Covenant of Moses of Caleb

Remember how Moses desperately wanted to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land? We've talked about that burning desire before. But Samael, that ever-present adversary, was determined to stop him.

The story goes that Moses, nearing the end of his life, pulled out all the stops. He first turned to Caleb for help. Caleb, a righteous man, surely his prayers would have some weight. But according to Legends of the Jews, Samael intervened, blocking Caleb from even uttering a prayer. Imagine that—feeling the words catch in your throat, an invisible hand silencing your plea.

What do you do when even your best ally is thwarted? Moses didn’t give up. He then went to the seventy elders, the leaders of the people. He implored them, he begged them to pray. He even reached out to every single Israelite man.

Can you hear the desperation in his voice?

"Remember the wrath," he urged them, "which the Lord nursed against your fathers! It was I who brought it to pass that God relinquished His plan to destroy Israel, and forgave Israel their sins!" He’s reminding them of his past service, of the times he stood between them and divine wrath.

He continued, "Now, I pray ye, betake yourselves to the sanctuary of God and exhort His pity for me, that He may permit me to enter into the land of Israel, for 'God never rejects the prayer of the multitude.'"

Moses knew the power of collective prayer. He understood that a chorus of voices, united in purpose, could move mountains—or in this case, sway the divine will. The idea that "God never rejects the prayer of the multitude" is powerful. It speaks to the strength of community, the idea that together, we can achieve what we cannot alone.

But did it work? Did the collective prayer of the Israelites break through Samael's interference? That, my friends, is a story for another time.

But for now, consider this: What battles are you facing where you might need to call upon the collective strength of your community? Where might a chorus of voices make all the difference? It's a powerful idea to contemplate.