This week's portion describes the parting of the Red Sea and the initial trials of the Israelites in the desert, when they complained about the lack of water and food. God provides the manna from Heaven to feed them, but we see a deeper spiritual crisis among liberated slaves who yearn for slavery again.
Two interesting points. The first verse mentions that the Israelites avoided leaving via the direct route, which would have taken them toward the land of the Philistines, an ancient civilization at war with the Israelite kingdoms for many centuries before being overcome themselves by the Babylonians.
(The area of the Philistines was controlled by the later Israelite kingdoms.)
In addition, the portion describes the battle between Amalek and the Israelites. Amalek takes advantage of the vulnerability of the newly-freed slaves and attacks them. This is the essential evil of Amalek -- and the reason for the commandment never to forget what Amalek did, and to eliminate it.
The essence of that commandment is the "remember" part. It has been widely misinterpreted by antisemites to be a kind of warrant for genocide -- most recently, by the South African legal team at the ICJ (the same lawyer also defended "Kill the Boer" as a form of free expression, not hate speech).
The additional reading, from Judges 4, describes the story of Deborah. The story is celebrated by feminists but it is also just a generally relatable tale of how, in a time where leadership is lacking, we are each called upon to step forward and provide the courage and direction that the situation requires.
This week’s portion launches the great story of Abraham, who is told to leave everything of his life behind — except his immediate family — and to leave for “the Land that I shall show you.”
There’s something interesting in the fact that Abraham is told to leave his father’s house, as if breaking away from his father’s life — but his father, in fact, began the journey, moving from Ur to Haran (in last week’s portion). His father set a positive example — why should Abraham leave him?
Some obvious answers suggest themselves — adulthood, needing to make one’s own choices, his father not going far enough, etc.
But I think there is another answer. Abraham (known for the moment as Abram) needs to establish his own household. This is not just about making one’s own choice, but really about choosing one’s own starting point. It’s starting over.
Sometimes we start over in fundamental ways even if much that surrounds us remains the same. Sometimes the journey we have to ...
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
