Leaders and Heroes
Moses’ greatness is not measured by what he was, i.e., his knowledge, piety etc., but by what he was not. Moses was so close to G-d that he was totally self-effacing. He had completely surrendered his ego, not by falsely denying his own qualities, but by recognizing how everything he possessed was from G-d. His every deed, word or thought, every fiber of his being, was devoted to G-d. Every aspect of his life revolved around G-d. BESHALLACH BESHALLACH
Believing in Moses
This week’s Torah portion, Beshallach features the splitting of the Red Sea (or: The Sea of Reeds), the crossing of the Jewish people and the drowning of the pursuing armies. This event marked the end of the Exodus from Egypt. The Jewish nation was now free to forge ahead towards Mount Sinai and the Promised Land of Israel.
Not only was this the culmination of the physical process of the Exodus, but, it also represented the spiritual growth of the Jewish nation. This spiritual sophistication is captured by the Torah’s statement in this week’s parsha: “And they believed in G-d and in Moses His servant.”
The Midrash comments on this verse:
“One who believes in the leader of Israel, it is as if one believes in He who created the universe.”
Obviously, the Midrash wishes to express the idea that the faith the Jewish people reached at the Sea of Reeds was of BESHALLACH a uniquely high level of faith because they also believed not only in G-d – but in Moses as well.
This statement begs for an explanation. Why is belief in Moses so crucial to one’s belief in G-d? Furthermore, wouldn’t belief in anything else but G-d detract from our belief in one true G-d?
Greatness Measured by what He is Not!
The answer to these questions requires a better understanding of who Moses and other great tzadikkim (righteous Torah leaders) were. Moses’ greatness is not measured by what he was, i.e., his knowledge, piety etc., but by what he was not.
Moses was so close to G-d that he was totally self-effacing. He had completely surrendered his ego, not by falsely denying his own qualities, but by recognizing how everything he possessed was from G-d. His every deed, word or thought, every fiber of his being, was devoted to G-d. Every aspect of his life revolved around G-d.
Not Hero Worship
Because he had no ego, he was able to successfully serve as an intermediary between G-d and the Jewish people. By BESHALLACH connecting to Moses, one was connecting to a person whose whole being was characterized by its receptivity and openness to G-d — thereby making oneself receptive and open to Him as well.
The novice in matters of faith accepts G-d without being prepared to surrender his/her whole being. True, the egocentric person can also believe in and serve G-d. But, there is always the danger that one’s ego and personal interests might interfere with one’s relationship with Him.
When the Jews crossed the Red Sea, they achieved the level of “G-d-centricity,” which manifested itself in their faith in Moses His servant.
The emphasis on faith in righteous people found in Jewish teachings is rooted, not in conventional hero worship, but in the tzadik’s righteous person’s ability to bring us closer to an awareness of – and, therefore, a connection to – G-d that we could not achieve on our own. Hero worship enhances our own egos, faith in tzadikkim enhances G-d’s presence in our lives.
BESHALLACH
BESHALLACH
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Beshalach by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
