400th This I Promise You

"Make for Me an altar of earth"

A LOVE STORY(Exodus 20:22)Shvat 17, 5772/February 10, 2012
Yitzchak Reuven,Temple Institute.

"Everybody loves a love story. And nobody loves a love story more than G-d . Or so it would seem by a quick perusal of the Hebrew Scriptures. True, the world's first couple wed via an arranged marriage. Adam and Eve's union was carefully orchestrated by G-d Himself, the world's first matchmaker. Little risk involved. To be sure, Avraham and Sara are already married when we are first introduced to them. The history of their courtship is not shared with us, but their love for one another is manifest before us in their every moment together.
And, of course, the union of Yitzchak and Rivka, (Isaac and Rebecca), was the culmination of a carefully planned and magnificently executed strategy devised by Yitzchak's father Avraham with the essential assistance of his servant Eliezer. However, scripture does makes it clear that when the two first met it was love at first sight.By the time Yaakov met Rachel at the well, Biblical romance was in full flower. Yaakov, overcome with emotion when he first lays eyes upon his cousin, manages to unseal the well from which she seeks to water her flock, by rolling from its opening a stone so large that it would normally take a team of men to move it. That's the power of love. And no sooner had he performed this chivalrous act, than Yaakov approached Rachel and proceeded to plant an impassioned kiss upon her fair cheek.

In a variation on the theme, Moshe would later come to the aid of seven shepherd sisters who were similarly being prevented from watering their flock by shepherds who were hostile to their father Yitro. Moshe, who was on the run, a wanted man sought by Pharaoh's secret police, was acting out of the goodness of his heart, without ulterior romantic motives. It was Yitro, who upon hearing of Moshe's gallant deed, insisted on having him over for dinner and promising him his daughter Tzipora. Three cheers for Yitro, who may have been the finest father-in-law who ever lived. He knew that Moshe wasn't an "Egyptian" as he first described himself. He knew exactly who he was, (the Hebrew savior), and what he had done, (killed the Egyptian overseer), and not only in spite of this, but because of this, he desired that Moshe marry his daughter.

But it is hard to compare all these romantic scenes to what was about to transpire between G-d
Himself and Israel. This affair, (otherwise known as the ten plagues, the exodus and the revelation at Mount Sinai), is indeed the classic boy meets girl at the well, rescues her from the evil villains who seek to destroy her, carries her to safety and promises her the world, writ large. But, of course, when the hero is G-d , the story takes on a whole other level. Like Avraham, who sent Eliezer to find a bride for Yitzchak, G-d sent His angel to the burning bush to seek out Moshe. Like Yaakov, who left the land of Israel to seek a mate for himself, G-d sought out Israel in the land of Egypt. Just as Yaakov mustered up super human strength in order to open for Rachel the well of living waters, so too did G-d perform the impossible, turning nature on itself in order to free Israel from bondage. Like Moshe, who faced multiple foes at the well, so too G-d had to defend Israel from Pharaoh and his magicians, again from Pharaoh and his army, and again from the villainous nation of Amalek. Yes, G-d , in His ardent love for Israel, stopped at nothing in order to steal Israel away from Egypt and make her His own.

G-d saw to it that Israel would leave Egypt with rich fabrics and gold and silver so that she would
have a proper dowry. G-d proved His faith to Israel by providing her with sustenance, (the manna), and shelter, (the cloud of glory). He protected and defended her. With gallant chivalry He laid down His cape of dry land so that Israel could cross the Sea of Reeds without soiling the soles of her feet. And now, having brought her so far from all that she was accustomed to, G-d is about to perform the grandest of wedding ceremonies. No nation should think that G-d hurried Israel out of Egypt out of fear of Pharaoh, so that they could elope and secretly marry in the desert. On the contrary, the marriage of Israel to G-d ,of the heavens to the earth, of the destiny of all mankind to the Divine will of G-d , was to take place for all to see and to witness, throughout all the generations of man.

For three days Israel makes special preparations for the wedding. (Exodus 19:10-11) A
spectacular site is chosen. Yitro, the ever gracious father-in-law, arrives with Moshe's wife Tzipora and his two children. (ibid 18:5). Together they share a pre-nuptual meal. (ibid 18:12) On the day of the wedding celebration there is wondrous music, the blasting of shofars so compelling that the people not only hear the sounds of the shofar, but they actually see them. (ibid 20:15) Great pyrotechnical displays cover the upper reaches of Mount Sinai. (ibid 18:18) And, at last, the
actual ceremony begins. The Ten Commandments form the wedding vows between bride and groom. Both G-d and Israel solemnly swear their eternal commitment to one another. And at last the exhilarating courtship and magnificent wedding celebration are over. So what will become of G-d and Israel after the band has packed up all its things, and the guests have all gone home? What next? We all know that this is where infatuation begins to fade and the ups and downs of a
real life together begin to present themselves before the newlywed couple. And so it is with G-d and Israel. Immediately following the wedding's conclusion, G-d puts Israel's mind at ease. "Make for Me an altar of earth," (ibid 20:22) He tells her. You mustn't fear that your service to Me cannot possible measure up to My grandeur. Your service to Me shall be modest and sincere. And this is how chapter one of the greatest love story ever told concludes. Next week, when we read parashat Mishpatim, real life, in all its painstaking nitty-gritty will present itself before the new couple.

So, we ask, did they live happily ever after? In truth, there have been many ups and downs, as is only natural, and many storms have been weathered. But, yes, after three thousand years they are still inseparable, still in love, and still sharing the same dreams. In this week's special Temple Talk discussion with the beloved Rabbi Nachman Kahana, (see below), Rav Nachman says the following: "There may be a thousand good reasons for two people not to marry. But true love overcomes them all." Indeed, true love is why G-d still cares for us, and why we still care for G-d."

Planting

I just finished reading this weekend's portion of Scripture: Exodus 14:16- 15:17. However, I found it felt the need to read from 14:1- 15:27 just to make the story flow and to remind myself of what led what to where and why.

After the suspense of Pharaoh and his servants changing their minds, and then pursuing the Israelites, the part where the latter cry out and lash out with words they would minutes later regret for the rest of their lives, there is healing in the form of a song. They lift up their voices, and hands and eyes, I would like to imagine, and sing. From a state of utter despair, shock and then witnessing a previously unheard of miracle to recounting those events in song is quite a feat. For us, it is energising. Or if one was holding their breath, a time to breath out, Phew! The story unlocks different feelings and thoughts and is a major reflective tool for me. I always feel sorry for the Israelites until they start mumbling. I feel sorry for the Egyptians who've collectively just lost their first borns as a result of their leaders' decisions (although God's hand was always spinning the cards). They have also been relieved, nicely, of a lot of their silver and gold and although they still have the major construction sites that their slaves built, they are at their most-embarrased state of mind.

Overall, this account of how last minute deals are sealed in God's Kingdom is a deep-thought provoking mystery. One cannot predict that God who has been speaking all the way has suddenly expected those whose cries He has been responding to, to stop crying and just match into the sea. "Stop crying, go forward". "Right. God. There is water in front of us you know and its not a stream."

He said He knew that but if Moses stretched his hand, with the rod, there would be no sign of even a stream in front of them. And they trusted. They believed , some maybe out of lack of choice more than anything else really. I have been there- kind of forced-to-believe since I had nothing left to lose.

But Moses', the leader's faith, meant that events would lean a certain way. He had to be the mouth, eyes and limbs of the Almighty God. He also had to be the Israelite of that time and of forever because God's actions would effect many generations. Oh what a responsibility for one man. Moses was the in-between Abraham and his descendants man. He was the guy who would deliver Abraham's babies safely to the other side so they could safely deliver Jesus thousands of years later. And a man who thousands more later, would be remembered in the world as we know it today where we, the Gentiles have been grafted into the welfare of Israel that is and is forever-to-be. Which brings me back to why I got inspired to enter this post.

One verse stood out this morning. Exodus 15:17- "Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them on thy own mountain, the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thy abode, the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established." This single verse's meaning makes me tremble with fear. I ask myself, don't they know? Can't they hear it which is so clear? Then I remember the many times which I knew something but acted as if I didn't. I heard it loud and clear but cared not. And many are those times through out my life. I hurt and grieved the Holy Ghost. I made errors that affected my life negatively but was too comfortable in the pain I didn't really care for change. It is sad when that happens, but it still does, to all of us. It is unfortunate that some people would read, study the Bible from cover to cover and miss this one verse's message to today's world. That was a prophetic word which had actually started in the mouth of God hundreds of years before the singing by the sea side. Genesis 12:1 -" Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you'. Vs 5- And Abram took Sarai his wife, and lot his brother's son...................and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan." Vs 7- "Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, To your descendants I will give this land." Then in chapter 15:7-8 the Lord reminds Abram," I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" Vs 13 "Then the Lord said to Abram, "Know of a certain that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there and they will be oppressed for four hundred years; but I will bring judgement on the nation which they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions." 2Samuel 7:10- the Lord says to king David of Israel, "And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more....Vs 16, " And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me, your throne shall be established forever." 1Kings 5:5- King Solomon says, "And so I purpose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David, my father, 'Your son whom I will set upon your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.' And in chapter 6:1 the Bible records, " In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord.......vs 37 "And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts." 1 Kings 8:10- "And when the priests came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord." Now, what other evidence do we need as a Title Deed in the name of Israel's heritage of the land upon which they have the Knesset, the Western Wall, the Golan Heights, Tel Aviv and other places they claim as home because they know it, and believe we too know it? Are they stupid to assume that we will support their claim to that small piece of land as their inheritance although they are well capable of living off it and to actually prosper in considerable peace? Are they placing their hope on shaky ground when they ask us to re-read our Bibles or history books to ascertain the facts in relation to whom post '67 Israel belongs? My prayer is that they will not faint in their vocal, and otherwise means of communicating that their land is theirs by right. Who determined that right? One might ask. Not Amnesty International which we respect, not America the great which even Great Britain bows down to nor the UN which sometimes is not clear on what really is right or leads to unity. The ultimate power and authority behind the children of Jacob's portion of the cake, just like in every other tribes' pieces is the maker of heaven and earth. And I love the fact that He is the final word on this. No matter how long, no matter the pain between promise and fulfillment, it shall one day be the place where we all gape in wonder at the Lord's doings. That Israel will no longer be harrassed or hated or dreaded but loved, embraced and respected because it is where the cloud of the presence of the Lord our maker is heaviest and we need that dark, heavy, glorious place where even our feet are shy to tread. The place where we are not drunk with wine but where we stagger with weakness like satiated lovers. Fulfilled, joyous, near-busting with wholeness peoples of the earth, because Israel is at last at rest. Why can't we fight for this instead of fighting against it? Who doesn't think of the result of for example love-making? Hard work geared towards a short spell of sheer out-of-this-world experience? In order for the Lord's presence to engulf us even for a minute, we'll have searched, walked, prayed, maybe fasted for days on end. We'll have prepared for the climax for a long time. 7 years it took Solomon to build the temple according to set specifications. His dad had prepared materials for some time. And hundreds of years of holding on to a promise through one generation to the other. Hello world?! Don't split Israel. Instead, pray that her territories will go back one day to where the Lord's beacons lie deep in the earth; where archeologists are yet to reach but the eye of the One who slumbers not sees clearly. Father God, please give us wisdom to make the right decisions before it is too late and we have to sacrifice our first borns, lose our silver and gold, then drown in the most unnecesary, embarrasing war in the glare of today's world media. Ouch!

And as Tu'Bshvat approaches, let us plant a tree in the one and only land where God the giver of trees and all good things chose as His dwelling place, forever. What better compound to sow your seed in than the Lord of glory's? Let us crowd His land with beauty: gifts of love even as Valentine month dictates. Love, express, share. "Give, and it shall be given back to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over." And what must I do to inherit the kingdom of heaven? GIVE.

Of yourself. To listening and learning from the word of the Lord. To the poor and hungry. To keeping the commandments. To obeying and honouring your parents. Of your heart, to love the 'unlovable'. To the homeless who are dying and losing their limbs from hypothermia. Men- to loving your wives as Christ loved the church. Women- to submitting to your husbands according to the Lord's Written word. Your cares to the one who is able to carry them without struggling. Your children and those of your neighbour, friend or enemy a chance to be children; let them go and sit on the lap of the master. Give up your adult habits before the Lord. He wants you to have the heart of a child. Give your constricted, problematic, old heart back to the devil. Get a new one- from the giver of life. Didn't He say that when you give, you will receive? Now learn how to receive, and to expect. Yes- it is not a sign of poverty or weakness. Ask the devil on his way out of your life. Be prepared for a fight, he does not want you knowing it. But, you got nothing to lose so GIVE it a try! Simples :-).