Transformation

There is a scene at the end of today’s parasha, Ki Tissa, that tells of Moses’ descent from Mt. Sinai with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand. In the Hebrew it states, “Oo-Moshe lo yadah ki kahrahn or pahnav b’dab’ro eeto.” Moses did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant when He had spoken to him. “Vahyahr aharon v’chol b’nai yisrael et moshe v’hinei kahrahn or pahnahv vahyiroo migeshet aylav. Aaron and all the Children of Israel saw Moses and behold the skin of his face had become radiant and they feared to approach him.

In an explanation by Rashi, there were rays of splendor that radiated from Moses’ face after he had his encounter with G-d on Mt. Sinai. Although at first glance, Moses seems to be unaware of the beam on his face, he is quite aware of the elevating effect of his experience. To protect the people from the intensity of the light emanating from his face, Moses began wearing a veil to cover his face unless he was speaking words of Torah to the people.

I was thinking about the fact that Moses definitely had a transforming experience. It was one which indeed caused an inner light to penetrate through his skin. That inner light permanently changed him and its source was G-d and Torah.

The one thing that we need to remember is that the relationship that Moses had with G-d was initiated by G-d but if Moses had been unwilling to meet G-d or respond to G-d’s call, he would never have been transformed. Meeting G-d required that Moses had to be able to see himself in a new way. He was not just a humble shepherd with a stutter. He was the shepherd of an entire nation, the one who knew what it felt like to be angry at his people and still love them. He was the one who truly believed in their ability to change from a motley crew of slaves into a holy nation. Moses was willing respond to G-d’s demands because he knew that the yoke of the commandments was a result of G-d’s love for the Israelites.

Most of us find ourselves in a position of wishing that G-d would somehow show Himself to us just as He did to Moses, so we could respond to Him. What we don’t take into account is that when we treat each other with respect and caring, G-d is showing Himself to us. If we act as if we are all children of one G-d who cares about each and every one of us, then G-d’s presence in our relationships is evident and it can transform us just as it transformed Moses. Think about how good it feels to acknowledge another person’s worth, to value their presence, to relish being with them. Don’t your positive actions transform the one in whom you delight?

We often see this in the process of raising children. An adult’s kind words, caring attitude, and love can change the direction of a child’s life. Harsh words, judgmental berating, and lack of love, can leave deep scars. Children glow and are transformed when they have the sense that their lives matter even if or when they do not meet or are unable to meet every standard of the adults in their lives.

The same is true for adults. We all crave to know that our lives matter to those with whom we share our time. Whether it is at home, in the workplace, or at the synagogue, we all want to feel as if we are appreciated. That of course doesn’t mean that we won’t make others angry at us, or that others won’t be angry at us even if we feel that we have done nothing to deserve their ire. But it does mean that we can transform another individual by acknowledging their worth, letting them know that their lives matter to us, and that their presence transforms us in ways that wouldn’t otherwise happen.

This Shabbat we had hoped to have a guest Rabbi with us. Unfortunately he became ill this week and after visiting his doctor again this morning, he had to cancel his Shabbaton presentation. What we have left, however, is just as important as the learning that we were going to do with him. We have each other. Many women worked long hours preparing a lovely lunch for us. We will still gather to daven, hear Rabbi Abraham’s d’var Torah that was sent to me, and spend time with one another on a very special day designed to bring families and community together. Let’ reaffirm the fact that we can indeed transform ourselves into the kind of community that enjoys each other’s company, that can’t wait to acknowledge each other’s strengths, and that recognizes that we can transform life into a holy experience by recognizing that even when times are tough, it can still be meaningful.