Va'era: Thinking...

By Zachary Fish

Life would be a lot less stressful if a Navi would come tell us that Hashem promises that all of our problems will soon be resolved. It would be impossible to not have the most phenomenal sense of relief when receiving the amazing news. But in this week’s Parsha the seemingly impossible takes place. Moshe tells Bnei Yisrael that Hashem has promised to save them, yet they do not experience any consolation.

How could this be? One might try to explain that they were not true believers, and a lack of faith is what caused them not to internalize the uplifting message. However, the Ramban (6:9) says this is not the case. He explains that the Jewish people had emunah in Hashem and Moshe. So, how could they not be consoled after hearing about the oncoming salvation?

The pasuk itself explains:

וידבר משה כן אל־בני ישראל ולא שמעו אל־משה מקצר רוח ומעבדה קשה

And Moshe spoke so to the children of Yisrael: but they hearkened not to Moshe for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. (6:9)

It was broken spirits and demanding work that stopped Bnei Yisrael from internalizing what Moshe was telling them. The Sforno explains that the constant hard work stopped them from having the ability to properly contemplate and reflect on what Moshe was saying. He says if they were not subjected to such demanding servitude, they would have had the ability to think about was being said and bring it to heart. “ולא שמעו” doesn’t mean they didn’t physically hear what he was saying, rather that they couldn’t properly process it.

In our fast-paced world, I find this idea to be extremely relevant. It is so easy to get stuck in a routine of many demanding responsibilities that we lose the headspace to reflect on what we are doing, if we are still in line with our original goals, what messages Hashem may be sending, and what adjustments we may need to make. Especially with technology, is it possible, and even common, to always be stimulated with important information, entertainment, or even Torah. However, this has put time to think, productive boredom, and serious reflection on the brink of extinction in our constantly connected society.

Famously, when the Rambam explains whom the Shofar is supposed to affect, he does not mention sinners. Rather he says the shofar is supposed to awaken those that have gotten stuck in the routine of life.

It takes a lot to take carve out time to be able to slow down, contemplate, and reflect, but it can be extremely rewarding. Research demonstrates that when people are alone with their thoughts, they are more likely to gain deeper understanding of themselves and their priorities.[1] But we don’t need modern research for that, we already know this from Chazal. Rabainu Bechaya (Shemos 3:1) explains many of the tzadikim in Tanach are shepherds because the solitude and quiet it provided allowed them to reach levels of nevuah. Additionally, when the Torah was given the medrash says that there was total silence and they heard “I am Hashem your God.” Rav Shimshon Pincus explains the medrash is teaching that silence allows the truths that were hidden in the noise to come forward. The message of “I am Hashem your God” was always echoing throughout creation, they just needed the space and silence to hear it.[2]

When we don’t give ourselves time to contemplate and reflect, the greatest prophet who ever lived could talk to us, but it won’t matter because we won’t be able to properly process or understand.

This does mean that we need to adopt meditation as a daily hobby and spend hours in seclusion. But it may be beneficial to our Avodas Hashem to be a little more mindful about making sure that we have time to reflect. This can be part of our tefilla process, when driving alone, or even washing the dishes. Hopefully, if we keep our ears open and mind awake, we will be zoche to the receive the message that Hashem is going to save us once again.

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[1] Christopher R. Long and James R. Averill, “Solitutude: An Exploration of Being Alone,” Jourunal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 33, no. 1 (2003) 21-44. Also see Stolen Focus by Jonathan Hari, specifically Chapter Five, for similar findings.

[2] All three sources in this paragraph were found in Mindfulness: A Jewish Approach by Jonathan Feiner, in the chapter titled “Quiet.” I highly recommended it.