Freethought & Rationalism Archive

semiopen · 09-22-2013, 12:13 PM

I was asked to give a Dvar Torah on Saturday evening.

As the weekly Parsha was Exodus 33:12-24:26 my talk centered on the relationship of Moses and God. This occurs after the incident with the Golden Calf.

This was given to relatively distinguished company as Sukkot is a time for kids to come home from the Yeshiva, and parents to visit their grandchildren etc and three generations of Rabbis was present.

I started with

Quote:

Go now, lead the people where I told you. See, My angel shall go before you. (Exo 32:34 TNK)

Quote:

I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites -- 3 a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go in your midst, since you are a stiffnecked people, lest I destroy you on the way." (Exo 33:2 TNK)

God proposes sending an angel to lead the Israelites because if he leads he will get pissed off and destroy them.

Quote:

[Moses] said, "If I have gained Your favor, O Lord, pray, let the Lord go in our midst, even though this is a stiffnecked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!"
(Exo 34:9 TNK)

Quote:

He [God] said: I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will work such wonders as have not been wrought on all the earth or in any nation; and all the people who are with you shall see how awesome are the LORD's deeds which I will perform for you. (Exo 34:10 TNK)

I remarked about how extraordinary their relationship was, and also that Moses was able to convince God to overturn a decree. I also noted that Moses is basically saying that he wants God to lead the Israelites even though it is obvious that this will result in severe punishment for the people.

The direct relationship with God is a crucial element of Judaism. For example, Christianity uses Yoshke as an intermediary. It turns out that this is given from Moses as opposed to God.

Anyway, not really thinking that I'd said anything very profound, I was surprised that the Rabbis hadn't really heard this spin before.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.