Beshalach: Who Is Your Moshe? – The Vital Role of the “Rebbe” in Jewish Observance

“They believed in G-d and in Moshe His servant” (Exodus 14:31)

Is Judaism a static or living, “breathing,” religion? To better explain the question: Has G-d, according to Jewish faith, revealed and communicated all the knowledge and guidance intended for man, albeit with eternal relevance, in some prior historic form and era, or does He continue to communicate and guide his people in “real time”?

This discussion may be larger than the scope of this essay and require further study. This of course, is highly encouraged. As for our conversation, the answer to the question is yes and no. How is that for rabbinical verdict?

What is meant by this, though, is that on some level everything has already been transmitted within the confines of the written and oral Torah. Still, on another level, as is evident from our Parsha, Divine guidance is as real and prevalent today as it has ever been. Let us explore this intriguing phenomenon.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

When initiating a conversation, current events are always a good icebreaker. But this morning, one of the stories that my friend and I discussed was a heartbreaker.

For nearly three months, Mr. Sholom M. Rubashkin, a fellow Jew and a sweetheart of a man, was imprisoned. Denied bail, it was his bond with G-d and faith that sustained him. As Mr. Rubashkin is an observant Jew and a sensitive soul, the trials that he endured leave one with an uneasy feeling of guilt. Accused, but far from convicted, Sholom was incarcerated as if he had committed crimes against humanity. Reading the reports of clergy who visited him through a plexiglass window, one wonders how our government could punish a man only accused of white-collar, with a choke collar.