In
a poetic retelling of the exodus from Egypt Abraham Ibn Ezra (Spain, 1089-1164)
described Moses as the envoy (tzir) of God (tzur) who saved His
flock (tzon) for Egypt (tzar). But Moses' mission did not end at
the crossing of the Red Sea. Throughout the desert period, the Israelites
continued to need an envoy to mediate their relationship with God. In his book Moses:
Envoy Of God, Envoy Of His People (translated by Perry Zamek) Rabbi Mosheh
Lichtenstein traces the relationship between Moses and Israel from beginning to
end. Today’s drasha is based on Lichtenstein’s book with some of my own
additions, but to figure what is his and what is mine, you’ll need to read the
book.
Two month ago we
read about the young Moses who went out to his brethren and people, was
horrified by the site, struck a blow, killed and fled. It is usually thought
that he fled for fear of the authorities but Lichtenstein adds that he left Egypt because
he was discouraged by the Israelites’ unwillingness to rise up against
oppression or accept him as their leader.
In Midian, he
continues to act on behalf of the weak and comes to the aid of the
shepherdesses, which leads to his first meeting with his future farther-in-law,
Jethro. He marries, finds a job and settles down as a shepherd. Alone in the
desert, he develops his inner life. Years pass.
At the burning
bush God calls to Moses and demands that he return to his people and public
life. Just as God Himself “comes down” to the people, Moses must go back to
Egypt and take on responsibility. Moses hesitates but it was impossible to
refuse. At the bush, God promises Moses that once he has taken the people out
of Egypt, he will again serve God on that very mountain.
God kept his
promise. According to tradition, that mountain was Mt. Sinai, not only the site
where the Torah was given but also the mountain in our parasha where
Moses begs for the life of the people and also experience the vision of God’s
goodness passing before him.
If, for the
Israelites, the sin of the Golden Calf was an extreme failure, for Moses it was
his greatest hour. After the crisis, Moses rose to even greater heights and
merits a unique spiritual experience that leaves his face shining with a divine
light. Is there a relationship between these two events? Was Moses’ spiritual
elevation the result of his actions following the crisis of the Golden Calf?
According to
Lichtenstein, the answer is yes. The supreme dedication that he showed toward
the Israelites leads to his reward. The youth who abandoned his brothers and
turned his back on them because he was fed up with their apathy and passivity,
now risks his life for them. He refuses the Divine offer to become the father
of a new people, after the God destroys the stubborn Israelites. With his self-sacrifice,
Moses earns a private revelation. But
not immediately.
First, he takes
action to end the people’s passivity and teach them to take responsibility, so
they can manage without him and won’t ever need another golden calf. He moves
the tent of meeting out of the camp. When it was in the midst of the camp,
Moses could see and hear much of what was going on and intervene very easily.
Now, they will have to manage by themselves. If people need him, they know
where to find him, but it will take an effort. Moses risks weakening or even
severing his connection to the people but there is no choice.
The Kotzker Rebbe
taught: Even though a maidservant at the Sea had a vision greater than that of
the prophet Ezekiel, she remained a maidservant. Passive vision is not enough.
Acquiring Torah takes effort.
Only after Moses
takes steps to ensure the physical and religious survival of the people, does
he again ascend the mountain, hide in the crevice and see God’s glory.
Moses learned that
serving God begins with serving His people. Public responsibility is an inseparable
part of the religious experience. This was true for Moses and it is true for
us. We are not Moses and we don’t need to take the Israelites out of Egypt, but
there is no shortage of tasks, suited to each person and his or her particular
skills. We just need to identify the opportunity and say, “Here I am.”
