but is a condition in which we have the ability to do what is just and right. When slaves are subject to the total control by their masters, they cannot care for the sick or feed the hungry. Truly free people are obligated to engage in acts of lovingkindness.
This kind of freedom can be threatening: taking personal responsibility for one’s actions is not easy. The Israelites, beginning in this week’s parasha, time and again seek to return to the “safety” of slavery because of their inability to meet the demands of freedom. Only one who is free can accept the challenge of living a life worth living.
Exodus 13:17-17:16
Précis: And when Pharaoh “had let them go” (b’shalach), the story of the Exodus from Egypt is concluded - almost. Carrying with them the bones of Joseph and the "spoils of Egypt," Moses leads the Israelites by way of the Red Sea. They cross the Sea ahead of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, which is subsequently drowned. 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 instructs Moses to strike a rock to obtain water. The Shabbat is introduced as a day of rest, even before it appears in the 10 Commandments. In their first battle, with Amalek, the Israelites are successful as long as Moses’ hands remain in the air, and with the help of Aaron and Joshua (who support Moses’ arms), the Israelites succeed.
Exodus 13:17-18 “Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer....so God led the people round-about, by way of the wilderness...”
The People have finally left Egypt. Let me ask a simple question: Why?
Moses had repeatedly stated to Pharaoh, "Let my people go" (e.g., Exodus 7:16, 7:26, 9:1, etc.). But to what end? We often forget that there is a second part of the phrase: "Let My people go that they may worship Me." "Let my people go" implies freedom "from" slavery, but “that they may worship Me” describes a freedom "to." What are we to make of this distinction?
In his song “Me and Bobby McGee" (made famous by Janice Joplin), Kris Kristofferson writes that “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” To me, the lyric implies that we’re not free until we have no possessions and no connections with others. The lesson of the Torah is profoundly different: Freedom is another word for the ability to accept limits on one's ego and desires. Freedom is not a free pass from responsibility, but is a condition in which we have the ability to do what is just and right. When slaves are subject to the total control by their masters, they cannot care for the sick or feed the hungry. Truly free people are obligated to engage in acts of lovingkindness.
This kind of freedom can be threatening: taking personal responsibility for one’s actions is not easy. The Israelites, beginning in this week’s parasha, time and again seek to return to the “safety” of slavery because of their inability to meet the demands of freedom. Only one who is free can accept the challenge of living a life worth living.
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