Sunday, July 29, 2012

Vaetchanan- Sometimes the Answer is No



Vaetchanan el A-donai….  E’b’rah-na v’ereh et ha’aretz hatovah…. Vayitabeir A-donai bi lma’anchem vlo shama eilai vayomer A-donai eilai rav-lach al tosef dabeir eilai od badavar hazeh.
And I entreated God…. Please let me cross over and see this good land…. But God was incensed with me for your sake, and He would not listen to me, and God said to me, “Let in rest; do not speak to me again on this matter.”
It’s interesting that in the midst of his dissertation of Israelite history, Moshe shares with the people this conversation with God.  Between histories of battle and a reminder to stay faithful, Moshe shares his disappointment at being forbidden to cross the Jordan into the land of Israel.
Why share this disappointing conversation, and why here? The Torah, while it may seem so, is not a contiguous document.  Not every event or conversation immediately follows the one before.  There are gaps and missing information.  What then is the purpose of Moshe sharing his disappointment?
Within our daily t’fillot, and beyond into the personal prayers we say throughout our day, we ask God for numerous things.  Many of these prayers are intangible; others are general for the greater community, but some are very specific.  We ask for specific favours.  We make deals to get what we want. 
Sometimes the result is not what we wished.  At the most simplistic and self-serving, sometimes we still fail the test or fail to get a desired job.  In the worst moments illness persists or worsens.  Deaths occur.  Sadness and mourning come.
And all too often, if the result is not the one for which we asked, we say that God didn’t listen, or God didn’t answer.  What we fail to realize is, sometimes the answer is no.  We do not often understand the reason, or know if one even exists, so we instead close our ears to the answer, and blame God.
Here, in the middle of understanding our history, between those who attacked us, and reminders to follow God, is a reminder to listen even when we don’t like the answer.

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