Courage in the face of Fear

Dear BMC Family, 

Last night at sundown began Shavuot, translated as ‘festival of weeks’. During the time of the Temple, Shavuot was a harvest festival where all the Israelites would bring the first fruits of their harvest to Jerusalem and pay tribute to Hashem at the Temple. Shavuot was also selected as the time to celebrate the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. In fact, one of the original names for the holiday was Chag Matan Toratenu, literally translated as the ‘holiday of the giving of the Torah’.

The corresponding Torah portion for this holiday covers Moses and the Israelites received the Torah. This is a momentous occasion in the narrative arc of the bible, as all the events and stories that happened previously were leading up to this milestone - the Israelites receiving the Torah and officially entering into a covenant with God.

As described in the text of the Torah, “on the morning of the third day, thunder, lightning, a thick cloud and the piercing sound of a shofar emanated from the mountaintop. Mt. Sinai was smoking and trembling, while the sound of the shofar grew steadily louder. Moses escorted the shuddering and frightened nation to the mountain, and settled them at its base”. We celebrate today, and yet the Israelites were completely frightened. What’s going on with that?

One Shavuot tradition might give us some insight: the reading of the Book of Ruth. This book is part of Ketuvim, the third section of the Tanakh, whereas the Torah is the first section. Ruth was a Moabite, non-Israelite woman who lost her husband. She made the choice to devote herself to traveling with her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi and accept Judaism as her own. She embraced Judaism out of love and loyalty, despite fear and the unknown. The Israelites also receive the Torah, but perhaps on different terms. Rabbi Salem Pearce, of our time, continues:

“But the contexts are very different. The animating value in the book of Ruth is chesed (lovingkindness) and loyalty that surpass the simple duty implied in the Israelites’ dispassionate response of na’aseh v’nishma (“we will do and obey”).”

In other words, it would seem Ruth not only accepted her challenge, but did so with energy and commitment. In fact, the future kings of the Israelities came from her very bloodline. In the face of fear and unknown, how can we accept our challenges more gracefully and energetically, and be more like Ruth?

Continuing to wish you safety and health, and sending a רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה (r’fuah shlema, full recovery) to anyone currently in need.

For those in our community who have experienced loss at this time, 

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

Hamakom yenakhem etekhem betokh shaar avelay tziyon viyrushalayim.

May Hashem comfort you among the rest of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Shabbat Shalom, 

BMC Team