Sermon by Rabbi Denise L. Eger, April 29, 2005
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Passover
Tonight we begin the seventh day of the festival. If you grew up as a Reform Jew or in Israel, this is the last day of the holiday and tomorrow after Havdalah you will once again be in the Chametz eating zone! If of course you grew up Conservative or Orthodox then you have to wait one more day until Sunday evening at Sundown until Pesach is over.
Why the discrepancies? In Eretz Yisrael the holidays are observed as biblically commanded. Thus Passover is only observed for seven days. But outside of Israel, traditionalists add and eighth day to Passover, Sukkot and a second day to Shavuot. Lengthening each of the Festivals. This was done because during the time of the Temple in Jerusalem the new moon –Rosh Chodesh was determined by the testimony of two witnesses before the Sanhedrin—the Jewish Court and Congress. The Sanhedrin would then officially declare the new month and then they could also establish the day on which the holiday began. (Since Pesach begins at the full moon a does Sukkot although Shavuot begins not quite a week after the new moon). So if you were far away from Jerusalem when the declaration was made, it might take some time for the word of the new month to get to you and consequently you would not know the exact day the holiday started. Thus by adding an additional day to the beginning of the Festivals, those that lived far away were assured of hitting the correcting day and time of observance.
When the temple was destroyed and the Sanhedrin disbanded, the Jewish people no longer followed the witness system of declaring the new moon. But the custom remained outside of Israel of adding an extra day even though we have astronomical tables with great degrees of certainty about the new moon as well as the start of the holidays.
Thus Reform Judaism in the early 1800’s did away with the additional day of the holidays since we scientifically and rationally could figure out the calendar system.
Some argue that we increase the joy of the holiday by continuing to observe the extra day in the Diaspora. And if most Jews even observed the holidays that would be true. But in this 21st century getting Jews to observe and take responsibility for their spiritual life is no small task. Especially when doubt seems to plague us.
On this last day of Passover we read from the torah the story of the Crossing of the Red Sea. With the Egyptian army, its iron chariots whipping the desert sands into the air, bearing down upon the Israelites, The children of Israel cry out in fear—complaining to Moses. They cry out – “Did you bring us here for want of graves In Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us taking us out of Egypt?” (Ex. 14:11).
The Children of Israel begin their journey with doubt and begin their march to become a new people not convinced of God’s saving hand even though they lived through the ten plagues: blood, frogs, lice, wild beast, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of the first born. Still their faith was lacking. Lacking in Moses and most of all lacking in the power of God.
And this doubt and lack of faith continue even with the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea. The Children of Israel throughout their journey in the wilderness doubt their faith doubt their God. They grumble about a lack of food and God provides manna and later quail. They grumble about a lack of water and God instructs Moses how to sweeten the bitter waters of an oasis, and then how to get water from a rock-not once but twice. The children of Israel doubt that God will protect them on their journey and they cry out and rebel against Moses and Aaron.
Time and again, the Children of Israel, often in their fear –doubt God’s power and blessing and ability to do miracles for them. Even when they are presented with miracle after miracle, even when God’s blessing is there for the taking.
But we are no different.
Doubt, continues to plague us. We want proof of our faith. Logic and reasoning to our practice as the Reformers did when they took away a day of the holiday that had been customary in the Diaspora. We aren’t any different than those slaves caught with the army on one side and the sea on the other. We want proof that God’s miraculous hand will lift us up on eagles’ wings’ to the safety and sanctuary of God’s protection.
What do we do about our doubts particularly when we live in a secular age that at every corner and every turn would beat our faith, beat our hopes and dreams from us? What do we do about our doubts concerning God, and miracles?
First we must give voice to them. We have to have a safe place to share our concerns, our worries, and yes, our fears. We need to have others in a community to share with us in our moments of doubt. For those who doubt, for those who have suspicions, having a network of people with whom to process and to get a so-called reality check can help us work through our lack of faith, our hesitations and our worries. That is in part what a synagogue is for. That is what our synagogue is for.
But in truth doubt is the flip side of faith. Rene Descartes said: If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt as far as possible, all things.”
Having doubts aren’t a bad thing. Doubt allows the process of questioning and examination but a life of doubt; a life filled with distrust corrupts the soul. That is why reading about the miracles, such as the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, that is why reliving the exodus at the seder meal, that is why being part of a synagogue community where one can study, learn, and yes, share their fears, concerns and doubts helps to build not only faith but build the soul.
Holiday observances, like Passover, for seven or even for eight days denying ourselves the Chametz that usually fills us up, allows us to confront our doubts even as we try to overcome them. Rituals helps us even when we are feeling drained, even when we hesitate to believe, even when we have reservations, reenact and give expression to mystical concerns that can link us deep into the past of our people. Even as we confront our suspicions.
In these days and times, we give much time and effort to building homes, and buildings, to building muscles and bodies, building businesses and careers. But we give scant time to building perhaps the most important infrastructure that human beings have which is the soul, the spirit. If our soul is askew, we are off balance, our moral compass awry. Thus when we affiliate with a religious community, like the synagogue, we are building our soul. When we observe Jewish holidays we are building our soul. When we study the Torah, we are building our soul. When we pray, even if we have doubts, we are building our soul.
The rabbis who wrote the Midrash recognized the doubting nature of the Children of Israel as they stood between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army—The Mekhilta records the following story:
The Israelites at the Red Sea were divided into four groups. One group said: Let us throw ourselves in to the sea. One said: Let us return to Egypt. One said: Let us fight them; and one said; Let us cry out against them. The one that said: Let us throw ourselves into the sea,” Was told, “ Stand Still and see the salvation of the God.” The one that said: “Let us return to Egypt,” was told” “For whereas you have seen the Egyptians today,” The one that said: “Let us fight them,” was told, “God will fight for you,” The one that said. “Let us cry out against them” was told: And you shall hold your peace.”
This midrash—explaining verses (verse 13/14 of chapter 14) in the torah –following the Israelites cry of doubt—is the rabbis way of addressing different reservations of different people. Notice there are four groups of people addressed, just like the four children of the Haggadah. And the number four plays such a powerful part of the Seder experience four cups of wine and four questions. The rabbis were consciously trying to make the link here.
The Verse is: But Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stand still, and witness the deliverance, which God will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. Adonai will battle for you; you hold your peace!” They parsed each part of the verse trying to get to the heart of the fears of the Children of Israel.
This midrash recognizes that not all questions of faith, all doubts or doubters are the same—that different people require different ways to work through their concerns. Some require doing, and some require listening and some require action and some require quiet to process their beliefs and their fears and doubts. But most of all this midrash illustrates that the rabbis knew what we too often forget—that what we think we need isn’t always what we need—that sometimes—we need the opposite to help us through a situation. For those who want to quickly process things—we need to slow down a bit—for those who are ready to stand up and fight—well, perhaps we need to let God come into the picture a bit and do our work for us –as it is for those in 12 steps programs who say —we understood we were powerless and Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as I understood him. Sometimes we doubters, we who like quick answers, or those of us that think we control everything, need to just let go and feel God’s Divine Presence. Seek God out in that moment.
The Rabbis understood this—and tried to use the midrash to teach this. One way we heal our doubt is through acts of faith even if we doubt them!!!!
So on this Shabbat as we read of the majesty of God’s miracle at the parting of the Red Sea and the walls of water that rose while the children of Israel crossed safely on dry land. For those of us that struggle with questions, with doubts, with reservations about our faith, and our Judaism let us learn to tend to the garden of our soul—even as we ask our questions. Let us tend to the flowering of our faith, and water and feed the blossoms of our belief in a God who indeed not only did miracles for ancestors—but will continue to provide comfort and calm, hope and healing miracles and marvels in our lives as well.
Shabbat Shalom, Happy Passover.
Posted by Lee at May 22, 2005 03:22 PM
