Moses – holy scribbles

parasha Vayakhel 5784

“Let the graciousness of the L-rd our G-d be upon us; establish Thou also upon us the work of our hands; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it.” – Psalm 90:17, JPS 1917 Tanach

Upon completing the monumental construction all of the various components of the Mishkan (portable tabernacle in the desert), the artisans and craftsmen brought everything to Moses, who responded with the appropriate enthusiasm of the leader of B’nei Yisrael (the Children of Israel):

“And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as the LORD had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them.” The Israelites had done all that was commanded of them, so of course, they deserved a blessing. Yet, what does a blessing in and of itself constitute, especially for such an enormous amount of work that was done willingly, as a free gift offering, by they whom committed themselves to the task?

In the modern world, renumeration for services rendered is the norm amongst those who work for a living; and, often we value our selves, based upon our abilities and profession, as well as the opportunity to provide for ourselves. Yet, anyone, including myself, who has worked as a volunteer for some cause knows the reward for doing so; to feel a part of greater whole, for the sole sake of contributing to a good cause is an invaluable estimation of one’s time and effort in the endeavor.

Even so, the greater picture concerns our contribution to the expectations of G-d for the sake of others, as well as ourselves. There is no remuneration that can be measured in terms that would assess the benefits that the soul receives for having been part of G-d’s master plan; for He is the great architect of our lives, as well as the end goal of all human endeavors that are in alignment with His divine blueprint for the world.

The Mishkan was constructed for the sake of providing a place where G-d’s presence would rest amongst His people. The project required a coordinated effort from the people to build something of lasting value for the sake of maintaining a connection with G-d. We would also do well to consider, that whatever we do will only be established through the blessings of G-d in our lives, whether we realize the nature of those blessings or not. The more we contribute to worthy endeavors that will be approved in His eyes, the greater will be our security.

parasha Shemot 5784

When the Ordinary is Extraordinary

When Moses stood in front of the burning bush, G-d told him to take off his shoes, for he was standing upon “holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). How can this phenomenon be construed as relevant to our own lives? When we enter a place of worship, the local synagogue where we pray, for example, there is more of a feeling of being in the presence of G-d, because of the sanctity of the space. Yet, what about within the framework of our lives? Where does the sacred appear, when we are aware enough to notice it in front of our very eyes, in the experience of the moment?

The truth of the matter is that it’s taught that we need only recognize the sacredness of the very ground that we are standing upon (R’ Hirsch), metaphorically speaking, at any given point in time. In other words, we need to connect with the experience at hand, and understand how even the mundane moments of our lives have a purpose in G-d’s plan. The connection between ordinary moments and our purpose in life is key.

Whatever ground we stand upon in our lives, is where we will prosper most. If we set our sights on lofty endeavors beyond our reach at that particular point in time, instead of attempting to understand what is set before us in the here and now, then we will miss out on the concealed meaning of that moment. Our minds will be elsewhere, preoccupied with other thoughts.

Realizing the potential of ordinary moments depends on our perception. The meaning of the ordinary in our lives can be revealed, if we are perceptive enough to see behind the veil of the mundane. Even the ordinary is imbued with meaning in the moment.

The attention of Moses was drawn to the burning bush, that was not consumed by fire. He saw beyond the ordinary appearance of a bush in the wilderness and was receptive for an encounter with H’Shem. Connecting to the divine in our lives happens when we are open to the moment.

Redemption of Israel

dvar for parasha Vayeira (Exodus 6:2 – 9:35) 5783

Moses was not content with the status quo at the time that he was growing up in Pharaoh’s court. Having known of his lineage, that he was indeed a Hebrew, raised up by Pharaoh’s daughter, Batya, he commiserated with his brethren. In all likelihood, he sought solace apart from the court activities, solitude away from the regal distractions of luxury, and took early morning walks prompted by his soul-stirrings.

On one of these walks, he encountered one of his brethren being beaten by an Egyptian taskmaster. He defended his brother against the Egyptian, and buried the Egyptian in the sand. Perhaps, he thought that this would motivate the Israelites to rise up against their captors. Yet, when he learned the next morning that his reprisal against the Egyptian was known, he was compelled to flee for his life.

He became a shepherd in Midian, and once, while searching for a stray sheep, encountered G-d at the burning bush. So, it wasn’t until forty years after leaving Egypt, that he was given his mission from G-d to serve as the redeemer of his people Israel, alongside his brother, Aaron. And, through G-d’s intervention for the sake of His people, the plagues were sent upon the Egyptian people, as mentioned in parasha Vayeira, wherein the first seven plagues are noted.

It is human nature to be drawn toward some higher purpose in life, unique to the calling of ourselves as individuals. Yet, too easily, without the proper soul-searching necessary in order to find one’s purpose in life, people may get caught up in the most convenient way to find ready-made meaning, such as a movement that promises some type of liberation for self and others. This is not the way to discover one’s true purpose in life, and the implications are far-reaching.

On the one hand, if we bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich was mistakenly thought to do, then we will perceive nothing like we should, within the framework of truth, values, and responsibility. Moses knew who he was; his identity was secure in his association with his kindred people, the Israelites. Today, many in the West suffer from identity confusion at the core of our beings, if our roots have been severed.

And, in such a climate of dissociation from heritage, not anchored in past traditions, beliefs, and practices, lost in doubt about their purpose, people can be easily swayed. Consequently, riding on the wake of the false promises of progressivism, the masses will eagerly receive the promise of a utopia.

Moses was chosen as the redeemer, to bring the message of freedom, along with Aaron to Pharaoh. Moses served as a conduit for G-d’s power, expressed through the plagues and the miracle at the Sea of Reeds. We look to the Final Redeemer, who will serve as a beacon of light in this world of darkness.

It’s Covenantal

“Now mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the L-RD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” – Exodus 19:18, JPS 1917 Tanach

“He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.” – Psalm 18:10

The L-RD descended upon Mount Sinai, in the midst of fire and smoke. Later, the Torah records the phenomenon that surrounded His awesome presence, inclusive of thunder, lightning, and the sound of ram’s horns (shofars). How was the L-RD, who sits on His throne in Seventh Heaven, as a transcendent G-d, able to descend upon Mt. Sinai, demonstrating His immanence? “He bowed the heavens,” stretching the heavens towards earth, so that He could simultaneously continue to reside in Heaven while appearing on Mt. Sinai. This may be understood as figurative language, inasmuch that the human mind can not comprehend this magnanimous feat.

And, yet, the language of “bowing down the heavens,” may very well in and of itself, describe something that took place beyond our understanding. There are of course examples of visions, amongst the prophets, who saw G-d in Heaven; yet, this was G-d’s actual presence arriving upon Mt. Sinai. The Revelation at Sinai is the pivotal event in the lives of the Children of Israel, who as former slaves were brought into an official covenant relationship with G-d, when the commandments were given at Sinai.

Thus, we became His people, and He became our G-d, inasmuch that this covenant stands today within the framework of a continuous relationship with the L-RD; this covenant is extant today for Israel, as well as all, who like Yisro sought to join with Israel. “And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for G-d; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before G-d” (Exodus 18:12, JPS). Thus, foreshadowing, entrance into the covenant through faith (Exodus 18:11).