Before and After Sinai – A poem for B’shalach

Eternal One

Was not Moses your intimate friend

With whom you spoke ‘Face to face’

Who You sent To Pharaoh

To diminish his name

That Yours might prevail over all the earth?

Was he not Your trusted Shepherd

Who stood before despots on Your behalf

And in humility before You?

Why did You betray him?

Moses suffered because he measured himself

Against Your image.

He was Your voice

Your extended hand  

Your fingers touching

Water, air, fire, and earth.

You worked against him

Constantly,

Callously,

Using him,

Stiffening Pharaoh’s heart,

Showing You as the only One,

Reversing creation,

Devastating worlds,

Polluting waters,

Destroying crops,

Killing beasts,

Darkening the future.

You made him redeemer to lead the people

And drag them through salt water walls,

In mud and muck birthing them

As You drowned all of Egypt.

The people needed Your fist

But they didn’t change.

They complained at Meribah

Where You ordered Moses to hit the rock

And he did as you commanded.

Your strong hand and arm

Held close to Your breast

You fed them manna

And sated them from Miriam’s wells. 

You brought them into the wild

Led them to Sinai

Gave them words

To be a holy nation

Your treasured possession

A nation of souls.

Years rolled by

Miriam died

The waters dried

The people complained

Again.

Moses was old

Tired and worn

Long past his prime.

You told him to speak to the rock

Out of covenantal faith

Permitting the waters to flow freely.

You knew his mind and his weariness.

You knew he would beat the rock

With his stick and water would flow

Surprised – You were enraged

And You denied Moses his dream

To enter the land.

Poor Moses

He did all you commanded.

He was your friend

But You consigned him away to a lonely death

On a lowly mountain.

We, his descendants

Await the day

When the Word will be stronger

Than the fist.

It will be a very long time

Far longer than 40 years.

Poem by Rabbi John L. Rosove