07/29/2023
שַׁבָּת נַחֲמוּ
Shabbat of comfort
Shabbat shalom. My contemplation of this week’s Torah portion took a different turn as the Sabbath approached. Just after Tisha B’Av and the Three Weeks of mourning drew to a close, I received a much anticipated phone call. About my dream job I have previously mentioned applying for. But the words were not as I had hoped and anticipated…another candidate had been selected. My immediate response was devestation and sorrow. Shattered dreams.
This week’s parsha, Va'etchanan, starts out with Moses saying:
“וָֽאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר:
אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֨וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָֽדְךָ֖ הַֽחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַֽעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבֽוּרֹתֶֽךָ:
אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֹֽן:
“I entreated the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord G-d, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for who is [like] G-d in heaven or on earth who can do as Your deeds and Your might? Pray let me cross over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon."
But G-d did not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. Moses, the only man who Adonai knew
“פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים”
face to face never entered the Land of Israel. Now we have learned the stories of why, of Moses’ disobedience to G-d in drawing water from a stone, but it came down to one important reason. It was not where G-d wanted Moses to be. Now G-d had a very good reason for that (as G-d always does). The Children of Israel needed to know that it was G-d, not Moses, that led them to the Promised Land. But even as he knew this, Moses’ immediate response was devestation and sorrow. Shattered dreams.
This week’s Haftorah, the first of seven Haftorot of consolation, begins with
נַֽחֲמ֥וּ נַֽחֲמ֖וּ עַמִּ֑י יֹאמַ֖ר אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם
"Console, console My people," says your G-d.
We most often call out to Adonai when we are troubled or misfortune befalls us. But what happens when we just follow G-d‘s path for us, have faith that we are where G-d meant us to be? For Moses, his holy soul was taken to heaven by G-d Himself as that was where G-d meant for him to be.
For me, G-d provided reassurances. He showed me a taste of where I was going and motivation to stay my course by introducing me to Rabbi Frankie. R’ Frankie currently does the job I was hoping to do in a different geographical area. They speak with confidence and pride of their accomplishments in bringing Kedusha to the young adults in their area and to building a community where individuals can learn and discover how to form their unique connection with G-d and Judaism, B’tzelem Elohim. And they are clearly doing it well. And hours after hearing of the disappointing news of not being selected for the job, I found myself sitting and having lunch with my friend, teacher, and mentor, Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, and our wives. When I expressed my disappointment at the turn of events that morning, he asked me why I wanted that particular job. He listened thoughtfully while I told him, and then said to me, “I am sold” and asked if I had told them in those same words. I pondered whether I had but then he then spoke to me of staying my course and the right opportunity would come along. I found comfort in his words which reinforced my continued commitment to pursuing that goal. Perhaps at the organization I was looking at, perhaps at another.
In a few hours the sun will set and I will be immersed in the Shabbat of Comfort. And I will do so knowing that by always striving to be not only where I desire to be but where G-d wishes for me to be, I need never to be overcome by devestation and sorrow. And I will find fulfillment.
Shabbat shalom
