B'SHALACH – SHABBAT SHIRA 5779
MIRACLES – BASIC AND OTHERWISE
January 17, 2019
11 Shevat 5779
At the Sea of Reeds (the Red Sea) the liberated Israelites witnessed the demise of the vaunted Egyptian army. In their euphoria they joined Moses in a lusty rendition of the Song of the Sea. "Who is like unto Thee O Lord among the mighty," they chanted; "Who was like unto Thee… doing wonders?" (Exodus 15: 11). The people embraced God as their King of Kings and expressed their faith in Moses.
The euphoria lasted until their third day in the desert when the only water source was brackish and bitter. Then the very people who had been miraculously saved at the banks of the sea grumbled mightily to Moses. The crisis was averted when, following God's command, Moses cast a branch into the water that was then instantly sweetened.
Soon thereafter the people complained to Moses that there was no longer any food. God then followed up with yet another miracle. Every morning there was manna from heaven at the entrance of every tent. This, however, was accompanied by the caveat that the daily portion of manna was to be consumed during that day; none was too kept for the morrow. Only on Friday were they to gather a double portion to tide them over the Shabbat when there would be no manna. The Torah also notes that the Israelites were sustained by the manna during their forty years in the desert.
The twin miracles of water and manna are bracketed by the deliverance at the sea and then in the successful war against the Amalekites. The message is clear: physical security to defend against external enemies is essential, but there is no hope for survival without the basics of food and water.
In 1992, while campaigning for the presidency, Bill Clinton's mantra was, "it's the economy, stupid." People's primary concerns are food, water and shelter plus assurance of employment. Governments that fail to meet these needs inevitably face social unrest, and ultimately the change of rulers through either the ballot or the bullet.
The Torah, obviously concerned that these basic needs be provided, mandates that all be assured of ample sustenance. God's blessings are not only for us to enjoy; they are to be shared even with the strangers in our midst.
For decades the United States was the destination for millions from impoverished societies. They arrived hungry and thirsty hoping for the opportunity to be able to provide for their basic needs. Once on our shores, they provided the human power and amazing talent that sparked the economy and made America into a successful and powerful nation.
It's no surprise that that America continues to be a magnet for the hungry and downtrodden. The ongoing drama that continues to unfold at our southern border is but another phase of the hungry, thirsty and endangered, seeking a better and more secure life in our midst.
The Torah would have us keep in mind that we are blessed stewards of God's gifts and expected to serve as His agents in sharing these blessings with those in need.
As individuals and as a nation, may our response to the current challenges reflect a willingness to embrace, to the best of our ability, the eternal challenge to be God's steward in reaching out to the less fortunate before us.
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From Chicago, where the family is gathered to celebrate the birth of my great-granddaughter, Penelope Raye, my best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach, a Shabbat of peace and of blessing.
Rabbi Arnold M Goodman
BO 5779
ACCOUNTABILITY
January 10, 2019
4 Shevat 5779
Seven plagues have inflicted significant damage upon Egypt and its people. During each plague, Pharaoh promises to liberate the Israelites only to go back on his word following its termination. In what is a halfhearted compromise, Pharaoh does agree to allow the men to leave for the purported three-day sacrifice in the desert, but the women and children were to remain behind. Moses rejects this proposal and then warns Pharaoh of the impending plague of the locusts that would ravage the remaining crops in the field.
After Moses leaves, Pharaoh's advisors say to him, "How long shall this be a snare to us? … Are you not aware that Egypt may well be lost?" (Exodus 10:7) As gently as possible, they reminded Pharaoh that he was accountable to Egypt; he was responsible for its safety and survival.
The enslaved Israelites were accountable to Pharaoh who efficiently monitored their productivity. During the passing of years and decades, their hope for freedom evaporated. Pharaoh was the master of their destiny and to whom they were totally accountable.
With each plague, however, their hope for freedom was bolstered. Then, prior to the tenth plague, God commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb (sacred to the Egyptians) and dab its blood on the door posts of their homes. Supposedly, this was to enable God to pass over their homes as he slew all of Egypt's first born. God obviously did not need any sign to help Him distinguish between Israelite and Egyptian homes; the public sacrifice of the lamb and placing some of its blood on their door posts affirmed that the heretofore enslaved Israelite were no longer accountable to Pharaoh, but to God. His many mitzvot (commandments) would now shape their individual and community lives.
This new relationship with God, in effect, exchanged one authority for another. My colleague, Prof. Eliezer Diamond, in a piece published some years ago, wrote, "Pharaoh is the archetype of self-centered, destructive authority. … If we confuse all authority with the authority of tyranny, we are immeasurably impoverished. God's voice, embodied in the Torah, also speaks to us in the voice of authority, but the intended goal is to awaken within us the forces of good, of conscience… That we may find all that is good within ourselves."
Accountability to God demands that we focus on our accountability to others. We live in a web of relationships. Whether as parents, children, employers, employees, professionals providing medical, legal, industrial services, etc., we are accountable to others, even as they are to us. Accountability is ultimately a two-way street, and we thus hold God accountable if He does not strive to implant within us the commitment and the ability to bring light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, goodness where there is evil.
May each of us, as willing servants of God, be blessed with that inner godliness that inspires and enables us to beautify and enrich our lives and the lives of others.
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From the holy city of Jerusalem my best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach, a Shabbat have peace and blessing.
Rabbi Arnold M Goodman
