Who Cares WhatShla74ar Artson 1

TORAH-FAX SHELACH SERMONETTE

SHLA74AR
WHO CARES WHAT THEY'LL THINK?
SHELACH
BY RABBI BRAD ARTSON
It's a familiar story. The Jes are an!erin" in the il!erness an! #oses an! the
$eo$le !e%i!e to sen! s$ies into the Lan! of Israel to see hat &in! of $la%e to
hi%h they are hea!in". 'f the tel(e s$ies to "o on this mission) ten ret*rn
horrifie!. The $la%e is fille! ith "iants. We !on't stan! a %han%e a"ainst them.
The $eo$le) *$on hearin" this terrifyin" messa"e) $ani%. +If only e ha! !ie! in
the lan! of ,"y$t-+ +If only e mi"ht !ie in this il!erness-+ +Why is the Lor!
ta&in" *s to that lan! to fall .y the sor!/+ +'*r i(es an! %hil!ren ill .e
%arrie! off-+ +It o*l! .e .etter for *s to "o .a%& to ,"y$t-+
0i(en a %hoi%e .eteen a !iffi%*lt .attle for free!om or an easy a%%ommo!ation to
sla(ery) the Jes %hoose sla(ery.
1ot m*%h has %han"e! in the $ast 2)333 years. 4a%e! ith a !iffi%*lt str*""le to
%han"e o*r nation's ay of li(in" 5 aay from "ree!) %allo*sness an! .i"otry 5
most Ameri%ans also %hoose the sla(ery of materialism) of %on(ention) of
%onformity. 1o "ain) may.e) .*t also no ris&.
0o!) hoe(er) is f*rio*s. 'n%e the $eo$le e6$ress their $referen%e for sla(ery)
0o! threatens to !estroy them all instantly. A re7e%tion of free!om) after all) is a
re7e%tion of 0o! an! of the %hallen"e of im$lementin" 0o!'s mit8(ot. 'nly after a
$assionate ar"*ment ith #oses !oes 0o! finally .a%& !on an! a"ree to for"i(e
Who Cares WhatShla74ar Artson 9
the $eo$le) an! e(en then) 0o! e6a%ts a stri%t $enalty. They as&e! to !ie in the
il!erness. :ery ell 5 they ill !ie in the il!erness.
;*t later %ommentators ha(e .een tro*.le! .y #oses' lo"i%. At first) the #i!rash
;ami!.ar Ra..ah tells *s) #oses trie! ar"*in" the merits of the $eo$le an! their
an%estors. ;*t 0o! o*l!n't hear it. So #oses shifts his ar"*ment) as&in" 0o!
instea!) +When the ,"y$tians) from hose mi!st <o* .ro*"ht *$ this $eo$le...
hear the nes... =they> ill say it m*st .e .e%a*se the Lor! as $oerless.+
Is it $ossi.le that 0o! .a%&e! !on .e%a*se of hat the 0entiles mi"ht thin&/ Is
that a moral .asis for alterin" a !e%ision/ Is that !i(ine/
?erha$s) tho*"h) e %an learn from #oses' ar"*ment an! from 0o!'s res$onse
after all.
The $eo$le ho ha! .een "i(en free!om ere on the .rin& of re7e%tin" it. The
nation that ha! .een ta*"ht a sa%re! an! a 7*st ay of li(in" ere a.o*t to %hoose
sla(ery) hierar%hy an! o$$ression. If 0o! res$on!e! the ay ?haraoh o*l! in the
fa%e of a sla(e re.ellion) o*l!n't that res$onse (in!i%ate ?haraoh an! the (al*es
he re$resente!/
What #oses as tellin" 0o! as that the final lesson of free!om an!
res$onsi.ility %o*l! not .e im$ose! .y threats) that the metho!s of the ?haraoh of
the or! %o*l! only $ro!*%e more ,"y$ts 5 $la%es of "reat ealth an! stiflin"
$o(erty) $la%es hi%h treate! $eo$le li&e %hattel an! re!*%e! the sa%re! to em$ty
form.
#oses as ri"ht) an! 0o! &ne it. The .attle for free!om %onstantly threatens to
%olla$se 5 .oth .e%a*se of its enemies an! .e%a*se of its o*l!5 .e a!(o%ates.
Who Cares WhatShla74ar Artson 2
When e !efen! free!om .y !iminishin" another's h*manity) then ?haraoh ins.
When e !efen! free!om .y la.elin" an intrinsi%ally e(il +them+ a"ainst an
alays5"oo! +*s)+ then ?haraoh ins.
When e im$ost ha.it an! %onformity in or!er to stifle the really im$ortant
@*estions or to $*nish $eo$le for their !ifferen%es) then e !ri(e 0o! from o*r
mi!st.
0o! for"i(es *s .e%a*se of hat the ,"y$tians ill say. They o*l! loo& at that
$*nishment 5 hoe(er m*%h it mi"ht ha(e .een earne! 5 an! feel (in!i%ate! in
their narroness) their .i"otry) their illin"ness to @*ash !e.ate) free in@*iry or
!ifferen%es. After all) if 0o! !oes it) then hy %an't they/
1ot only the Jes) .*t 0o! stoo! at a %rossroa!sA to *se the metho!s of ?haraoh is
sim$ly to .e%ome the ne o$$ressor. 0o! for"a(e *s in or!er to fore(er trans%en!
the *se of %oer%ion.
<o* %annot tea%h free!om .y fiat. <o* %annot .rin" $eo$le to the $romise! lan!
thro*"h for%e. There is no +them.+
There is only *s) an! e are 7o*rneyin" toar! free!om. Care to %ome alon"/
Sha..at Shalom.