כִּי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ
לֹא כְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִוא אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִשָּׁם
אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע אֶת זַרְעֲךָ וְהִשְׁקִיתָ בְרַגְלְךָ כְּגַן הַיָּרָק
וְהָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ
אֶרֶץ הָרִים וּבְקָעֹת
לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה מָּיִם
Ki ha'ares asher ata ba' shama l'rishtah
Lo' k'eres misrayim hi asher yasa'tem misham
Asher tizra` et zar`akha v'hishqita b'raglekha k'gan hayereq
V'ha'ares asher atem `ovrim shama l'rishtah
Eres harim uvqa`ot
Limtar hashamayim tishte mayim
For the land that you come to, to inherit
It is not like the land of Egypt from which you came out
Where you sow your seed and water it with your feet like a vegetable garden
The land that you are moving to, to inherit
Is a land of mountains and valleys
Because of the rain of the heavens you will drink water
God didn't want to give the Jews the land of Egypt, where the Nile provides a continual source of water, which you can pump into your fields at will, with your feet. He wanted the Jews to know every day that their fate depended on Heaven, that their only security is God. For the security of Egypt is an illusion. The Nile, like the rains, is subject to His will. And when it fails, the crisis is yet greater.
Today, in the rich counties of the world, we live in Egypt. We take it for granted that we will have enough to eat, indeed we view even unemployment, such as it exists, as an aberration, something that isn't supposed to be. If only the government were working properly, we think, it could guarantee us jobs. And so the government makes laws, and provides jobs, and gives us the illusion of job security. But still, the world is insecure. It is dynamic. What we call security is no more than delaying the inevitable. God made the world this way because it's the way He wants it to be. Security comes at a price, and the price is freedom, vibrancy, and strength.
Instead of us striving to hold back the sea, God wants us to learn to swim.
Posted by David Boxenhorn at December 12, 2004 06:24 PMExcellent post David.
Let me just say one thing:
>He wanted the Jews to know every day that their fate depended on Heaven, that their only security is God. For the security of Egypt is an illusion.
The post is almost paradoxical, because in one sense you're saying God wants us to maintain ourselves, but in another, you say that he wants us to depend on him.
The Christian Bible says that not a sparrow falls without God knowing it, and that if God looks out for sparrows, which cost less than a penny, then we should not worry--about food, raiment or shelter. We are also told to keep our minds "to things above" and not on things of the world, because (and I think you will agree) the things of the world are passing away.
The books of Job and Ecclesiastes also delve into the passing nature of our endeavors.
Posted by: Ingemar at December 15, 2004 08:41 AM PermalinkIngemar: You make an interesting comment. The omniscience of God is also a Jewish principle, but far from 'keeping our minds "to things above"' Judaism teaches that it's our (the Jews') task to perfect this world (tiqun `olam).
Posted by: David Boxenhorn at December 15, 2004 08:57 AM PermalinkThe theological virtue of Hope doesn't necessarily signify reckless abandon for the things of the world. C.S. Lewis says, "Aim for Heaven, and earth gets thrown in." In his view, the people who have made the greatest advances for the earth are the ones whose sights are heavenward (ie, the abolitionists, charity workers, etc.)
Posted by: Ingemar at December 15, 2004 06:49 PM Permalink