This week’s Torah portion describes one of the most painful episodes in our people’s history. The context is important: Moses is away from the people, on Mount Sinai receiving instructions from God. The Israelites grow restless and anxious. They come before Aaron and say: “Make us a god who shall go before us, for that fellow Moses—the man who brought us from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1)
It’s a story that reminds us of how fragile our faith can be. The very generation who—according to the Torah—witnessed personally the miracles and wonders that led to our deliverance from Egyptian bondage quickly returns to idolatry.
One of the ways our tradition cultivates faith is with its constant reminders of the goodness—tangible signs of God’s faithfulness—we experience day by day. In the morning, we are reminded to give thanks to God for the gift of life with Modeh/Modah Ani. Before we eat, we give thanks for the gift of sustenance by saying HaMotzi lechem min ha-aretz. Even the mundane task of using the bathroom is followed by a prayer of gratitude for the blessing of a functioning body.
Faith is the trust that the One who fashioned the universe and everything in it will continue to enable life to flourish and goodness to flow. May we, despite the fears and anxieties that naturally beset us from time to time, hold on to the belief that our lives have meaning and purpose, and that our efforts to make the world a better place will lead, ultimately, to deliverance and redemption for all.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Yoshi
