Finding Guidance

Rabbi Melanie Aron

June 9, 2001

If you were wandering in unfamiliar territory, especially inhospitable, unfriendly, unfamiliar territory, it would be very reassuring to have a guide. I imagine that Moses and the Israelites felt the same way. That need for guidance through the desert is present as a theme in this week's Torah portion in several places.

In one section of the portion, we find Moses pleading, even begging, his father-in-law to remain with the Israelites. Jethro, as you may recall, a priest of the Midianites, came to greet Moses after the victory of the Israelites over the Egyptians at the sea. He brought Moses his two sons, born before Moses returned to Egypt to free the Israelites, and he made offerings to the God of Israel. Now, after making some suggestions to Moses about managing the camp, he is about to leave. Moses says: "Please do not leave us, for you have known our encampments in the wilderness and you have been as eyes for us." But Jethro, also called Hobab, does leave, and the Israelites become totally dependent upon God.

God provides guidance in the desert in three ways- through the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, through the Ark of the Covenant which leads the camp on all its marches, and through an angel who is mentioned in several places in the text.

Rabbi Matt Berkowitz a contemporary Conservative rabbi sees a parallel between the way the Israelites were led in the wilderness and the guidance we receive from God in contemporary life.

For Berkowitz, the cloud and pillar of fire, represent the ways in which we today sense God's presence in nature. Sometimes we sense God in great and magnificence places, as when we stand in Yosemite or by the edge of the Grand Canyon, but more often we are aware of God when we reflect on small and common things. In the intricacy of living things, we sense the wonder of God's creation and find guidance in how to live our lives.

The second way that the Israelites were lead in the wilderness was by the Ark of the Covenant. This is not surprising, for in it were the Tablets of the Ten Commandments, the words of God. Similarly today in learning Torah and trying to live by Torah we can allow God to help direct us in our lives.

Finally, the angel, the malach. To understand this we need to remember that in Jewish interpretation a messenger from God need not be a supernatural being. Perhaps God's messenger is another person in our lives, or even a task that calls out to us for doing. We find guidance from God in being aware, alert to the potential for service that is all around us. Without supernatural beings taping on our shoulder, still we can sometimes sense God's guidance pointing us in a certain direction.

In this week's Torah portion the Children of Israel learn to manage without their human mentor, and have the courage to head off towards their destination relying on God's guidance alone. Amy, we hope you will continue to have parents, family members, and friends as mentors for many years to come, but when there is a time when you must go forward alone, we pray that you will feel guided and supported as did the ancient Israelites.