Consequences, consequences . . . .
There are always consequences, those unintended and even those un-imagined
Surprised? — please . . . . .
What can *we* learn, in a world of leaders, nations, and empires with diverging interests, especially those not matching what *we* had hoped for?
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Not surprisingly, in the Torah this week even *we* can learn lessons of the extent of earthly power: We join Pharoah, Egypt, Moses, and the Israelites in acquiring “a heart of wisdom” . . . . “that road” is a long and arduous learning curve (and yes, it is yellow).
Who learns power and who acquires wisdom — and along those lines, who acquires a heart? We even encounter ‘a hardened heart’ along the way.
The Yellow Brinck Road is first introduced in the third chapter of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The road begins in the heart of the eastern quadrant called Munchkin Country in the Land of Oz. It leads to the imperial capital of Oz, Emerald City, located at the exact center of the continent.
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Follow the Yellow Brick Road?
The Yellow Brick Road would appear to lead *us* towards a certain place . . . and yet, as we all-to-often discover, things don’t always work out the way we thought they would — or had hoped for. We learn along the way — even things we didn’t imagine. Oh my . . .
Are these unintended consequences or is all of this part of the plan?
Exodus 8:24
As a general rule, there are always consequences . . . . those that are unintended and those that are not. The “lesson” is always there, otherwise, these moments would not survive in the text(s), refracted, and studied always within their times (i.e. and yes, even here and especially now).
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֗ה אָנֹכִ֞י אֲשַׁלַּ֤ח אֶתְכֶם֙ וּזְבַחְתֶּ֞ם לַיהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר רַ֛ק הַרְחֵ֥ק לֹא־תַרְחִ֖יקוּ לָלֶ֑כֶת הַעְתִּ֖ירוּ בַּעֲדִֽי׃
Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to your God יהוה in the wilderness, but do not go very far. Plead, then, for me.”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יוֹצֵ֤א מֵֽעִמָּךְ֙ וְהַעְתַּרְתִּ֣י אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְסָ֣ר הֶעָרֹ֗ב מִפַּרְעֹ֛ה מֵעֲבָדָ֥יו וּמֵעַמּ֖וֹ מָחָ֑ר רַ֗ק אַל־יֹסֵ֤ף פַּרְעֹה֙ הָתֵ֔ל לְבִלְתִּי֙ שַׁלַּ֣ח אֶת־הָעָ֔ם לִזְבֹּ֖חַ לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃
And Moses said, “When I leave your presence, I will plead with יהוה that the swarms of insects depart tomorrow from Pharaoh and his courtiers and his people; but let not Pharaoh again act deceitfully, not letting the people go to sacrifice to יהוה.”
וַיֵּצֵ֥א מֹשֶׁ֖ה מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃
So Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and pleaded with יהוה.
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יְהֹוָה֙ כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיָּ֙סַר֙ הֶעָרֹ֔ב מִפַּרְעֹ֖ה מֵעֲבָדָ֣יו וּמֵעַמּ֑וֹ לֹ֥א נִשְׁאַ֖ר אֶחָֽד׃
And יהוה did as Moses asked—removing the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, from his courtiers, and from his people; not one remained.
וַיַּכְבֵּ֤ד פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃ {פ}
But Pharaoh became stubborn this time also, and would not let the people go. (surprisingly, his heart hardened all on its own)
Chapter 9
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֹּ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֗יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽעִבְרִ֔ים שַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־עַמִּ֖י וְיַֽעַבְדֻֽנִי׃
יהוה said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says יהוה, the God of the Hebrews: Let My people go to worship Me.
כִּ֛י אִם־מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ וְעוֹדְךָ֖ מַחֲזִ֥יק בָּֽם׃
For if you refuse to let them go, and continue to hold them,
הִנֵּ֨ה יַד־יְהֹוָ֜ה הוֹיָ֗ה בְּמִקְנְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה בַּסּוּסִ֤ים בַּֽחֲמֹרִים֙ בַּגְּמַלִּ֔ים בַּבָּקָ֖ר וּבַצֹּ֑אן דֶּ֖בֶר כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃
then the hand of יהוה will strike your livestock in the fields—the horses, the asses, the camels, the cattle, and the sheep—with a very severe pestilence.
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Here is a lesson in the making, before our very eyes. (re divergent interests — and consequences)
Thinking out loud: Who can ever really know, “what is within the heart” — of anyone?
Keeping the Faith
The Israeli right is still hopeful about the Trump presidency despite ‘terrible’ cease-fire deal
When President Donald Trump won the election in November, much of the Israeli right celebrated. But since Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement last week, with significant pressure from the incoming administration, the Israeli right’s take on Trump has been much less ecstatic. In the wake of the agreement, a new narrative has taken hold: that Trump will give Israel something else in return for the deal it made.
Holding on to hope: Yinon Magal, a pro-Netanyahu TV and radio news talk show host with a large social media following, told JI that he “supported Trump very much and did a lot so that [Israeli Americans] with the right to vote would vote for him. I hope that he won’t disappoint us. I think that Trump’s heart is in the right place, and the people around him have their hearts and heads in the right place,” he said. “I understand that his interests do not always totally overlap with Israel’s …
Is this a lesson — or is this an understanding of what *we* ought to know about life and the world of divergent interests? Some might say, that this is surprising, others might say, stop looking at crystal balls, and instead keep your eyes on the road and be ever more aware of every bend and every curve along the way.
