We read in the Haftarah portion, Jeremiah 1:5 which is related to the parashah Shemot שמות “'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you…”   I have “consecrated” you…the word used in Hebrew is kadosh meaning sanctified.  This is a generic adjective dependent upon who does the consecration. You can be consecrated by Satan.  To what are we consecrated? In today’s world we all have idols and follow them religiously…some follow politicians, others wealth, others follow religious leaders who lead them to destruction.  Only G-d can lead us to truth and I want to challenge us today to take our calling seriously. Shemot is the book Redemption—Sefer Yetziah ספר יציאה, the Exodus, in which we will see the calling of Moshe and the challenges he faces someone who took his calling seriously. As you will see, it is not an easy thing to do but whether we choose to follow G-d or not, we will face trouble in this world. In the end the Garden of Eden will be restored and it will all make sense. Moshe was chosen before he was born and what he would be called to do was already in G-d’s blueprint. When G-d called out to Moshe from the burning bush “senna” סנה, Moshe responded “Hineni”- here I am.  G-d said to Moshe, “Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I am the G-d of your fathers, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”. This is the formula by which we can recognize the one and only true G-d. All of us who worship the true G-d, worship the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our sages discuss whether the “erev rav”, the mixed multitude have the right to call Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, their fathers too. I say to you, G-d does not make a distinction according to race; it is by calling and He is the one who does the calling. We are all part of that calling.

The Torah is alive and lives in us in every generation. It is not a book that pertains to only those who lived 4000 years ago. We live this same formation, struggles and renovation that the people went through at that time. In this formula G-d shows us that He is the everlasting G-d. He was not created; He is the Creator. We cannot create him. Why is this so important?  We will see how our people were brought out of slavery from Egypt and this applies to all of us who are under spiritual oppression today.  Every person in the Scriptures is like you and I today, no greater, no less. If G-d was with them and brought them through all their trials and struggles, He will be with us and bring us through them in the same way. When G-d is with us, who can be against us?  Yeshua said, greater things than I do, you will do. He was telling us that when G-d does something through us, it has importance.

Many of us have not accepted the responsibility for what G-d is doing in our lives. It is as if we want a free ride. One of the good things that we have here in this country (Canada) is the welfare system; but it has become the worst systems; because of the abuse and misuse. Instead of helping the people who indeed are in need,  it holds people captive because it pays for those who are not in true need thus making them lazy and unwilling to improve their situation. Many people are on spiritual welfare. They come once a week to services, get fed and leave without taking responsibility for their own spiritual growth.  This system is especially destroying the men. There is a price to pay for the calling of G-d. For example, most men don’t understand the great privilege it is to be called up for an aliyah where they carry the Torah. We have lost the reverence for G-d because we have been assimilated into the pagan world. Israel was in slavery for 230 years bombarded by the surrounding pagan culture.  Pharaoh was worshipped as a god and Israel was taught not to worship a man. Even Joseph was worshipped by the people as a god.  Today we too worship the creature and not the Creator.

Moshe needed to teach the people the basics once again…that G-d existed, that He would take care of them. It was the rebirth of a people who were living in spiritual starvation. He did not want the responsibility of leading the people. They were not an easy people and one of the greatest problems they faced was “sinat chinam” -   שנאת חינם hatred for one another. G-d wants a unified people- Echad - אחד not uniformity.  We are judged by what we see on the outside but G-d sees our insides.  Most people look at the outer garb of religious people thinking that these are the ones who represent the true G-d and enthrone them.  If you look deeply at their lives you will see quite a different picture.  Are our lives real or fake? Are we provoking people to jealousy by our actions or are we so self-involved that we don’t see what G-d is doing? Being a leader is the loneliest job there is and most of us are called to be leaders.  When G-d chose us He gave us a job description; if don’t take it we will be miserable.  G-d does not have grandchildren, only sons and daughters, only first born children. The first born of Israel have double blessing, double inheritance and double responsibility. Through Torah we see that the chosen ones were never the physical first-born—Abel, Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Moshe and so on but all were spiritual first born, chosen by G-d for a special purpose and all occupied the position and were given the privileges of being the first born chosen by G-d.

If you are really part of the commonwealth of Israel, forget about whether you were born a Jew or not; it doesn’t matter. Israel failed G-d over and over. They never lived idyllic times. Their lives were difficult and still are today but G-d has always protected and preserved them because He promised to do so. G-d progressively lifts us up and remakes us. Our lives are like a spiral. Sometimes it seems like we are going in circles ending up, back at the beginning but we are at a higher level. Getting us out of Egypt required going through a purge. We needed to get rid of the Egypt within. Look within, what are the things we can’t let go; that we are attached to. How are we controlling our lives to the extent that we have become idolaters?  G-d will show us and redeem us when we ask.

May G-d add blessing to His Word

Ranebi