Kevin Bemel ·
G-d Will Speak to You Today
Not long ago I was speaking with someone who told me she regularly hears G-d speak. Prefacing her remark by saying she did not want me to think she was crazy, she insisted nonetheless that the Almighty talks to her. While the age of prophecy ended long ago, this week’s parsha, Nasso, acknowledges her sanity:
And in Moses coming to the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard The Voice speaking to him from atop the Cover that was on the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two Cherubim, and He spoke to him. (Numbers/Bamidbar 7:89)
In this week’s parsha, the Levites are counted and assigned their responsibilities for transporting the Tabernacle, the procedures for a Sotah and Nazir are described, the Priestly Blessing is given, and the leaders of the twelve tribes bring their offerings to dedicate the Tabernacle.
When Moses approached the Sanctuary an interesting phenomenon occurred. Rashi comments that the Torah uses the description “The Voice” to indicate that it was the same voice that G-d used at Mount Sinai. Heard there by two million people, when it reached the entrance of the Tent of Meeting it would go no father. As a result, Moses was compelled to go inside in order to communicate with G-d.
Why would G-d not let His voice ring out so that all the people could hear it? More importantly, why does not G-d make His voice heard to us today? After all, if Our Creator would speak with us, one to one, that would be a much more powerful way to convince us to live as He wants.
Indeed, it may very well be the case that actually communicating with G-d would compel us to live holier lives, but by doing so we would lose important aspects of His plan for us. First, no longer would it be our choice as to whether or not we did a particular mitzvah. G-d wants us to cleave to His way based on our own free will.
But I think there is another reason. This idea may be in the commentary but if so I have not found it yet.
You Have to Tune In So G-d Will Speak
If you have children surely are aware of this situation. Notice that when you repeatedly ask your children to do something after a while they tune you out? (By the way, if there is a more effective way of getting a child to brush her teeth without asking twenty times my wife and I are all ears!) But Rabbi, you say, I would never tune out the Lord! Really? When was the last time you did something you knew G-d would not approve of? Did you listen to your conscience and refrain? When you turn a deaf ear to your inner voice you are ignoring G-d.
I submit that the Creator speaks loud enough for all of humanity to hear, but you have to take a step into the Sanctuary in order for The Voice to reach your ears.
Has G-d spoken to you directly? What did He say?
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Every year beginning on Simchas Torah, the cycle of reading the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, ends and begins again. Each Sabbath a portion known as a sedra or parsha is read. Its name comes from the first significant word or two with which this weekly reading begins.
Do you have a question about the Old Testament? Ask it here and I will answer it in a future Parsha Nugget!
