You pour your heart into helping them, only to see them repeat the same mistakes. That feeling isn't new. It's as old as…well, as old as Moses.
Imagine Moses, right after fleeing Egypt. He’s not just worried about his own hide. No, his heart aches for his people, the Israelites. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, paints a picture of Moses riddled with questions. Why, he wondered, did Israel suffer more than all other nations? It's a question that echoes through history, isn't it? Why do some groups seem to face disproportionate hardship?
But then something shifted. An angel, Ginzberg tells us, whisked Moses away – forty days' journey from Egypt, a distance so vast it banished all fear from his mind. But distance didn’t solve the problem. Instead, being among the Israelites, he witnessed something that shook him to his core: talebearing and backbiting. Can you imagine his disappointment? He began to question: Did this people deserve to be redeemed?
Think about that for a moment. The very people he was destined to save were exhibiting behavior that made him doubt their worthiness.
The situation wasn’t pretty. The Israelites, at that time, weren't exactly model citizens, spiritually speaking. They turned a deaf ear to Aaron and the five sons of Zerah – prophets who were actively trying to guide them toward the fear of God. They just wouldn’t listen. It was their own impiety, their lack of reverence and faith, that, according to the tradition, allowed Pharaoh’s heavy hand to press down on them even harder.
It's a harsh reality. Sometimes, our own actions contribute to our suffering. As the story goes, it was only when God had mercy on them, despite their failings, that Moses was finally sent to deliver them from Egyptian slavery.
So, what does this tell us? Maybe it’s a reminder that redemption isn't always about deserving. Sometimes, it's about grace. About God's unwavering commitment, even when we, like the ancient Israelites, stumble and fall. And maybe, just maybe, it's a call to examine ourselves. Are we listening to the voices of wisdom around us? Are we contributing to a community of support, or one of division? Because the path to redemption, it seems, begins not just with divine intervention, but with our own willingness to turn toward the light.