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March 28th, 2024

Inspired Living

The Law Giver's crisis of faith --- and ours

Rabbi Berel Wein

By Rabbi Berel Wein

Published Jan. 20, 2023

The Law Giver's crisis of faith --- and ours

At the onset of this week's reading, Moses faces a crisis of faith. He apparently has made no headway — none — in swaying Pharaoh to release his people. In fact, the Jewish slaves' lives are becoming progressively worse. Moses is held responsible by both Jewry's leaders and the masses.

Is it any wonder, then, that Moses complains to the Lord about his mission? He reiterates his frustration and his wish that he be allowed to abandon his duty. And even though the Torah does not outright state so, it is obvious that Moses, so to speak, is disappointed in the Almighty as well.

The Lord patiently sends Moses back to his task. He reassures him that all will yet turn out. And by the end of the weekly reading, we find Moses in full strength and confidence delivering his message of redemption to Pharaoh and to the Jewish people.

While this crisis of faith has somehow passed, we do not ever find Moses' earlier concerns addressed. The Lord merely reiterates the message that Moses has already heard from Him a number of times. Yet Moses is revitalized now that he hears the Divine's promise once again, of Jewish redemption from Egyptian bondage.

Repeated promises rarely, if ever, inspire. So what causes this change of spirit and attitude within Moses' thoughts and actions? What is the catalyst for his new found optimism and boldness of speech and purpose?

I have often felt that it was the very crisis of faith that Moses endured that was the main contributing factor to his future steadfastness and strength of purpose. Only someone who has experienced doubt can truly come to faith.

The Lord created a world that tests our faith in Him daily. Life automatically introduces doubt into our existence. It is in dealing with our omnipresent doubts, with the unfairness of life itself and with the illogic and irrationality of it all, that one achieves the plateau of faith and spiritual strength. Only the doubter can become a strong believer.

It is Moses' crisis of faith that now anneals and strengthens his belief in his mission as the savior of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The rabbis stated that, "All things are in the hand of Heaven, except for fear and belief in Heaven itself." Therefore the Lord, so to speak, does not respond to Moses' complaints directly. He does not explain to Moses why the process of redemption has seemingly taken on such a difficult and negative turn. The Lord makes no excuses for what has occurred. He only tells Moses to keep on persevering and redemption will eventually arrive.

Moses has to overcome his crisis of faith on his own. There is no one that can help make one believe except for the person himself. This is probably the most important message that one can derive from the study of this week's reading.

(Comment below, please)

JWR contributor Rabbi Berel Wein, one of Jewry's foremost historians, is an author and international lecturer.

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