Striking a blow against freedom
In the Torah portion this Shabbat, our ancestors got insecure and made a golden calf. This comes just after God redeemed us from the cruel bondage of the Egyptians. We experienced a number of great miracles which culminated with a the great Revelation at Mt. Sinai. Yet, forty days later, the newly-freed slaves reverted to the slavery implicit in worshipping idols.
Maybe the Jews were insecure. They didn't understand freedom. How could they? Life under Egyptian bondage had been cruel. Our people suffered. But, they knew what to expect of life. To us, it doesn't sound like much of a choice. Who would choose suffering over freedom -- even if freedom does mean insecurity, not knowing what to expect?
The sad reality, many of us live just that way. We're reluctant to change life patterns, even if some of those patterns cause us pain and sorrow. It can be as simple as lousy health choices or as complex as living in an abusive relationship. The comfort of the known world is often more luring than seeking a better life. Change is scary.
However, the Golden Calf episode wasn't even a reversion to old habits. The Egyptian overlords were idol-worshippers. Tradition tells us that throughout that period, the Jews remained true to Hashem.
Perhaps the Jews were trying to emulate their overlords. At this point in the saga, when they built the golden idol, Moses had been on the mountain for forty days. They gave up hope that their leader would return. They lost faith ... not just in God, but in the hope of living as free people. Otherwise, they wouldn't turn away from God and emulate their hated oppressors at the same time.
How do we handle our own fears? Do we revert to bad habits? Do we try to be like others -- and not like ourselves? Do we respond to our own oppression by trying to be like our oppressors?
Lots of questions for the Israelites, and lots of questions for ourselves.
Rabbi Shaina
posted by Rabbi Shaina @ 8:52 PM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
I like this blog as it adresses two things all human beings expereince, fear and change. For some the fear of change is so overwhelming it imobolizes from ever moving forward. I do have a question though.
You stated that the Jews lost faith in G-d or Moses, when they made the calf. My question is, did they lose faith in G-d or faith in themselves. I think overcomming fear and the fear of change requires a lot of courage, maybe even more courage than people realize. You have to have faith in yourself and you abilities to find the courage to really face a fear. Do you think that if the Jews felt they had faith in themselves as a community they would have made the calf? I ask this in part as a personal question and in part reflecting the number of dwindling Jewish communities and the overwheming fear of closing Shuls? It may seem like a stretch, but if you have failth in yourself as Jew, and faith in the courage of your community to grow could we keep more Shuls open? Just a pondering question.
people have often displayed a willingness to give up freedom so as to take the frightening uses of freedom that Others are engaged in many people do find bars very comforting and that it keeps one from having to think or understand
In the Calf incident the people followed Dathan (at least as the story is retold by De Miles) seemed to decide that following was a lot easier, understandable I suppose, in light of their recent experence of slavery
I believe that the people lost faith in "change". They were led away from a place of slavery, yes...but there they were fed, clothed and knew what was coming into their lives. Most of these people had never had to survive in a desert, walk long hours without knowing or understanding how to survive in this hostile envoirnment. Most didn't know how to find water!! I think they were just frightened and were easily led back to old habits and rituals because they were comforting and familiar.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home