Faith and Patience
Parshas
Vaera
The Lord, so to speak,
bemoans to Moshe the lack of faith exhibited by him and the Jewish people
during the moments of crisis in their encounter with Pharaoh and their Egyptian
taskmasters. G-d points out that the previous generations of the founders of
the Jewish people never wavered in their faith and belief that G-d’s covenant
would be fulfilled, no matter how harsh the circumstances of their lives were.
And now when the process
of redemption from Egyptian slavery is already underway, whenever there is a
hitch or a delay or an apparent reversal, the complaint immediately arises
against G-d and against Moshe as well. Now the Torah itself clearly makes
allowances for this behavior due to the bone- crushing physical work imposed on
the Jewish slaves by their Egyptian taskmasters.
It is difficult to be
optimistic when one’s back is being whipped. Nevertheless, the Lord’s reproof
of Moshe and of Israel is recorded for us in strong terms in the opening verses
of this week’s Torah reading. G-d, so to speak, is pointing out to Moshe the
existence of a generational disconnect. The previous generations were strong in
belief and faith and possessed patience and fortitude in the face of all
difficulties.
Moshe’s generation and in fact many
Jewish generations throughout history demand action and that action must be
immediate. Their faith is conditioned upon seeing and experiencing immediate
results and the changed society and world that they desire. Otherwise they are
prepared to abandon ship. That is what the prophet means when he chides Israel
by saying that “your goodness and faith resemble the clouds of the morning that
soon burn off when the sun rises. ”
Faith to be effective has
to also be long-lasting. Since mortality limits our vision and naturally makes
us impatient it is often difficult for us to see the big picture and witness
the unfolding of a long-range historical process. Our generation, unlike those
of our predecessors – even our immediate predecessors – has rightly been dubbed
the “now generation.” Instant gratification is not only demanded but is
expected and when it does not happen our faith is sorely tested, if not even
diminished.
Patience and faith is the
essence of G-d’s message to Moshe. Part of Moshe’s leadership task will now be
to instill this sense of patience and long lasting faith within the psyche and
soul of the Jewish people. This daunting task will take forty years of constant
challenges and withering experiences before it will see results and
accomplishments. At the end of the forty year period – forty years after the
Exodus from Egypt – Moshe will proclaim that the Jewish people have finally
attained an understanding heart and an appreciation of the historical journey
upon which the Lord has sent them.
Both patience and faith are difficult traits to
acquire and they remain very fragile even after they have been acquired. But in
all areas of human life – marriage, children, professional occupations,
business and commerce, government and politics, diplomacy and conflict –
patience and faith are the necessary tools to achieve success. That is the
message that G-d communicates to Moshe and to Israel in all of its generations
and circumstances in this week’s parsha.
Shabat shalom Rabbi Berel Wein
Belief Comes from Within
Parshas
Vaera
Moshe faces a crisis of
faith at the onset of this week’s parsha. He apparently has made no headway
with and little impression on the Pharaoh of Egypt. The situation of the Jewish
slaves has worsened considerably and the leaders of the people place blame upon
Moshe for that situation.
So, Moshe is apparently
unsuccessful with the Pharaoh and unsuccessful with the Jewish people all at
one and the same time. Is it any wonder that Moshe complains to the Lord about
this mission which, he now reiterates, he wishes to abandon? And even though
the Torah does not state so in so many specific words, it is obvious that
Moshe, so to speak, is disappointed in G-d as well.
The Lord patiently sends
him back to his task and reassures him that all will yet turn out well for him
and his people. And by the end of the parsha, we find Moshe in full strength
and confidence delivering his message of redemption to Pharaoh and to the
Jewish people.
This crisis of faith has somehow
passed, though we do not find that Moshe’s earlier concerns have been
addressed. The Lord merely reiterates the message that Moshe has already heard
from Him a number of times. Yet Moshe is revitalized now that he hears G-d’s
promise once again, of Jewish redemption from Egyptian bondage.
Repeated promises rarely if ever
inspire. So what causes this change of spirit and attitude within Moshe’s
thoughts and actions? What is the catalyst for his new found optimism and
boldness of speech and purpose?
I have often felt that it
was the very crisis of faith that Moshe endured that was the main contributing
factor to his future steadfastness and strength of purpose. Only someone who
has experienced doubt can truly come to faith.
The Lord created a world
that tests our faith in Him daily. Life automatically introduces doubt into our
existence. It is in dealing with our omnipresent doubts, with the unfairness of
life itself and with the illogic and irrationality of it all that one achieves
the plateau of faith and spiritual strength. Only the doubter can become a
strong believer.
It is Moshe’s crisis of
faith that now anneals and strengthens his belief in his mission as the savior
of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The rabbis stated that, “All things are in the
hand of Heaven, except for fear and belief in Heaven itself.” Therefore the
Lord, so to speak, does not respond to Moshe’s complaints directly. He does not
explain to Moshe why the process of redemption has seemingly taken on such a
difficult and negative turn. The Lord makes no excuses for what has occurred.
He only tells Moshe to keep on persevering and redemption will eventually
arrive.
Moshe has to overcome his crisis of faith on his
own. There is no one that can help make one believe except for the person
himself. This is probably the most important message that one can derive from
the study of this week’s parsha.
Shabat shalom,
Rabbi Berel Wein
Rabbi Berel Wein
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