I felt abandoned for a week when I was sent on a survival trip as a teen. Although swimming at Schooley’s Mountain State Park and getting ice cream on the dock was sheer delight, walking the narrow paths beside the raging waterfalls scared me out of my wits! The assignment was to learn enough that week to kindle a fire on our solo night, spent camping alone with only our backpack to keep us company.
That evening the sunset was brilliant and the stars came out one by one and shone brighter than ever. God was suddenly present for me; it was among the first times I spontaneously started praying the evening prayers, chanting words about how God rolls one day into twilight, then evening into nighttime. My heart filled with gratitude, even though I had anxiety and fear regarding the challenge of creating the smoldering ember with my bow drill out in the woods.
Then a voice called out to me. It was my counselor’s. I was not alone. A hand stretched out in my direction. “Let’s light this fire together,” she said.
Sometimes, we develop our capacity to move forward on our journeys when the right soul says to us, “Come, let’s do this together.” While the stakes might not be as high as when Moses needed to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, a person’s journey towards a burning bush moment depends a lot on the support, love, and partnerships that we’ve built in our lives. Our journey may not be able to move ahead without the generosity of the right soul, or God, saying, “Come with me.” And sometimes we have to follow God’s way and be the one to extend our hearts and hands.
This week’s Torah portion, Parshat Bo, reveals the moment when Moses received this help and reassurance, as he blazed new trails and brandished his sharpened tongue. It is written in the Book of Exodus, chapter 10, verse 1:
“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Come to Pharaoh.'”
Rashi—Rabbi Shlomi Yitzhaki, the 11th Century commentator—explains that it purposefully does not say “Go to Pharaoh” but rather “Come,” meaning “Come with Me.”
What God was saying to Moses was, “I will help you find the capacity to live your mission and embrace your leadership roles. Come with me, to speak and demand of Pharaoh that he free Am Yisrael—the people of Israel.” Moses found power in coming together with the God of his ancestors. He discerned his capacity to lead as the flames in his heart grew. He fanned the flames of his Pintele Yid, the eternal light that burns in every Jewish heart and soul according to Hasidic tradition. He was prepared to take a stand for his people, but just could not find the inspiration. God came to help him spread his wings.
Moses had self-doubts and deep fears about confronting Pharaoh and saying his ever-famous words, “Let my people go!” We see a human being, like us, who struggled to embrace his particular destiny. Amidst the struggle, and fueled by his learned resilience and focus on both universal justice and the embrace of Jewish particularism, he rose to the occasion. But he was unsure and fearful. So God said, “Come, let’s do this together.”
When we tell Moses’ story, we recall his demurring. He told God that he was slow of speech, tongue-tied. He cried that the Israelites “will not believe me or listen to my voice!” (See Exodus 4:1) As he brought together the experiences and elements of his nature, and he wandered into the wilderness of his life, Moses would become the right leader, the inspired spirit.
Why this lack of confidence? Had he not already been told by God that the Lord would be with him, when he encountered both the angel and the Divine Spirit back at the burning bush? It was, as Moses himself said, a “great vision”: Fire raged yet did not consume the branches of that famous bush. At that moment, Moses first envisioned himself as the fiery force that would move the Jewish people’s and the world’s story forward.
So why did God need to say, “Come, let’s go to Pharaoh together” seven chapters later? What happened? Did the fuel run out and the bush turn to ashes? Herein lies an important reminder about how we can support one another on the journeys of our lives. As God came back to say, “Come, let’s do this together,” so, too, must we continue to support the ones we love with kind offers of help and support—of compassionate togetherness.
The Talmud, in Masekhet Ta’anit (9a), teaches: “Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda says: Three great sustainers rose up for the Jewish People: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Three divine gifts were given because they acted with agency.” The Talmud goes on to explain that Moses brought the manna for the wilderness journey, Aaron the Clouds of Glory for letting the people know the Shekhinah (God’s presence) accompanied them, and Miriam the Well of Water that followed the Children of Israel in the desert. Each of them put their expertise to work for their people and for the cause of universal justice.
We are in good company when we turn to the Lord to ask for that accompaniment on our adventure. Other souls we meet in the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) experience this accompaniment. Gideon asked for help from the Lord when he said, “How can I deliver Israel?” (Judges 6:15), to help move their story forward. Jeremiah asked, “How can I speak, Lord, I am still just a boy?” (Jeremiah 1:6), seeking growth and maturity. We remember Jonah, who heard God’s call and fled in the other direction. God assured him that together they could make a difference in a world that seemed so attached to tyrannical pursuits, making no space for the families of the earth to thrive. Jonah knew God would be with him near the walls of Nineveh when he called for a return to moral and good ways.
Beginning with this week’s parashah, the Tanach reminds us that God is whispering to each of us: “Come, let’s go; we’ll do this together.” There will be times when we need a counsellor’s or guide’s hand—like a certain teen unsure of his fire-making abilities, and there will be times when simply an offer of help will support us to discover the strength and fortitude we need to face new challenges.
Whether we are sure of our missions or are still seeking the inspiration from the sparks that flare in our souls, may we find the togetherness that helps us grow.