When we think of Biblical miracles, the Exodus story is where the action happens. Water turning into blood? Check! A sea that splits into two sides with dry land? Check! From the start of the story, with God setting a bush aflame yet keeping it from being consumed, the miracles keep happening. And in this week’s parsha of Va’era, the story seriously picks up speed. Moshe has been chosen as the leader, the one who will lead the people to redemption. And God has crafted a master plan to finally get the Israelites out of slavery in Mitzrayim.
But the first action word we see God carry out raises some interesting questions. The parsha begins by God speaking to Moshe, and situating themselves in the context of God’s relationships with Moshe’s ancestors. God reminds Moshe that God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that one day, their descendents would be brought to Canaan. It would make sense if God next said, “and now I will redeem the people!” But God doesn’t, and instead, God says, “Shamati.” I have heard their pain. I have heard their suffering, and I’m remembering them. It’s only in the next verse, after the listening and the remembering, that God states that God will act.
There’s a powerful reminder here, a model for us, of what it means to be there for people, particularly people who are hurting. So often our instinct is to jump into action. We have something we can do for them, so we should do it! But we forget that while the action may be crucial, sometimes the most important thing to do first, is to listen. It’s the listening that builds trust and a relationship. It’s the listening that makes someone in a difficult circumstance feel heard and understood. It’s the listening that makes them feel like their story - and their difficulties - matter.
Sometimes the Torah of life makes certain elements of the textual Torah stick out to us, and I only noticed that God first listens, before acting, after a meeting I had on Tuesday. I sat with our Caring Callers, a group of dedicated volunteers that reach out to individuals in the shul. As we brought some new people onto the team, we spoke about best practices and how to make people feel cared for by the shul. We all knew this Torah well: having someone listen to us can be the greatest tool for connecting.
This is true about our relationships with others in the shul, just as that can be true in our relationship with God. We know it from when we are the recipients of that love and care, and we probably know it as well when we are the listeners, when we make others feel cared for by our ability to hold and witness their stories. I hope that just as God listens, we too cultivate the skill for listening. It is that listening, that witnessing, that can be the first steps of redemption and healing.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
P.S. If you are interested in joining our group of Caring Callers to reach out to folks in the shul, please be in touch with me or Kathie Fox.
