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Shabbat Yitro: Exodus 18:1-20:23;
Isaiah 6:1-7:6; 9:5-6.

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masa u'nfriva —"challenge and
n this week's Torah portion, we
quarrel." Perhaps it was this disunity
are presented with what is
among the Jews that emboldened
arguably the greatest event in
human history: God's direct commu- Amalek to attack them — and they
were saved only by Divine
nication with an entire
intervention,
nation.
Thus, the Torah is telling
We read of God reveal-
us it is crucial for the
ing Himself on Mt. Sinai,
Jewish people to leave
commanding the Jewish
behind their conflicts and
people. At the very outset
disunity, lack of faith and
of Chapter 19, wherein we
pessimism, their quarrels
have the preparations for
and strife in order to be
the revelation, the verses
ready to receive God's word.
state: "On the third month
. They came away from
after the Jewish people
Rab bi
Rephidim
and camped as
left Egypt, on that very
Eliezer Cohen
one
(singular)
opposite the
day, they came to the
Special to the
mountain.
wilderness of Sinai. And
Jewish News
As the Midrash Halachah
they traveled from
(Mechilta 19:2) states: "Any
Rephidim and came to the
place it says that they trav-
wilderness of Sinai and
eled (plural), they camped-(plural),
camped (vayachanu) in the wilder-
they traveled in the midst of strife
ness, and there Israel camped
and they camped in the midst of .
(vayichan) opposite the mountain."
strife. But here they were together
These verses present two obvious
problems. First, there seems to be an . with one heart; therefore it says they
camped (singular)."
unnecessary repetition. It has
The Torah is teaching us (19:6-7 )
already been stated in the first verse
that in order to be "God's special
that they came to the wilderness of
nation, a kingdom of priests and a
Sinai; why the redundancy?
holy people we must be whole-
Secondly, the two verbs "to camp"
heartedly united, with mutual love
are not consistent: The first is plural
and respect and faith in God and
and the second is singular.
hope for the future. And, as the verse
I believe that both of these ques-
tions can be answered with the same itself says (19:8): "The whole nation
responded together (as one) that all
answer, and that the Torah is trying
that God says we will do." ❑
to teach us a very powerful lesson,
The redundancy is to emphasize
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
that the Jewish people have left
Or Chadash in Oak Park.
Rephidim before they came to the
wilderness and mountain of Sinai.
Rephidim, we know from the end of
last week's Torah portion (Exodus
Chapter 17) is the place where the
people in their thirst, because of a
Conversations
lack of water, challenge God (17:2),
Why does Jewish unity seem so
rebel against Moshe and almost kill
hard to achieve? Can people
him (17:4), and are attacked by
who vehemently disagree still
Amalek (17:8).
-
respect one another? How do
Rephidim was the place of lack of
our enemies take advantage of
faith in God, lack of confidence in
our disunity? Why should holi-
Moshe and, above all, of strife, dis-
ness depend on unity?
unity and enmity. In fact, the Torah
calls the very name of the place

I

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