The Jews have been wandering around the desert for a really long time and get to a place where there is no water and they're worried about dying from thirst. So God says to Moses and Aaron - get your rod, gather the people, and talk to this rock and it will give you water. Moses and Aaron get the rod, gather the people, and then Moses hits the rock with the rod twice. (Obviously I'm summarizing, but the real story isn't much longer.) Then because they didn't follow the Lord's instructions, which God interprets as them losing faith, Aaron dies soon after and Moses isn't allowed into Israel.
Growing up reform I heard a lot of: there are lots of mitzvahs, you can't do all of them all the time, but you do what you can.
What the Torah seems to actually say: even if you are one of the "best Jews" of all time, mess up once (even under some pretty serious pressure) and God might just kill you or your brother.
And what's with specifically telling Moses to bring his rod and then getting mad that he used it? And what did Aaron do wrong?
Friday, February 27, 2009
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2 comments:
David Plotz on Slate did a series called "blogging the Bible" (really he read the Old Testament) in 2006, and is now publishing a book about it. He remarked in a recent podcast that he's recently read other Bible analyses and is struck by how similar peoples' reactions are to the various stories... and reading your blog I think I agree. I highly recommend finding his old series--I think you'll find a kindred.
tsk tsk! Moses should have used the passport that DIDN"T have a Lebanese visa stamped in it.
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