moments of potential. We reminded ourselves of time passing. We called attention to small changes and girded our strength for the unknown that lay ahead. One year can feel as recent as a breath and as far away as a memory, as the world constantly reminds us through hatred and othering. Power used to make others feel small, frightened, or extinguish their sacred flame of body, mind, spirit or existence alters the passage of time. Returning to the same challenges over and over again unsettles our footing and invites us to wonder where we are on our journey.
In this week's parasha, B'ha'alotkha, we find verses familiar from the Traditional Shabbat morning Torah service, vay'hee binsoa ha'aron vayomer moshe, kuma adonai v'yafutzu oyvekha (used when we take out the Torah) followed by uv'nucho yomar shuvah adonai riv'vot alfay yisrael ( recited when we return the Torah to the ark.) These words arise in Torah to describe the people's journey away from the mountain, the place at which they received revelation. One can imagine the giant population stepping forward into the unknown, still reeling from the out of body experience that was Sinai. As the Torah tells us, The ark of the covenant traveled in front of them on the three days' journey to seek out a resting place for them.The cloud of the holy one kept above them by day as they moved on from the camp (Numbers 10:33-34). The sacred center, the holy and divine agreement and understanding remained front and center as they searched for a place to rest.
The word used here for seeking out/searching is latur, familiar to us from the story of the spies who go to survey the land. Unlike the majority of the spies who will internalize fear, in this instance, the people travelled and explored places to rest with the ark leading the way and the holy presence overhead. And when the ark was to set out, Moses would say, Advance, Adonai! May your enemies be scattered and may your foes flee before you. And when it rested Moses would say, Return, Adonai, you who are Israel's myriads of thousands (Numbers 10:35-36). Perhaps if the 10 spies had language like this to guide their experience, they would not return from their reconnaissance mission in fear of the land and its inhabitants. Perhaps they would not imagine themselves into the eyes of others as grasshoppers. What if they were blessed with the prayer of Moses, Holy One, walk before us, keeping hatred at bay. Let us find sanctuary to rest in peace as you remain with our giant family. Setting out from the mountain, this prayer of Moshe's served to keep the people steady in spirit as they travelled an unknown path and searched for refuge with the hope that Gd would not only lead them forward but rest along with them.
The Talmud considers these two verses (just 85 letters!) a book unto themselves. The words are offset by the Hebrew letter nun written backwards - like bookends - on either end. We can see this in the Torah scroll itself. Note that the number 85 aligns with the word for mouth - peh. A book has something to say, an important message critical to our lives that makes us think, moves our heart and causes us to speak. These days, this travelling prayer reminds me to speak up about hatred and sacred humanity as a divine call and invite Gd's presence into resting, reorganizing and refueling for the battles we must continue to wage in a world that is not yet at peace with itself. It is a hopeful prayer for safety and connection.
Israeli singer Ofra Haza sang another T'fillah/Prayer that called on the divine presence to watch over us, grant us strength, keep us safe, stay with us and give us the ability to love. When we love someone, when we open to their pain, we cannot imagine facing them in hatred nor snuffing out the holy and sacred breath gifted to them by the one who spoke the world into being. As we enter Shabbat and call to mind on Memorial Day US military members who died in uniform for a country that is to be the land of the free, let us choose our words with wisdom, grace, clarity and love that they may banish hatred from our midst. May the Holy One of all being help us to bring peace down from the heavens so that we may live safely with love.
Enjoy this version of T'fillah - תפילה (שמור נא עלינו) - released by Yonina earlier this month. May the presence of Yoni and Nina's newborn baby in this video inspire us to create a world devoid of hate and filled with love so that no child has to grow and learn and love in memory of their parent who changed the world (Gianna Floyd) and can instead make each day with that person a blessing.
Shabbat Shalom
rg
