TORAH PORTION

'God Of Exodus' Asks
Us To Take First Step

Parshat Beshalach: Exodus 13:17-17:16;
Judges 4:4-5:31.

Efrat, Israel

T

he Book of
Exodus refers to
the God of his-
tory, whereas the Book of
Genesis speaks of the God
of creation. What is the
difference between these
names? Does the God of
Genesis demand a differ-
ent kind of fealty than the
God of Exodus?
The Hebrew word el
means power, so the Elohim of the
Book of Genesis is the sum total of
all the powers that created and con-
trol the cosmos.
As physicist Gerald Schroeder
explains in his masterful God
According to God: "We reside on a
very special planet at a very special
location within a very special stel-
lar system, formed at just the right
position within the right kind of
galaxy. The earth's distance from the
sun, for the right amount of warmth
and its mass and gravity, for the
ability to retain a proper atmo-
sphere, put us in the only habitable
zone within the solar system."
It was this great Power who set
limits to each variable in order to
enable intelligent, sentient life to
flourish on our planet.
And it was this same Power
that set limits on human beings,
restraining us in accordance with a
divine legal code that will eventually
produce a global society of compas-
sionate righteousness and moral
justice. The Almighty communicated
His laws to Noah and Abraham in
the splendid and solitary unique-
ness of His glory, without the par-
ticipation of any others. Such is the
Elohim of Genesis.
Not so in Exodus
the God that
is revealed in the unfolding histori-
cal process is very different from
the God revealed at once in the "Big
Bang." The God of Creation spoke
and it came to be, majestically, soli-
tarily. The God of Exodus required
the cooperation of His covenantal
nation Israel; "He will bring about"

—

the redemption, but pre-
cisely when and where
will depend on Israel —
and Israel's willingness
to act in accordance with
His will. The fruition of
His plan will depend on
Israel's willingness to be
redeemed.
Hence, God almost begs
Moses to accept the lead-
ership of the Israelites.
God will remain hid-
den in the cloud; Moses
must stand on the front line and be
backed up by a willing, inspired and
committed nation.
The God of history entered into a
covenant with an entire nation; that
nation must be taught and inspired
to act in a way that will bring about
its redemption.
The plagues were a lesson to the
Israelites and the Egyptians that
God wants His people to be free.
This lesson continued with the pas-
chal sacrifice — a sacrifice that rep-
resented an act of commitment unto
death on the part of the Israelites.
And then we come to our won-
drous portion, when the Israelites
finally reach freedom in the desert.
But their happiness is short-lived;
soon they hear the Egyptian army
approaching from behind while the
seemingly impenetrable Red Sea lies
in front of them.
They cry out to Moses in panic;
Moses still doesn't seem to under-
stand that God's condition for
redemption is Israelite action! The
prophet then declares: "The Lord
will do battle for you, but you must
remain silent" (Exodus 14:14). God
corrects Moses: "Speak to the chil-
dren of Israel, and let them start
moving [into the sea]" (14:15).
Then the first group of Israelites,
accepting their role as God's part-
ners, jump into the surging waters!
If we hope to be redeemed, we
must first demonstrate that we are
worthy of redemption.

Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah

Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat.

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NOT
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.AWAY

A Community Forum on Poverty

Brian Dickerson, Des ty Editoriai Page Editor, 7.?::7-

7 E-r--cc

You CAN make a difference. Learn the facts and how you
can make an impact as an activist in the fight to help the
unprecedented numbers of Michiganders living in poverty.

•

•

-

Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Adler Hall

Space is limited. RSVP in advance at detroitjcrc.org ,
call (248) 642-5393, or email scrane@jfmd.org .

No admission charge, but please bring a
non-perishable food item for the Yad Ezra
kosher food bank, and/or a children's book
for the Detroit Jewish Coalition for Literacy.

Co-sponsors:

Jewish
.Community
A. Relations
Council

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SIMAREY ZEDS:

January 13 • 2011

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