When I was living on the upper west side of Manhattan, the popular rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue, Moshe Morduchowitz, gave a talk on shidduchim. He analyzed and praised the relationships of the patriarchs. He encouraged their use as examples of a proper love in marriage. He also analyzed the marriage of Moshe rabbeinu but unexpectedly took the position that this was a failure. He explained that because Moshe was dressed and spoke like an Egyptian, he was identified as such and not as an Israelite by Tsipora, his future wife. The Tor Ha'aruch, “brings a legend Moshe did not call himself a Hebrew, therefore he did not merit to be buried in Eretz [Yisrael], but Yosef, who did call himself a Hebrew . . . merited to be buried in the land”. Later on when Yisro meets Moshe in the desert, his wife Tsipora and Moshe's children receive secondary consideration. Rabbi Morduchowitz explained that Moshe loved his father in law, but towards his wife and children there was some indifference.
Your would think that Tsipora, Gershom and Eliezer would be to Moshe what Batsheva and Shlomo were to King David. Instead Moshe's lieutenants are his sister Miriam, his brother Aaron and his sons, and his student Joshua. What happened? There are other difficulties. When Yisro decides to leave, Moshe unsuccessfully tries to persuade him to stay, explaining he is needed and will receive a parcel of the land of Israel. However Yisro feels a greater commitment to his native people. Also Yisro proposes a hierarchy be set up between Moshe and the nation. Moshe later reprimands the nation for their prompt acceptance of this idea, when they should have protested about being distanced from the holy man.
Rashi brings a Mechilta of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that when Moshe was returning from Midian, he met Aharon. After being introduced to Tsipora and her children, he said, “We are suffering with the first ones, and you come to add to them?” He [Moses] said to her [Zipporah], “Go home to your father.” She immediately took her two sons and returned to her father's house. It also brings an opinion that he gave her a bill of divorce. This contrasts with the story of Ruth the Moabite. When pushed away by Naomi and told about the hardships of living in Israel, she strongly protested saying your people will be my people and your God will be my God.
From a different angle the Midrash Raba says concerning the affair of Yehuda and Tamar (see Genesis 38) that the Holy One blessed be He, “was busy creating the light of the King Messiah”. The idea is that the messiah will come by means of highly unusual circumstances. The difficulty is how can the messianic line start with something like this. There are other stories like this for example David and Batsheva. Another is Esther marrying Achashverosh, obviously not Jewish. However, their son is Cyrus who authorized the return of the Jews to the Holy Land and the rebuilding of the Temple.
It comes out that it takes a lot of determination to be a religious Jew and even more so to be Haredi. The laws can be bothersome and illogical. The people can be vulgar and ignorant. Nevertheless there are sparks of holiness to be found and they are not to be found anywhere else. You just have to keep the faith, learn what you can, and fix what you can. From the other side the meanderings of the Jews including the worst scandals may be the strongest vehicles to bring closer to God those who may be very distant.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment