JewishMiami.org

Ekev

by Rabbi David J. Zucker, JFNA Rabbinic Cabinet

“Get a Partner”

This week’s Parashah commences by reminding Israel that if they follow God’s laws and statutes, then life will go well for them. They will prosper and know many blessings, physically and spiritually and, in time, they will incrementally inherit the Promised Land as it states, “God will dislodge those people before you, little by little.” (Deut. 7:22)

Moses also reminds them that they were (and are!) “a stiff-necked people.” (Deut. 9:5 ff) He recounts the sordid details of the golden calf episode. Moses further tells the people that God was fiercely angry, and that it was only because of his personal intervention that God spared their lives and Aaron’s as well. That story concludes with God inviting Moses to ascend Mount Sinai again to receive a second set of the tablets. (Deut. 9:19 ff; 10:1 ff)

What Moses does not tell the people is what happened when Moses once again stood before God. Fortunately, Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:15 offers us a glimpse into that conversation. It is quite extraordinary. It is startling. It is wonderfully provocative.

God says to Moses (I paraphrase slightly here), “Moses, sometimes matters get away from me; I lose my temper. I know that I should not do this; but the reality is that they do. Moses, when that happens, I need your help. You, Moses are my human partner. Periodically, I need to rely on you to offer me guidance and help.”

The text concludes, “Let not the two of us be angry. When you see me pour hot [water], you pour cold. When you see me pour cold, you pour hot.” (Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:15)

God admits that not all of divine anger is appropriate and that God needs someone to keep it in check. Additionally, God asks for human help and recognizes that their partnership is productive and important. Ecclesiastes frames it well for us: “Two are better off than one, in that they have greater benefit.” (Eccl. 4:9) This notion is reinforced in Pirkei Avot when Yehoshua ben Perahia says, “Acquire a friend for yourself” (Avot 1:6).

We are (still) stiff-necked and impatient. We want things done, now. Often, even sometimes unwillingly, we lose our tempers. When we have acquired a faithful partner, a good friend, then that person can challenge us on our behaviors. That person can remind us that sometimes matters only are achieved “little by little.” That person can cool us down when we are boiling hot (as well as stir us up when we become complacent.)

In the year ahead, let us celebrate a partner if we have one and seek a partner if we lack one. We will both benefit.

Rabbi David J. Zucker, PhD, BCC, a member of the Rabbinic Cabinet of Jewish Federations of North America, is Chaplain and Director of Spirituality at Shalom Park, a senior continuum of care center in Aurora, Colorado. He is the author of The Torah: An Introduction for Christians and Jews (Paulist Press 2005).

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