Community Rabbi Corner, Jan. 15, 2021

Rabbi Robert Tobin
B'nai Shalom
West Orange, NJ
Parashat Vaera

"Speaking Truth to Power"

By the time we meet Moshe at the burning bush, he is in his late 70’s and has worked the hard life of a simple shepherd for 50 years. Yet he is alert and curious as the burning bush catches the corner of his eye: “Let me turn aside and gaze at this great wonder; why does the bush not burn?”  Something is not right.

Perhaps the shepherd worried that the flames would threaten his flock.  Perhaps he was drawn to something - anything - new after years and years of boredom.  Perhaps he was genuinely curious and honestly open to discovery and growth as a person.

God also knows that something is terribly wrong. “I have heard the cries of my people and their suffering in Egypt.”  The injustice of Egyptian oppression is undeniable. The cruelty of the government and the suffering of the innocent must not stand. 

Moshe does not argue the points.  When a government fails in the full sight of all, what is there to argue about? But Moshe also doesn’t believe that he is the right person to fight the mighty Pharaoh, the powers of Egypt and all that they entail.  He doubts that he can convince others.  He doubts his ability to speak with a speech impediment. Patiently and resolutely God tells Moshe what our parents and our teachers have told us all along:  you can do it and you are not alone.

God provides Moshe tools of truth to overcome the myths of the Egyptian charlatans. He provides him with God’s ancestral name, to identify the people with the cause.  He provides him a brother with complimentary skills to work as a team. And he provides him a promise based in the centuries old covenant between God and the Jewish people.

We have a destiny rooted in ancient truths.  We have a mission to oppose oppression, violence and hatred. We have faith that together we can overcome tyranny and bias. And so armed, with belief, truth and common cause, Moshe turns back towards Egypt knowing that we all have the ability to stand up to power and to speak the truth.  The days ahead will be hard for him, but in the end they will change the world.
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