In the first two portions of Exodus, Shemot and Vaera, we are introduced to our main character, Moses, who will lead the Hebrew slaves out of bondage into a new existence as a nation, as the Jewish People.
As Moses stood before the burning bush receiving his mission from God, it must have been an unbelievable experience for many reasons. Nothing in Moses’ biography up to this point in his life would suggest that he would be God’s elected leader. Moses— born a Hebrew, raised an Egyptian in Pharaoh's palace, took the life of an Egyptian overseer, fled from justice to the desert, married a Midianite woman and became a shepherd in her father’s camp—nevertheless finds himself called into God’s service to carry out a seemingly impossible task: freeing the Hebrew slaves from the most powerful empire on earth.
Moses understandably questions the wisdom of God’s decision. Who is he to lead these people? I can only imagine the despair and loneliness Moses felt in that moment. He is not prepared. In his estimation he is a simple desert shepard, a husband, and a father. Taking on all of Egypt as the Moses he is, standing in front of God in that moment, is unthinkable.
But Moses accepts his mission and asks God which name to use as proof that he has indeed come face to face with the God of Israel so that the Hebrews will accept his word as true. God responds beautifully, enigmatically, saying “ehyeh asher ehyeh.” Often translated to English as ‘I am that I am,’ this understanding does not capture the vastness of this idea. The Hebrew could also be understood as ‘I was that I was’ or ‘I will be what I will be.’ Escaping simple translation, what are we to understand about God from this given name?
The psychologist Erich Fromm takes it to mean: I, God, am in the process of becoming; neither I nor human understanding of Me is yet complete. And you human beings, fashioned in the image of God, are also in the process of becoming.
For Moses this must have been a source of strength. Recognizing that God is not static and is becoming alongside him, Moses can take comfort in knowing that he too will undergo a process of becoming through his new journey.
I love this idea of God in the process of becoming. For if God is becoming, then the world that God created must also be in the process of becoming; if God is becoming, then we as God’s creations must necessarily be part of that same process. We are all constantly, imperceptibly, inevitably becoming.
I find myself in a very explicit moment of becoming in my life as I begin the journey as one of your rabbis at JCP, which includes a move to a new city, a new home, and all the excitement and challenges that comes along with it. I am excited to bring to JCP my past experiences and who I am: a child of the Midwest, a passionate baseball fan (Go Cardinals!), a musician, a dual American-Israeli citizen, a lover of the Jewish people: its history, faith, and language. I also look forward to discovering how JCP—with its passionate members, unique educational programs and talented staff, wonderful young people who daily fill its halls, families with whom I will connect at moments of joy and, yes, sometimes sadness—will shape me and move me forward in the continuous process of becoming.
Just like this new stage in my journey, many of the ways in which each of us is becoming are obvious: we move to the next grade level, graduate from school, make new relationships, to name a few. Yet quite often this process is subtle; we do not immediately feel its influence on our day to day lives. This week’s and last week’s portions arrive to remind us that we are all works in progress. We all begin as people with complex pasts and identities, seeking our place and purpose in this world. The key is in remembering that we are on a journey with the divine in a process of becoming more complete versions of ourselves that will allow us to be partners in the ongoing work of creating better communities, better nations, and a better world.
Wishing you and your loved ones a Shabbat Shalom! I look forward to serving as your rabbi as we continue on this journey of becoming together.
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