Shemot

Rock Bottom?

G‑d's first revelation to Moses occurred through the burning bush. To be sure, Moses was endowed with the spirit of G‑d from the time he matured and left the comfort of Pharaoh's palace to see the way his brethren were suffering. As Maimonides in his Guide for the Perplexed explains, even when he was young and lived in Pharaoh's house, it was the spirit of G‑d within him that did not let him rest when he realized what was happening to his fellow Israelites. Similarly, it was this spirit of G‑d that motivated him to defend a Jewish slave who was being beaten by his Egyptian taskmaster.

Nevertheless, the first real direct communication G‑d had with Moses came years later when he was in Midian tending sheep for his father-in-law, Yitro. Why did G‑d wait until Moses had fled Egypt and lived in Midian for many years, before He initiated the dialogue with Moses about the exodus of the Jewish people? Second, why did G‑d choose to use a burning bush through which to make His first communication to Moses, the first leader of the Jewish people and their liberator?

Rashi explains that the choice of a sneh, a thorn bush, was to indicate that G‑d empathized with their suffering. G‑d wanted to show that He was also, in a manner of speaking, suffering in exile, and "dwelling" in a lowly and uncomfortable place - the sneh. But that still does not explain why G‑d made the bush burn and not be consumed? This "Chanukah-like" miracle was apparently completely unnecessary.

When G‑d communicated with the Patriarchs, He did not employ a mechanism that altered the natural order of things. Why did Moses have to be exposed to G‑d's prophetic energy through this specific supernatural phenomenon?

When G‑d revealed Himself to Moses to ask him to be the liberator of the Jews,  He knew that Moses would demur. Moses, in fact, stated that he did not believe the Israelites were deserving of being redeemed. After all, the very reason Moses had to flee Egypt was the because of the Jewish informers who were prepared to report him to Pharaoh, as Rashi explains in this week's parsha. So what had changed, Moses argued, to justify their liberation now? And if G‑d wanted to take them out notwithstanding the fact that they were undeserving, why did He need Moses?

Moses' selection by G‑d to liberate the Jews from Egypt was motivated by the desire to have Moses serve as their mentor and guide. Moses was to uplift the Jews and prepare them so that they would be worthy of being liberated. In addition, Moses' inspiration and guidance was needed to help them cope with their new status as free people, something a slave oriented society finds it hard to achieve on its own. Moses was therefore skeptical. How can I liberate them? They are not worthy and not ready. Therefore, Moses argued, why can't G‑d liberate them Himself? What role could Moses, a mere mortal, possibly serve?

In anticipation of Moses objections, G‑d waited all these years until the Jewish people had reached their lowest spiritual point. Their suffering had so crushed them, that they were now ready to be liberated and nurtured in the same manner as an addict might have to reach rock bottom before he or she will be receptive to help.

By revealing Himself in a lowly thorn bush, G‑d was trying to show Moses that the Jewish people, on the one hand, had descended to the very nadir of their existence as slaves. They were as lowly as a thorn-bush. On the other hand, by showing Moses, that the flame did not extinguish, G‑d intended to show Moses that the souls of the Jewish people couldn't possibly be extinguished. No matter how low they might have fallen, they were still in possession of a fiery spirit that will never burn out!

G‑d was, in effect, telling Moses (and us): "Don't ever underestimate the power of a Jew to bounce back!" The resiliency of the Jewish nation is arguably one of the greatest miracles of existence. "Therefore," G‑d exhorted Moses, "now is the most opportune time to reach into the Jewish heart and soul, and fan its flame so that it is not only deserving to be liberated, but is ready as well."

We are living in times that in many ways parallel the generation of the Exodus. Some might argue that, in terms of our Jewish identities and affiliation, we have descended so low that our situation is hopeless (G‑d forbid). If G‑d wants to liberate us in spite of our apparent unworthiness, He certainly can. The question is, are we a hopeless bunch of people who are beyond rehabilitation and spiritual growth? Or, in spite of how low we might have fallen, are we worthy and able to be liberated by a Moses-like leader, we call, Moshiach, who relates to the people, nurtures them and facilitates their liberation? The answer is a resounding yes! Moses, the "first redeemer," was told that even the lowliest Jew-the thorn-bush Jew-has an eternal flame burning within him or her, and is worthy and ready to be uplifted. Our generation has also been told by our spiritual leaders, the Rebbe, that there is no Jew that is unworthy of being liberated. Moshiach's task of uplifting every Jew so that he or she is liberated will be realized when all of us serve as the Rebbe's emissaries to appreciate and nurture the eternal flame of every Jew. This would certainly hasten the process of the Redemption that we have been waiting for, for close to 2,000 years.

Moshiach Matters

Happy is he who does not tire of awaiting the redemption and who makes certain that he and his children increase their Torah learning and their fulfillment of the Mitzvos so that they will not be ashamed when Moshiach comes {and they will proudly be able to show Moshiach what they  have done in order to hasten his arrival}.
(The Chafetz Chaim on Awaiting Moshiach)

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