Making History Happen: Va’eira.21

 Making History Happen: Va’eira

By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman

December 29, 2021

The second parasha of the book of Exodus, Va’eira (Ex. 6:2—9:35), is a mighty portion, filled with impressive and dramatic events: God reveals a new name by which to be known thereafter (the Tetragrammaton, usually transliterated as YHWH); Moses and Aaron appear before the entire court of Pharaoh, calling for Pharaoh to free the Hebrew slaves; and God inflicts the Egyptians with the first seven plagues, each more severe and hard-hitting than the one before.

The overarching story is that of the emergence of the Jewish People into history, a people specifically chosen by God to be a light unto all nations. 

Yet interwoven into this story is a list of names—the descendants of Jacob’s sons. We read about Moses’s father and mother (Amram and Yocheved), and we encounter people who will figure prominently in some of the later stories: Korach, the cunning and wicked rebel; Nachshon ben Aminadav, the chieftain of the tribe of Judah and—according to Midrash—the first to jump into the Red Sea, adding his strength to that of God and Moses; Aaron’s four sons are mentioned, two of whom will die after arousing God’s anger; and Pinchas—an early example of murderous religious fanaticism.

One could call this foreshadowing, no more than a literary device. But there is yet another lesson in this list of names: God may provide the historical outline, but on a day-by-day basis, it’s people who make it happen.

The Bible isn’t only about heroes and villains. It’s about humanity in all its diverse complexity. There are no cardboard characters in the Bible just as there aren’t any in “real” life. Each of us is a composite of our heritage (and often more than just one), of our fears and hopes, of our passions and apathy. God may draw the outlines of our stories, but we fill in the blanks. God sets up history, but we, through our choices and deeds, make it happen.

Parashat Va’era may be about gods and monsters, but it is just as much about the potential embedded in each of us ordinary folks to make a difference in the world—to be a source of goodness and freedom, or—God forbid—of evil and sadness. The choice—the power—is ours to exercise. May we use it well.

© 2021 by Boaz D. Heilman

 The Power of Community: Sh’mot

By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman

December 23, 2021

This week’s Torah portion is the first in the book of Exodus, Sh’mot (“Names,” Exodus 1:1—6:1). The story is familiar: 400 years after arriving in Egypt, Jacob’s family has thrived and become a people. Seen as a threat, they are enslaved by Pharaoh. Yet despite the hardships, they continue to prosper. Pharaoh orders the killing of all newborn males. Moses is saved by his mother and sister and by Pharaoh’s own daughter. As a grown man, on seeing the suffering of his people, Moses kills an Egyptian taskmaster and is forced to flee to the desert. Moses encounters the Burning Bush, where God calls on him to return to Egypt and free the Israelites. After some back and forth, Moses complies—only to face failure and disillusionment. The portion concludes with God promising to show God’s might.

Countless Seders and Haggadahs later, we know how this story will go. What we don’t always focus on, however, is Moses’s initial reaction to God’s call. Once an all-powerful prince, he now feels powerless. Unsure of his own identity, he is concerned about how he will be received. Additionally, he suffers from a speech disorder. The many challenges before him leave Moses feeling timid and weak, despite the reassuring promises he gets from God. It’s only when God tells Moses that Aaron, Moses’s brother, will be there with him in the struggle for freedom that Moses finally agrees to accept the task.

Many of us face challenges in our own lives. We aren’t necessarily called upon to free a nation of slaves, yet for a variety of reasons, we often feel weak and unable to follow through. We sometimes question God’s presence in our life. And that’s when we need to look for the person next to us: Our brother, our sister, our companion on life’s path. 

Sometimes our discouragement is due to loneliness or isolation. Over the past couple of years (yes, it’s been that long), the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified these feelings within us. More than ever now we feel overburdened at work; we may have had to cancel vacations or visits with beloved family and friends; we are weakened by anxiety and fear.

Like Moses, what we need now is to have someone at our side. Never alone, but rather as members of a loving community, our strength increases exponentially. 

Just about 50 years ago (!) Stephen Stills wrote, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” These words resonate for me today perhaps even more than they did five decades ago. Perhaps we would all feel stronger and more hopeful if we reached out to one another—especially to people we know are housebound, whether because of health or other issues. 

In re-reading the parashah (the Torah portion), I find it remarkable that when Moses finally agrees to do God’s bidding, it isn't because of God’s promise to be there for him, but rather in the knowledge that Aaron already “is coming forth toward you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.” Aaron doesn’t wait for God to call him—in his own heart he already knows what he must do, and he is already on his way!

The Rabbis take note of Aaron’s sense of urgency. They don’t call on us to be like Moses, but rather, like Aaron. 

Especially this year, we need to follow their advice. A couple of phone calls, perhaps a short porch visit—that’s all it takes sometimes. Amazingly, we will realize that even as we offer courage and hope to someone else, we too will be strengthened. 

Such is the power of community.

© 2021 by Boaz D. Heilman