Believing...Gratitude...Attitudes....

Today we’re going to take a look at a portion of Behaalotecha that we did not focus upon during our triennial reading.  Let’s read Numbers 11;1- 11.

 

This scene takes place in the wilderness, after G-d has brought the children of Israel out of the house of bondage in Egypt and after their three day journey from Mt. Sinai where they encountered G-d’s presence.  The cloud of HaShem was over them by day as they journeyed from the camp and a pillar of fire led them in the nighttime.  Yet, you’ll notice they expressed great discontentment.  They were receiving manna as a substance for their survival in the desert yet they were still unsatisfied.  They wanted more. They wanted meat.  They remembered the fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic they had in Egypt and complained.  “Our life is parched, there is nothing; we have nothing before our eyes but the manna!”  Why do you think they found it easier to believe in their memories of the good times in Egypt rather than in their direct experiences with G-d?

This past week I led a Shavuot learning session about believing in and knowing G-d based on the works of Rambam.  Being a rationalist, Rambam felt that belief results from knowledge of G-d.  Knowledge of G-d for the Israelites would have come from their experience of redemption and the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai.  In Rambam’s world view, such knowledge should result in belief that would lead to a sense of love for G-d and the desire to emulate G-d’s actions in the ethical and moral spheres of life.  Yet, there appears to be no gratitude expressed in today’s Torah portion and certainly no acceptance of G-d’s plan for their travels through the wilderness.

One might look at the Israelites and wonder how they could have had so little faith in the midst of their experiences. Unlike our generation they had signs and wonders that they could point to in order to develop a strong faith in G-d. 

According to Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, in his book Simple Words, Thinking About What Really Matters in Life, “Many of us take pride in our rationality- we think we base our actions and thoughts on accurate knowledge and verified facts, and an orderly sorting and shifting of opinions.  The truth is however that nobody is a total non-believer; all of us accept almost everything on faith (not with a capital F).” For example, how many of you changed your lighting to high efficiency mercury bulbs prior to the change in manufacturing guidelines about light bulbs or purchased a car because of its fuel efficiency ratings?  Did you do those changes based on the societal wisdom that “everybody knows” or did you run the experiments yourself, collect the data, and prove those things for yourself?  My guess is that your answer to those questions would be, “No!”  As Steinsaltz points out those things are part of our accepted wisdom, and also require faith.  “When a person says that he or she is a non-believer, it is not a very accurate statement.  A real non-believer would not get out of bed.  If he or she did get out of bed, he or she would not take a step, because almost everything that we do depends on hundreds or thousands of beliefs, from believing that the sun will rise tomorrow to believing that salt is still salty.” (Steinsaltz)

For the early Israelites, it was not accepted wisdom to voice belief in G-d.  In fact, the societal norm was to rail against the life in the desert, to never voice gratitude, to be dissatisfied with one’s lot in life.  Do you think our societal norm is the same or different today?  The Israelites knew what they were experiencing empirically, but they forgot to ask, “What is the meaning of all this?”

As we journey through life, we experience G-d in varied ways, for some it is by observing the power and beauty of nature, for some it is by looking at Jewish history and seeing our continued presence through centuries of trials and tribulations, and for others it is by studying Torah.  For many of us we walk through life without asking the big questions until we are faced with a crisis or a sense of aimlessness that makes us stop and wonder about the why, not the how of our experiences.  As Steinsaltz points out, “Even people who see themselves as living in a labyrinth without an opening can nevertheless see life as a dignified existence- an adventure filled with danger, challenge, and beauty, with opportunity to love, to pursue justice, to raise a family, and to care for others in the world….That sense of the beauty, the grandeur, and the adventure give meaning and purpose to life.  Without using G-d’s name, that person is really a very believing person, with a deep faith that there is transcendental meaning in living the adventure of life in a dignified way.”

 

As we read the story in today’s parasha, it is easy to point at the Israelites and wonder how they had so little faith, how they could express so little gratitude.  When we look at our own lives, we often get caught up in noticing the pain and suffering in life, not the aspects of life which leave one with a sense of awe.  We often get stuck asking Why?  And of course, we get no answers!  When I was in Jerusalem last summer studying Rambam, a statement that resonated with me is that there is really only one question we should be asking.  When life appears as if G-d is hidden from us, when we face trauma and suffering, we need to be asking, “What must my response be in the face of my experience?”  Torah tells us that our response should be Chesed, loving-kindness, Mishpat,justice, and tzedkah, righteousness.  Those actions will

               help us make sense of life, find meaning and purpose in what we do beyond just getting up in the morning.  They will lessen the distance between the Divine and us.  Later on in the book of Deuteronomy we will read (30:12-14) “Faith is neither remote nor absolute. It is not in Heaven…Neither is it beyond the sea, but it is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it.” 

It is said that in the days of Mashiach, knowledge of G-d will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.  May we begin the process through our actions and our sense of gratitude for that which life does give us.

Shabbat Shalom.