Collective Punishment

Bo

Ex. 10:1-13:16

Précis: God sends additional plagues (locusts and darkness) and alerts Moses that the 10^th and final plague will follow. God instructs Moses on the institution of the Passover. Then, the final plague, the death of first born, is wrecked upon Egypt. The Israelites, accompanied by the “mixed multitudes,” leave Egypt, carrying with them the “spoils of Egypt” given to them by the Egyptians. The parasha ends with a repetition of the laws regarding Passover.

Ex. 12:29 “In the middle of the night the Lord struck down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat upon the thrown to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle.”

            This verse raises the matter of collective punishment. We can understand the deaths of the Pharaoh’s first-born, perhaps even of his courtiers. But prisoners in the dungeon? What guilt did they have in enslaving the Israelites or in refusing to let them go? Abraham argued that Sodom could not be destroyed for the sake of 10 righteous people. Were there not ten righteous among the first-born of Egypt?

            One part of our tradition suggests that collective punishment comes when we fail collectively to seek justice. Our tradition also teaches us that while we are not responsible for the actions of others, we are responsible to speak out against evil.  

            Silence in the face of evil abets future evil.  Where were the “good Germans” when Hitler rose to power? In this week’s reading, where were the “good Egyptians?” Their silence damned them all.  As Edmund Burke has been quoted, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” When we are silent in the face of evil, we are implicated in the evil itself.

                We may lack the ability to quash what is wrong in our society, but we certainly do not have the ability to remain silent.

Knowing in your kishkas

This week's d'var is also appearing in the Washington Jewish Week, so it's not exactly like a "regular" weekly message. Hope you enjoy it, and have a Shabbat Shalom.

This week’s reading (Va’era, Ex. 6:2-9:35) includes the familiar story of the first seven of the ten plagues visited upon Egypt. God “hardens Pharaoh’s heart” and he refuses to allow the Israelites to leave.

            The parasha has a vignette which does not appear in the Cecil B. DeMille version of the story.  Moses, apparently, was no Charlton Heston.  We read in Ex. 6:12–13 “But Moses appealed to the Lord, saying, ‘The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech?’ So, the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron in regard to the Israelites and Pharaoh King of Egypt, instructing them to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt.”

            God has instructed Moses to go before Pharaoh and demand freedom for the Israelites. Moses, having already been derided by the Israelites for increasing their labors, now fears to go to Pharaoh. God responds by instructing Moses to go with his brother, Aaron, who will serve as Moses’ spokesman. Why does Aaron suddenly become a key player in the biggest story in our Biblical history?

            One can suggest that Aaron was, as the text states, an intermediary because Moses suffered from a speech impediment (perhaps, as midrash suggests, due to his choice as a child of a burning coal over a gem). But Aaron’s role is not limited to being an intermediary between Moses and Pharaoh; he is also an intermediary between Moses and the Israelites. Moses felt righteous indignation when observing a taskmaster abusing a Hebrew slave. However, he could not understand, in his heart of hearts (or as my grandmother would say, “in his kishkas”) what slavery was all about, not having experienced it personally. Aaron, on the other hand, had personal knowledge of the tribulations imposed on the Israelites, and so Moses could use Aaron’s experience to cross the divide between the Israelites and himself. As the Sages note, Aaron’s outstanding characteristic is as a peacemaker; he could make the people “listen” when they refused Moses. Moses cannot do it alone; he needs the support of his brother Aaron in order to lead the Israelites.

            There is an interesting parallel we might consider. Contemporary American Jews have largely been raised, like Moses, in privileged circumstances. We have the ability to advocate on behalf of our Israeli brothers and sisters, yet we cannot feel in our heart of hearts the depth of emotion and the trauma they feel caused by constant threats, wars, and terrorism. The Moses/Aaron partnership shows that it is imperative for us to form a strong and close coalition with Israelis, on every level, and to remember that while we cannot feel precisely what Israelis feel, we can and must serve as their forceful advocates to others.

            This episode also shows the need for unity in our own communities. Faith is not an individual search for truth and understanding for Jews. We do not have a significant tradition of solitary contemplation in a cave or on a mountain top. We study texts jointly, in chevrutah. We daven together in a minyan. Our quest for faith in God is a communal one, made possible by the connections we create with our families and friends, teachers and all of our fellow Jews. Alone, life’s journey is difficult. Together, with God’s help, much is possible.

Questions to discuss:

1. An alternative translation of “impeded speech” is “uncircumcised lips.” Does this mean that Moses had a physical impairment, or might it be an emotional issue?

2. How can parents best instill a love of Israel in their children?