As we move to the second portion in Shemot, Parashat Vayerah, the opposition toward Pharaoh has begun to build to a crescendo. What started as a private conversation between God and Moses by the fires of the burning bush, now includes the multitudes of unsatisfied Hebrew slaves yearning for freedom. The resistance that Moses met when he initially returned to Egypt has begun to subside. As God recounts at the beginning of the portion, “And Moses spoke to the people of Israel; but they listened not to Moses because of their anguished spirit, and because of cruel slavery.” It is only by going directly to Pharaoh and speaking truth to power that Moses and Aaron gain legitimacy within the Israelite community. And, while the people remain silent for the remainder of the portion, we can feel their presence in the background, cheering on Moses and Aaron as they begin to make progress.
Human beings tend to gravitate toward collective gatherings where they feel part of a larger project. This could occur at a concert venue, a large public event, or, as we saw last weekend in our country and around the world, at a march or a rally. Even though we may resist it at first, when it comes down to it, we need one another, and can make the impossible happen when we are unified in a particular cause. One of our members, Shira Gabriel Klaiman, a psychologist at SUNY Buffalo, recently presented a paper on a concept called “collective effervescence” coined by French sociologist Emile Durkheim. Collective effervescence refers to the way an individual merges with the group in these gatherings. According to her research noted in an article in New York Magazine (Article), a person who experiences these types of occasions “feels less loneliness, plus greater meaning and spiritual transcendence.” Kol Hakavod (all the honor) to Shira and her wonderful work, I know I look forward to hearing more.
Perhaps, this concept of “collective effervescence, explains why the Israelites are largely invisible in this part of the story. It is as if they have joined with Moses and Aaron, creating one entity that can confront Pharaoh without fear. May we all have the strength to face the challenges life puts in front of us, not as individuals, but as part of a large, beautiful, sea of humanity.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 01/27/2017 by wpadm
