From Mouth to God’s ‘Ears’
We all know that the Rambam, Maimonides (March 30, 1138-December 12, 1204) established 13 things that we proclaim after we daven (pray) every morning.
The third of those things is the following:
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה. שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ אֵינוֹ גוּף. וְלֹא יַשִּׂיגוּהוּ מַשִּׂיגֵי הַגּוּף. וְאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם דִּמְיוֹן כְּלָל: (אינו גוף)
I believe with full faith that the Creator, May His Name be Blessed, has no body. And that those who grasp the body will not grasp it. And He has no dimension at all.
Last week, Moshe was nervous about his speaking before Pharoah, as he had stated three times that he had some sort of problem with speaking (Exodus 4:10, Exodus 6:12, and Exodus 6:30) using the phrases “lo ish devarim anochi,” “k’vad peh u’kevad lashon,” and “aral sefatayim” respectively.
There is an understanding that we are created in HaShem’s “Image” (whatever that means, seeing as we also know that He has no image, which again brings us back to the Rambam, Maimonides).
But we also know that HaShem does not make mistakes.
There is no such thing as that.
It is not even a possibility.
Back on October 18, we read parshat Bereishit, in which we read that HaShem Made us “b’tzalmainu k’dimuteinu” (Genesis 1:26) and *wow* do the commentators have a lot to say.
Rashi, Rabbeinu Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040–1105) purports that the phrase means ‘with the power to comprehend and to discern.’
Rashbam, Rav Shmuel ben Meir (1085–1158) thinks that it means in the image of the angels… Which actually makes a lot of sense, if you go forward and look at the kruvim [which yes, we have to go all the way back to Genesis 3:24 and look at the commentary of Rav Yosef Bechor Shor (12th century) who thinks that they were angels in the shape of oxen and they are called keruvim from the root vowel kaf- reish- vet which means to plow in Aramaic (Masechet Bava Batra 12a].
But going back to the point, HaShem made us, human beings, in His likeness… Whatever that means…
So when Moshe says “hain bnei Yisrael lo shamu eyli v’eich yishma’eni Pharaoh v’ani aral sifatayim” (Exodus: 6:12), and HaShem doesn’t even address his understandable fear, it makes sense.
Because last week, Moshe gave the same excuse, three different ways, and HaShem told him that He would be Moshe‘s mouth (Exodus: 4:12), and when Moshe seems to given an unenthused answer of essentially ‘ okay, fine, whatever You say’ (Exodus 4:13), HaShem gets angry (Exodus 4:14) and reassures Moshe that Aharon can speak, and will be happy to see him, implying that he will be happy to help him out on this endeavor.
HaShem then says the part that assuages Moshe‘s fear: “v’dibarta eylav v’samta et ha’divarim b’feev u’Anochi eheyeh im picha v’im pihu v’horayti etchem ate asher ta’asun v’dibear hu licha el ha’am v’haya hu yiheeyeh licha l’feh v’atah tiheyeh lo lay’loheem” (Exodus 4:16)
Which from last week’s parsha, is an interesting phrasing in and of itself– that Aharon will speak to the people on behalf of Moshe, that he will be a mouth for Moshe, and Moshe will be for him a god… which again, brings back the Rambam’s 13 principles, because the first one is
שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ הוּא בּוֹרֵא וּמַנְהִיג לְכָל הַבְּרוּאִים. וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ עָשָׂה וְעוֹשֶׂה וְיַעֲשֶׂה לְכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים
That HaShem created the world, is in charge of all of the creations, He made, makes and will make in the world.
The thing is, that Moshe from now until the end of his life, is going to be the world’s mouthpiece for HaShem.
People who have disabilities, or different abilities, are fully aware of their differences.
Oftentimes, it is painfully obvious to us, not only because it is highlighted by others’ condescending behaviors towards us, but also by the sheer fact that we know our own truths.
We know our struggles.
Maybe that’s why Moshe tried to get out of it… because sometimes, it’s just too hard to sit with.
For me, that is definitely true, as I am legitimately sitting while others might be standing, and it’s uncomfortable.
And it’s hard.
But I remember that Moshe had a disability, and he taught Torah to everybody, and he led a nation for 40 years, and even if he hadn’t done those amazing things, HaShem deemed him not only worthy, but made accommodations for him… Which is a pretty incredible lesson.
I talk to HaShem every day— either through my davening, my Torah learning, or through The way that I live my life and try to follow His ways.
But it’s hard sometimes…
Actually it’s hard a lot of the time…
I think that people don’t understand that fully.
Toward the end of the parsha, Moshe leaves Pharaoh, and he spreads his hands out up to HaShem in order to stop the barad, the hail from falling… and it does.
If only holding our hands up to HaShem worked that easily in order to stop things that are hurting…
But it is too hard to raise your arms up when you have a degenerative muscle disease called Juvenile Onset ALS.
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