In a shabbos drasha given on January 30, 2010 at Boca Raton Synagogue (15th of Teves 5770-Tu B’Shevat) Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Rosenblatt used two examples of from society today to illustrate some important lessons that he gleaned from the current portion of our Holy Torah. The State of the Union Speech by President Barack Obama and the latest high tech product the “Apple Tablet” which Dr. Jonathan Rosenblatt joked “received better press than Moses’ tablets.
It became clear during his drasha that at the very minimum Rabbi Dr Jonathan Rosenblatt held the speech given by President Barack Obama, in high esteem. However the Rabbi did not keep us dwelling on political events or high tech devices for too long with out quickly moving us into the direction of the lesson he was attempting to teach us as he had developed it from Parsha Beshalach, which contained details on the war against Amalek.
Rabbi Rosenblatt’s cited the pusek Exodus 17:9 and pointed out the in it Moshe told Joshua (who had not had any experience in battle) to choose people to go to war with Amalek while He (Moshe) would go up climb up the hill with the rod of G-d in his hand. The next pusek (sentence) tells us that Joshua did as Moshe had told him, however, Moshe did not go up alone but rather with Aharon and Hur. Rabbi Rosenblatt then brought in his next point that Moshe was supposed to be on the hill top alone and holding the great staff of G-d, the high tech device. However it turns out that Moshe was holding up his hands at the top of the hill, and then the Rabbi asked his audience, what don’t we see? Me being the kind of person never to assume that a question is rhetorical answered, the staff. Then, when he never said right, I said the rod. The Rabbi went on to say that the rod of G-d, that was used previously to part the Red Sea, and changed into a snake in front of Pharoh was not being used.
Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Rosenblatt then went on to drive home his point, using some fairly well known commentaries, as well as possibly some lesser known midrashim on the Torah. The Rabbi explained that, as the Torah tells us, it was when Moshe’s hands were raised (without the high tech device) the rod of G-d, that Joshua and the Israelites were winning the war. When Moshe’s hands were down, that the Israelites were losing the war against Amalek. Rabbi Rosenblatt further explained that when Moshe’s hands were down it was because he was reaching down for the staff, the rod of G-d. However this is when the Israelites were losing because they were standing and waiting to be saved by the power from above, rather than relying on their own abilities.
Therefore the answer and key to redemption of the Israel nation were individual people, as opposed to some sort of technological advance. Additionally the Rabbi pointed out that it was not one all powerful leader who was expected to bring about the saving of the Jewish people, but rather it was the team, in this case it was Aharon and Hur who went to the top of the hill along with Moshe. The Rabbi pointed out that we see the human side of Moshe, who’s arms hands began to tire and that Aharon and Hur were helpful in holding up Moshe’s hands, so that the Jewish nation would not be defeated by Amalek.
Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Rosenblatt finished his drasha by suggesting some practical things that we as observant Jews could do. The Rabbi explained that the changes needed to help speed up the final redemption should begin at home. That while sometimes we might get caught up in the performance of the technical requirements dictated by halacha (Jewish law) that we also need to express our joy and our love particularly for shabbos. The Rabbi modeled his practical suggestion by telling us that right after we make kiddush that we should throw up our arms in appreciation and say “ah shabbos” just to reinforce what a great joy we partake of when we sit down with our families to enjoy our shabbos meal.
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