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DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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publisher’s notebook
Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher / Executive Editor
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
No Divine Intervention For Flint’s ‘Bitter Water’
“Then Moses made Israel set out from the
Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness
of Shur. They went three days in the wilder-
ness and found no water. When they came
to Marah, they could not drink the water
of Marah because it was bitter; therefore, it
was named Marah. And the people grum-
bled against Moses, ‘What shall we drink?’
And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD
showed him a log, and he threw it into the
water, and the water became sweet.”
ence to the Lord, the Israelites are assured
that they will be spared from diseases like
the ones experienced by the Egyptians and,
presumably, from tainted water.
As we gather with our family and friends
across the Detroit metropolitan area, we
take for granted that “sweet water” is enter-
ing our homes through pipes linked to the
Detroit Water & Sewerage Department,
which now operates under the newly
formed umbrella of the Great Lakes Water
Exodus 15:22-25
Authority.
Look around your seder table.
he annual retelling of
“Sweet water” is everywhere. It’s in
the story of the Exodus
the chicken soup, the matzah balls,
from Egypt at our
the homemade gefilte fish, the cof-
Passover seders is framed and
fee and tea. It is used to clean the
enhanced by the evening’s many
dishes, pots, pans and utensils. It’s
symbolic actions. We wash our
in the ritual washing cup and the
hands. We invite all who are hun-
ice cubes dropped into our glasses.
gry to come and eat. Our seder
It boiled the potatoes and eggs and
table contains items representing Arthur Horwitz steamed the vegetables. It rinsed the
bricks, mortar and bitter tears.
fresh fruit. It’s in your grandchild’s
Our young ask: Why? Why?
bottle of baby formula and Miriam’s
Why? Why? We recline in freedom. We spill symbolic cup.
a drop of wine after each of the 10 plagues
For the people of Flint, their waters
are revealed. We mash a hard-boiled egg
were once “sweet,” too … drawn from the
into a bowl with salt water. We leave a
identical water source and treated with the
cup of wine for Elijah and open a door to
same additives that we utilize. Their waters,
welcome him. In some homes, a goblet
however, were made bitter — not through
of water is placed to honor Moses’ sister,
Divine intervention — but through those
Miriam.
duty-bound to protect and serve them.
Regardless of the Haggadah utilized (I
In the wilderness, the Israelites com-
grew up with the Maxwell House coffee ver- plained about the undrinkable water and
sion; we now use A Night to Remember by
Moses — perhaps the greatest biblical
Mishael and Noam Zion), the underlying
leader — heard their complaints with his
message endures for the ages … the aspira- own ears. We see no mention of advisers,
tion of freedom over slavery and oppres-
councils or others who stood between the
sion. And, in every generation, there are
people and Moses, shielding him so he
those who enslave and oppress, or attempt
could focus on other pressing matters. We
to do so.
see no evidence that Moses pondered the
There is one portion of the biblical story
issue, ordered a study to determine if the
of the Exodus that, today, has special reso-
quality of the water met minimum stan-
nance.
dards and encouraged or allowed the thirsty
In Exodus 15:22-25, we learn of the
masses to continue consuming the water in
Israelites sojourning through the wilderness the interim period. Rather, Moses cries out
of Shur and lacking fresh water. When they directly to the Lord for immediate interven-
come to Marah, the water is undrinkable
tion and is presented with a remedy.
and the people complain to their leader,
Yet in Flint, when the people voiced
Moses. He hears their pleas and cries out
their concern about the bitter water, their
for Divine intervention. Moses is then pro-
complaints were dismissed, discounted or
vided with the means to make the water
ignored. Just the same bunch of kvetches
drinkable. In exchange for ongoing obedi-
who are unhappy about everything any-
T
way … They were powerless in the face of
long-established structures of indifference
represented by people whose hearts turned
out to be as hardened as Pharaoh’s. And as
a result, people died. Children were poi-
soned. All from the same spigot that once
connected them and us.
Belatedly, efforts are under way to treat
Flint’s bitter waters. Allocations of safe,
bottled water are provided to individuals
and families for drinking, cooking and
bathing. Periodic readings show levels of
lead are abating in the public water system.
But the basic trust — between the govern-
ment and those being governed — has been
shattered. If the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ) said your
tap water was now safe, would you drink it?
If MDEQ said drilling for oil in Southfield
would not pose any environmental damage,
would you accept it? If MDEQ said air qual-
ity in Southwest Detroit posed no unusual
health risks, would you take a deeper
breath of it?
As you reflect upon the story of the
Exodus and what it means to move from
slavery to freedom, survey the many sym-
bolic items adorning your seder table.
Then, consider the following:
• When symbolically washing your hands
at the outset of the seder, please offer a
prayer for the people of Flint;
• Place a glass of “sweet water” drawn
from your tap next to Elijah’s cup. Let it
serve as a reminder that clean water —
which you are consuming in myriad forms
as an integral part of your seder — was
poisoned for the people of Flint.
• Visit the www.flintkids.org site and
make a contribution — perhaps the
kids can donate dollars they received in
exchange for the afikoman and the house-
hold can contribute the equivalent of what
it would have expended if it had two more
guests — from Flint — at the seder table.
May you and your family have a festive
and meaningful Passover. As we yearn for
“next year in Jerusalem,” may we also pray
that our hearts will not harden in the face
of unprecedented challenges facing the
people of Flint and the governmental bod-
ies responsible for protecting their health
and safety.
*
F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us
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6 April 21 • 2016