20 January 3 • 2019
jn

Rabbi Jared
Anstandig

Deserving Of
Redemption

I

n Exodus 6:6-8, God tells Moses
to stand before the people of Israel
and tell them of their upcoming
redemption.
The language God uses is incredibly
dramatic; God’
s own outstretched arm
will deliver the people from Egypt with
great judgments and God will finally
fulfill His promise of the Land of Israel
to Abraham’
s offspring.
The Torah reports that
Moses followed God’
s com-
mand dutifully: Vayedaber
Moshe ken el Bnei Yisrael,
“Moses said thus to the
Children of Israel.
” One would
imagine that the Israelites
would jump for joy after
hearing about their upcoming
redemption. Yet, surprisingly,
the people react negatively.
The Torah reports: Velo shamu
el Moshe mikotzer ruach
ume’
avodah kasha — “They
did not listen to Moses due to
shortness of ruach (wind) and
hard labor.
”
Knowing that the term “ruach”
differs in meaning depending on
context, biblical commentators debate
the significance of the expression
kotzer ruach, “shortness of wind.
”
Furthermore, commentators address
why this attribute would dampen the
people’
s excitement over Moses’
decla-
ration. Two answers, one of Rashi and
one of Yalkut Reuveni, provide expla-
nations that speak powerfully about
our human experiences in the world
and provide an important lesson to us
as readers of the Torah.
First, the prominent 11th-century
exegete Rashi links Israel’
s “short-
ness of wind” to their “hard labor.
”
Understanding the word “ruach” as
connoting breath, Rashi believes that
the back-breaking labor the Israelites
suffered led to their exhaustion; they
were literally short of breath. They
rejected Moses because they did not
have the mental capacity to appreciate
anything he was saying due to their
physical fatigue.
We all live busy and, at times, chaot-

ic lives. Much like the ancient Israelites,
it can be hard for us to pull away from
our work and preoccupations to reflect
on some of the important issues sur-
rounding us. Rashi’
s comment speaks
to the very human tendency of getting
wrapped up inside our own heads. His
comment reminds us to cherish the
opportunities whatever opportunities
we have to take a step back
and reflect on our lives and the
world that surrounds us.
Yalkut Reuveni, a 17th-cen-
tury collection of rabbinic and
kabalistic interpretations on
the Torah, suggests another
meaning to the expression kot-
zer ruach, “shortness of wind.
”
Yalkut Reuveni suggests that the
proper translation of ruach is
“spirituality.
” It is written that
“The people saw that they did
not have within them any good
or meritorious actions.
” In other
words, the people felt that they
were not too short, spiritually, to
be worthy of redemption. They
rejected Moses, not because they were
too tired, but because they felt unde-
serving.
At times, we too can feel that we are
not doing enough or have not accom-
plished enough. We can swing to the
extreme of perfectionism, like the
Israelites, and say, “I haven’
t been per-
fect, so what’
s even the point of even
continuing? I haven’
t behaved appro-
priately so I don’
t deserve any benefits
or respite.
” Yalkut Reuveni reminds us
that the redemption from Egypt and
our current lives are not all-or-nothing
propositions. We are fallible, but that
does not mean that we do not deserve
the best.
May we be able to take the lessons
of Rashi and Yalkut Reuveni to heart,
making the time to catch our breath
and reflect, and also see that we are
worthy and deserving, even while rec-
ognizing our human imperfections. ■

Rabbi Jared Anstandig is rabbi of the Orthodox
Community at the Michigan Hillel and the
rabbi of the Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan.

Parshat

Vayera:

Exodus

6:2-9:35;

Ezekiel

28:25-29:21.

spirit

torah portion
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