I admit it, from time to time I get very discouraged about the state of our country. It seems like the evil is rolling in unchecked. Peaceful law abiding citizens are in a gulag that is worse than the conditions of the terrorists at Gitmo. Parents concerned about critical race theory are labeled terrorists and harassed by a man who is head of the DOJ and who’s son-in-law makes his living off selling CRT materials to schools. And now following the dictator’s playbook they have decided to start trying to outlaw defensive tools. Food processing plants and livestock are burning, dying, or just in general not making it into the food supply chain. The Xiden crime regime is still pushing the deadly death darts and Cacklin’ Kamela is the new head of the ministry of truth. All pretty bad, eh?
But then this weeks Torah portion. This weeks portion is Beha’alotecha. It’s Numbers (Bemidbar-In The Desert) 8:1-12:16.
Fair warning, I’m totally unqualified to teach on this. But this is what spoke to me and why I find so much encouragement in our situation today.
From the 6th reading, the incident at Tav’eirah (blaze). The reading has been discussing the signals to travel and to rest, then it comes to a part where they are resting. The mixed multitude (non-Jews that traveled with them when they left Egypt) begin to re-think this submitting to G-d’s laws and so they search for an excuse to to avoid them. First they complain about how they were able to travel three days journey in one day. A mercy G-d gave them so they could get into the land quicker. This didn’t go down well, so G-d sent a fire down to consume the worst of them. The ones that hadn’t gotten as bad wised up and begged Moshe to intercede for them, which he did. But you know who else the fire consumed? The 70 elders, that should have known better and should have taught the people better. It probably is terrible to say, but this made me stop and think. Huh, leaders that should have been leaders and didn’t, pay a price. People that are leaders and shirk their duty for personal gain pay a price. At least that time they sure did.
Then the mixed multitude, these people are troublemakers, began to grow wistful for the bonds of slavery, for being beaten, starved and having no real say in their lives. Living under G-d’s rules for a healthy moral society was so cumbersome you see! Even though G-d fed them manna every day, which would take on the flavor of whatever a person desired they began to whine and cry “We want meat! Who will give us meat!” Yes, they have flocks and herds with them, but that is still what they whined. And then the Israelis joined in.
They weren’t done, “Oh, we miss cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, and the fish we ate so enjoyably in a relaxed atmosphere free of divine obligations. Kid you not! They were slaves in Egypt, what relaxed atmosphere? At this point in the lesson I’m picturing Moshe and Aaron standing side by side with identically dropped jaws doing a simultaneous face palm.
G-d is now really angry, Moshe knows it’s evil and this is the ninth, ninth time the people have challenged G-d’s ability to provide for them. Nine. NINE. Not that I’m perfect and blameless on all counts but it seems like a lot to me. And that reminds me of all the times G-d has miraculously helped me. Looking back at my opening, G-d was, is and will be.
But this meat thing gets on his nerves. Moshe is beside himself, he wants to know why G-d had placed the burden of these people on his shoulders alone. He wants to know where he’s going to get meat for all of them? And besides that the original 70 elders are well done. I can’t do it.
But G-d is his father, and our father. He tells Moshe to replace the errant elders who didn’t do their job by taking 72 tickets and writing elder on 70 of them and leave two blank. Then to take 6 elders from each tribe. That’s 72, but only 70 will become elders.
Ah, simple paper ballots lead to good voting outcomes. G-d voted and the 70 he wanted became elders. No Dominion voting machines involved. Paper and done! I’m sure there is a message in there!
Next onto the meat. G-d provides meat aplenty for his children, for a month. Until they are sick of it. To be more specific the worst of the complainers died when they first ate it, the others died over the month. G-d provided enough quail for over 600,000 people for over a month. In one day while Moshe and the elders were in their tents as it pains the righteous to see the wicked punished. I think I need to work on myself as I personally want to see Nuremberg II televised and I can about guarantee a better viewing audience than the Jan 6 clown show.
But what do I find in this? That G-d is in control. Of everything. He can deal with the mixed multitude, he can deal with antifa and BLM. He can deal with the derelict elders, he can deal with RINOs and McConnell and McCarthy that sell the people out. While there was no food shortage and the manna could taste like cherry cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, key lime cheesecake or coffee cheesecake or even non-cheesecake foods (why?) when the people wanted meat, G-d supplied it. Nothing is too great for G-d. Where I sometimes get off track is what is in my will and what is in his will. I think of something my Rabbi told me a few years ago. It was in relation to a totally unrelated situation to this, but he said “G-d can do anything he wants anytime he wants”, and when something I never thought would happen did, I heard his voice saying that. I was in awe for months!
I was blessed with the best father a girl could have. My dad never said “Oh no, girls don’t need to learn how to do this, or no girls don’t do that sort of thing”. If I wanted to learn and he knew how, he taught me. When I bought a farm with no running water and an outhouse, he and Mom came down and helped me work on it almost every day till I could live in it. I still remember when I got indoor plumbing, and I was living here for a while before that happened. Short Dad story, as I had an outhouse and Dad hated it that I had to go outside after dark to use the outhouse, he saw a chamber pot at a garage sale. As he paid for it the lady asked him if his wife was going to plant flowers in it? He told her no, it was for his daughter to use at night so she didn’t have to go outside to the outhouse. I’m still chuckling and smiling as I type this. Dang I miss my Dad. He was Roy Rogers and John Wayne all rolled into one. My Dad is the Dad there, in B’Shaymime.
G-d of the Torah portion is the father everywhere, nothing is too big for him. Not corrupt politicians, not the decline of our country. Not even me as I struggle to know more and do better. He doesn’t throw in the towel. He knows everything including my heart better than I know it myself. I don’t know how this plays out. I don’t. I know that I’m responsible for doing what he puts in front of me to do. To keep suiting up and showing up. But he is the father who is everywhere and I can and do talk to him about everything.
For the fathers here, I’m giving you a fabulous movie, a very short tribute to fantastic fathers.
Happy fathers day to all the men out there. Even if you aren’t fathers, you had one. And we’re glad for that because you’re here.
