TORAH'S MESSAGE  -  by Rabbi Daniela Szuster

SERMON  -  by Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky

            It's known that to put great ideas into practice you must have a large dosage of idealism and perhaps even some madness.

            There is no doubt that to make ideas into concrete things, responsible people with the ability to evaluate risks and feasibilities are necessary.  But sometimes when we are too responsible and too serious in our projects, we can hardly see them come true.

            I believe a community project like B’nei Israel needs a mix of seriousness and commitment, along with a pinch of courage and of madness.  Many times, either alone or together with others from the Board, we think of things we would like to do within the congregation, but we end up saying something like “it’s impossible” or “that’s not going to work here”.  This vision is responsible for keeping us from frustration and useless divisions.  But many other times, the enthusiasm made of hope and courage is what enables us to fulfill our most wished for dreams.

            It seems that today, a day when it’s hard for many to attend the synagogue, is a good moment to encourage one another to dream of the community we want it to be.

            This week we begin reading the book of Shmot, which emphasizes the figure of Moshe in an outstanding way.  When we think of Moshe, we have before us a type of thinking and dedicated leader, but he also has a great deal of courage and a fighting spirit… Who would accept the duty of conducting a people of poor slaves through the wilderness, ones whom escaped from a mighty empire?

            Nevertheless, I would like to show you that Moshe was not born as the leader he became, but was formed in the school of life.  When G-d commanded Moshe to head to Egypt to free the people of Israel (Shemot 3:10), Moshe refused several times with the following arguments:  “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Shemot 3:11), “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them:  'The G-d of your fathers hath sent me unto you'; and they shall say unto me:  ' What is His name?'  What shall I say unto them?” (Shemot 3:13).  “They will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice…” (Shemot 4:1), “Oh, Lord, I am not a man of words… (Shemot 4:10), “Oh Lord, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send.” (Shemot: 4:13).

            Moshe is opposed to accepting the divine command several times, alleging excuses harder to accept every time, until he just asks G-d to send someone else.  Moshe feels that the mission for which he is being sent would not be successful.  Moshe lacks, in his youth, that capability to risk more than the advisable to make things work and succeed.

            Finally, Moshe accepts the divine command and heads toward the elders of Israel’s people with his brother Aharon.  Perhaps the outcome left the young Moshe aghast: “And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had remembered the children of Israel, and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.”  (Shemot 4:31).

            Moshe had thought of many arguments about why things could fail, but they all vanished with the reality of a people that trusts in him immediately and makes him their leader.  From that moment forward Moshe will lead the destiny of the people of Israel until his death.

            In some sense we can say that Moshe learned the hard way the importance of adding to our projects and dreams a grain of madness and hope which break the hard reality we otherwise face.

            May G-d bless us with that fighting spirit necessary to take to an end the projects B’nei Israel needs to fulfill.  May we become filled with the courage needed to build a community.

Shabbat Shalom!