The Birthing of Israel

Let me share a modern-day mashal (parable) with you about the birth of a new nation. A surrogate mother has an embryo implanted within her which she will carry until the birth of the newborn baby. (As an aside, I dislike the word fetus because this is how people dehumanize the baby within the mother’s womb.) The baby does not belong to the surrogate mother, rather it belongs to other parents.  Nothing is added to the baby after conception; it has its own blood, its own DNA, and is independent of the mother who plays the role of incubator, yet the baby is affected by the environment in which it is growing. For example, a pregnant woman who is a drug addict usually gives birth to a baby affected by drug addiction. When the birth pains begin, the mother wants to expel this baby as quickly as possible. Within the womb, the baby who has breathed like a fish, at the moment of birth, goes through a process similar to death in a very traumatic way, only then to be revived once delivered. If the baby could choose, it would probably live comfortably in the womb for the rest of its life, so, it needs to be pushed out. The surrogate mother finally gives birth – to a baby girl!  Thus, a beautiful picture emerges of Israel being born in Egypt. The Creator chose Egypt to be the surrogate mother who would give birth to the nation of Israel. Like the baby of a drug addict, this new nation was born intoxicated with the gods of Egypt and would have to go through the process of detoxification. In the same way that the baby is expelled from the womb of the mother, Israel would be expelled from Egypt.

Israel was born to play a crucial role in the history of humanity. GOD “delivered” us from Egypt which is why Pesach is considered such a special festival – the beginning of this new nation. In the Torah, Israel is always referred to as a “she” –  as the “Bride of the Creator”. Shir ha Shirim, Song of Songs describes this beautifully.  Exodus 12:1 says, “ And the LORD spoke to Moses…this month shall be the head of all the months for you, the first month of your year.” The Hebrew word for month is “chodesh”חודש which also means lunar. The Hebrew calendar is a lunar one and is considered to be female. The female is renewed once a month. The solar calendar is like a “steady Freddy” in sync with the sun. Every four years one day is added to February to complete the year cycle (a leap year). The lunar calendar is far more complicated, moves in Metonic cycles of 19 years and contains 7 leap years, in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of the cycle when an entire month is added.  Females are “lunar” – very unpredictable. You can never know their moods.  In their lunar periods, it is “mirame y no me toques (look at me but don’t touch me!).”  That is Israel – very female. We need to deal with the female psyche. There is a period during which Israel is wholly dedicated to the Creator but at other times, during her time of the month, watch out.

Today society has advanced in its ability to measure exact time with the atomic clock, but time was not as precise a science in Biblical days. They would calculate their seasons by the moon. Days and months were added to the Hebrew lunar calendar to sync with the solar calendar. The Islamic calendar is completely lunar which is why their festivals never fall at the same time of year. The steady solar calendar is more male and helps the lunar calendar to keep the festivals at their right times, the “Appointed Times”.  Primitive societies and religions had the understanding that the sun was male, and the moon was female.

The Creator did everything for a reason. Israel would have to go through the process of growing up. What happens when a baby is born? It is totally dependent upon the mother. Although Egypt was the surrogate mother, El Shaddai was Israel’s true mother. The Creator would take her in His arms and feed her but now Israel would have to be weaned, grow up quickly and go through a time of maturing under His direction as YHVH יהוה. She would need a crash course. That’s why Pesach is considered such a special Chag – Festival.

This leads us to the First Commandment which was given to us so that we would always remember that it was our God who brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery.  It is vital to know from where we come so that we can never forget who we are and that we are in alignment with our Creator. It is so important to be grateful to our parents who have given us life. The Scriptures tell us to treat the Egyptians well since they sustained us for a time; despite their ill-treatment of us, we do not have the right to judge them. This is an excellent example of the principle to honour father and mother, whether good or bad.

Israel was being formed to participate in history. Later, we will see how the Creator would define Himself by history, not by what He was capable of doing. The Almighty can say He created the entire world, but He began with the First Commandment that declares: “I am the LORD your GOD who delivered you from bondage” like a baby is delivered from the womb.  Ladies, you are very important in the make-up of this world. You were created to nurture the world but sadly today the roles of men and women are being confused. It was never a matter of inferiority or superiority. Israel was not considered a superior nation or better than others as many try to make us out to be. Israel has a great responsibility and for that reason, we must be different.

In Devarim 7,8 and 9, Moshe tells us that we were not chosen because we were the most intelligent in the world or the best; on the contrary, we were the least so that we would have to depend on the Creator as we learn to exercise our free will. That is a most difficult challenge for us. It has confused theologians, philosophers and our sages alike. How do we balance on the one hand being led by our Creator and on the other, having Free Will, freedom of choice?  Most of us do not understand what a great honour and privilege He has given us!  It means that He wants us to make our own choices, but we also need to make responsible ones. It’s a delicate balance in that we can’t do whatever we wish to without measuring the consequences, and at the same time, we need to be dependent upon Him.

Many groups of people want all the benefits without the responsibility which is why it is so important to understand Israel as a nation. The Creator chose Israel for a reason…to be “Ohr la Goyim” – Light to the Nations, to bring the Torah to the world. Having the freedom to do whatever we want can lead us on a collision course with our Creator.  We will see these struggles during the forty years in the desert.

It is too hard for our sages to admit this, but Israel did not leave Egypt by their own free will; they needed to be expelled.  Israel had been very comfortable in Goshen and didn’t want to be pushed to leave. However, the Creator knew that if Israel had remained in this situation, she would never become who she was meant to be. Israel can have only one Boss, Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu!

Now, who is Israel?  The idea of “blue blood” is a myth. From the beginning, Israel was comprised of its natural citizens and the ger toshav, the stranger among us. Many of our sages blame the Erev Rav, the mixed multitude for all of Israel’s misfortunes. It’s easy to blame the neighbour – “He made me do it” as we saw that with Adam and Eve.  We also like to blame someone else instead of assuming responsibility for our actions.  There were many Egyptians among the Erev Rav and they left with the Hebrews because they had seen GOD’S majesty. In this battle between Egypt and Israel, the Creator wanted to show that He was the only true GOD and that there were no others.

Every plague was to show both Egypt and Israel that GOD was making a mockery of the gods of Egypt and defeating them. Egypt finally realized that as we see in the last part of this story when the Egyptians were begging the Israelites to leave and were willing to pay them to go. Many left with Israel because they saw the true God. Many of you here today come from the Erev Rav, the mixed multitude but you decided to live with Israel, to become part of Israel because you also saw the true God.

Pesach is a very interesting festival because it is the initiation of Israel. Exodus 12:43 and down clearly speaks of those who could partake of this festival: 43: “And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron: ‘This is the ordinance (chukkah) of the Pesach: no foreigner נֵכָר shall eat from it. 44: but every man’s slave who is bought for money can eat of it when you have circumcised him.”  What is the marker for being part of Israel?  Circumcision! It is not just circumcision of the heart as some religions like to teach. The onus, however, is upon Israel to teach the others.  45: “A sojourner and a hired servant תּוֹשָׁב וְשָׂכִיר shall not eat it….48 And when a stranger גֵּר who dwells among you, and will keep the Pesach to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.”  If you are a foreigner who wants to be part of us, because the Pesach defines Israel, you are welcome, but you have something to do…you need to be circumcised. Otherwise, you cannot partake of the Pesach. When I taught this 20 years ago, I was almost lynched. Even people who had been very faithful sent me terrible, insulting letters.  The only thing I told them was to look at the Scriptures.  We often shoot the messenger instead of looking at the message.

Verse 49 as well as in Numbers 15 states: “Only one Torah will apply to the citizen and the stranger resident among you.”

If I teach that you don’t need the Torah because you are a foreigner, I am lying to you. Today, sadly, the two major religions Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity, teach us the opposite of what the Torah teaches. Rabbinic Judaism says that the Torah is only for the Jews and that the Gentles don’t need to keep it; they can be happy with the seven Noahide laws (that don’t exist). It is as if the Gentiles are inferior and that it is we who have to take on the bulk of the responsibility. On the other hand, Christianity teaches that we are under grace and are no longer under the curse of the law. Can you imagine believing that the Torah is a curse?  Who is right and who is wrong?

Are you part of Israel? Search your heart. What is the Creator telling you? The birthing of a nation whose role was to bring light to the world can be compared with the role of women who were created to be nurturers. Men were created to be protectors. When we change their roles, we are going directly against the Creator. A cat cannot be a dog and vice versa, even if they think they are. God made male and female, and it doesn’t matter how much we try to change it, we cannot.  He made Israel and the nations, and each has a role.

Shabbat Shalom

Ranebi