Blogs

In these turbulent times, wouldn’t it be great to have a divine roadmap? Perhaps even a magical insurance policy that prevented accidents and guided us away from dangerous situations? How about a divine bodyguard to give us complete protection, to fight our wars for us, without getting our hands dirty? Wouldn’t it wonderful to have complete confidence in our purpose, knowing that our leadership was both immensely powerful and had our best interests at heart? 

Imagine waking up in the morning, looking outside and seeing a billowing pillar of clouds, patiently waiting for you to have a quick shower and a coffee before leading you safely through your day… If you hit a fork in the road, a quick glance at the clouds steers you in the right direction. As night falls, you start to feel a bit nervous, but the clouds are quickly replaced by a bright, roaring pillar of fire that lights your way and warms your bones. Sounds heavenly!  But also a bit... boring?

This is exactly how this week’s Torah portion, B’shalach, sets the stage for the newly liberated Israelites. Aware that the people are traumatized and scared, God steers them carefully away from their enemies, telling them exactly where to go and promising to watch over them while they sleep. When the people see that Pharaoh has changed his mind and is now in hot pursuit, they turn on Moses in their panic and dismay, but Moses responds with the following reassurance: “Have no fear! Stand by and witness the deliverance which God will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. God will battle for you; you hold your peace!”

As we often say in our weekly Torah Study group at TBD, "Not to be political, but…" When it comes to leadership, be careful what you wish for! In a time where trust in leadership has all but eroded and impeachment hearings and votes of no confidence shake the political landscape, what could we possibly learn from this ancient story? Do we really want to be led around like sheep, told where to sleep and how to behave? Like the Israelites, we grapple with mistrust and uncertainty.  We are intensely skeptical of our leaders and unsure of the best path forward. Without divine pillars of clouds and fire, how are we to find our way to a land of milk and honey? How can we navigate the crazy times we live in?

When I look at political leaders today, I feel anything but reassured. Moreover, when I see a pillar of clouds, I grab my umbrella, and when I see a fire, I call 911! Clearly, we have come a long way since those early days in the wilderness, when a scared people needed everything spelled out for them so that they could “keep their peace,” simply allowing God to resolve everything for them. In struggling for survival over the centuries, we have learned a thing or two about fighting our own battles.

Perhaps the biggest similarity between the Israelites of yesteryear and the Jewish people today is that we are still traveling shoulder to shoulder with others in our community. We may not see pillars of divine guidance, but we know that we can find strength and direction in our family, in friendship, in our texts, in tradition, and in love. We are stronger together. We know that we can’t fix everything, but that will not keep us from trying. We know that hatred runs rampant in the world, but we continue to fight for the peaceful liberation of all people. Our scars have given us thicker skin, and we can count on our community to help bolster and heal us, to fight for us when we falter. Perhaps most importantly, in a world where opinions are violently opposed on just about everything, we know that there is room for us to disagree, to challenge each other, and even to change course from time to time. We know that we are a more solid community for our diversity of thought and experience. Our journey through the wilderness continues, and we continue to walk side by side, navigating the path ahead with the rest of our spiritual tribe.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rebecca Abbate