Exodus 1:1–6:1 | Isaiah 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23 (Ashkenazim) | Jeremiah 1:1–2:3 (Sephardim) | John 5:30–47
This week's edition of The Set Table contains:
Questions and Commentary on Shabbat Shemot
Chayyei Yeshua - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
Looking Ahead
Questions & Commentary on Shabbat Shemot
1. How do we understand The
Lord's answer to Moses' question,
"what is your name" (Exodus 3:13)? How does this relate to Yeshua's
answer to his doubters in John 8?
Nick
A.
In the episode of
Moses' encounter with God in the desert, Moses is given the highest
of all tasks-to act as God's agent of deliverance for and founder
of the Jewish nation. Moses asks a most puzzling question in response:
"What is your name?" (Exodus 3:13). Further, it appears from a subsequent
inquiry that Moses anticipates two groups who will ask this question-the
"elders" (cf. 3:16, 18) who will listen to Moses, and doubting scoffers
(4:1). Moses' initial question can be understood as having two dimensions:
the believing elders ask, "Which ‘name/attribute' is God acting
through"; while the scoffers ask, "Which ‘god' sent you, because
it surely isn't the Lord!?"
God's answer to
Moses has been the subject of discussion and debate for the past few
millennia. The earliest interpretations in Talmud and Midrash understand
Ehyeh asher Ehyeh in two basic categories: as a promise (b. Berakhot
9b) and as a divine name (e.g. b. Shevuot 35a). This corresponds
to the two levels on which Moses asks for clarification: to the scoffers
God responds Ehyeh asher Eeyeh-"I AM that I AM", or "the
One that is self-existent and above all"; and to the elders God responds
Ehyeh-the first person conjugation of YHVH, God's name of compassion.
Martin
Buber, the 20th century Jewish philosopher, points out that God's
response is couched between two verses of promise (Exodus 3:12 and 4:12,
which both contain the word Ehyeh) indicating that God will be
with Moses in his daunting journey (Moses: The Revelation And The
Covenant, 51-52). Why does God need to remind Moses twice? The
Talmud answers that, "The Holy One said to Moses, ‘I am with you
in this servitude, and I shall be with you in the servitude of the (other)
kingdoms'" (b. Berachot 9a). This hints that God has a double
mission initiated through Moses, and completed in the future.
Like Moses, Yeshua
encountered a similar scenario, a daunting task of deliverance ripe
with unbelievers. When Yeshua is confronted by scoffers questioning
his authority, John quotes Yeshua's response, "I tell you the truth
. . . I AM" (8:58). Yeshua responds to his doubters by citing his
pre-existence, making use of the name of God's self-existence-I
AM (cf. John 1). The most significant aspect of this connection is that
Yeshua, as the second Moses, culminates God's process of deliverance
initiated in the exodus. The essence of God's response to Moses'
inquiry of God's name implies a "double" salvation in which each
instance God is personally involved-first through his agent Moses
and last in the person of Yeshua.. This doubling of God's name is
found later in a different occasion of God's deliverance: the sin
of the golden calf. Here God's attribute of mercy through the name
of the Lord is doubled again: "The Lord, the Lord, compassionate and
gracious God" (Exodus 34:6-7). The commentators ask why God's name
is doubled here. They respond that the doubling of God's name is to
show that God is the same both before an individual sins and after an
individual sins. May all Israel know God's compassion on a personal
and national level through Yeshua's deliverance.
2. What is the significance
of Moses' encounter with God at the beginning of the book of Exodus?
Joshua
Brumbach
The encounter between
Moses and God in Exodus 3 is one of the most exciting stories in the
entire Torah and is rich with much meaning and imagery. God instructs
Moses to return to Egypt to deliver a message and liberate the Jewish
people from slavery. During their encounter, Moses asks God what he
is to tell the people when they ask who sent him, and what his name
is. God responds with one of the most amazing, mysterious, and mystical
answers ever recorded - Ehyeh asher Ehyeh.
This phrase, Ehyeh
asher Ehyeh, is one of the easiest, and yet most difficult passages
of the Torah to translate. The reason is because it carries nuance,
mystery, and an ever present reality. Many translations render the passage
in the present tense, either as "I Am," or as "I Am who I Am."
Many Jewish translations translate it in the future tense, "I Will
Be who I Will Be." The Complete Jewish Bible renders it as both "I
am/will be what I am/will be."
The most fascinating
thing is that they are all correct. In Hebrew, the way this phrase is
constructed renders it timeless and eternal. Meaning that the phrase
ehye asher ehye can actually be translated in every tense, and in every
combination of tenses. It could be "I Am who I Am," "I Will Be
who I Will Be," "I Am who I Will Be," "I Will Be who I Am,"
etc. The Midrash acknowledges this and also denotes that the word
ehye describes God as timeless and eternal. The Aramaic Targum Onqelos
alludes that this phrase is itself one of the divine names, for he does
not even translate the three words into an Aramaic meaning, but leaves
the phrase in Hebrew.
The response God gives
to Moses is itself one of the divine oracles meant to be a sign to the
people. But this is often missed by non-Hebrew speakers. By God's
response, God is telling Moses that he is in control of everything -
all is consumed in, by, through, and from him. This is an answer that
is just as deep and mysterious as God is. Yet, it is close and simple
at the same time. When we get into positions like Moses and feel overwhelmed,
that we can not possibly do all that God asks of us, we must remember
that our God is not only a consuming fire, but is the source of everything
that exists. Nothing has being apart from him. We must always be reminded
of his assurance that through him, we can do all things.
John 5:30-47 - The Centrality
of Yeshua
Cecelia Raker
In this week's parasha,
even after God's impressive list of support systems and reasons why
Moses should trust, Moses still seems barely convinced that he is up
to the job. Throughout Israel's journey in the desert, he constantly
checks in with God about how to deal with our mistrust and grumbling.
Every time he returns to the public eye equipped with clear manifestations
of the reality of God's presence to combat our fearful grasping at
other comforts. Moses' dependence and humility are counted by our
sages as two of his most important qualities.
Amazingly, Yeshua
also exhibits utter dependence on his Father, even more completely than
Moses.
I
am not able to do anything from myself-as I hear, I judge, and my
judgment is right, because I do not seek my own pleasure, but the pleasure
and will of the Father who sent me. If I alone give evidence about myself,
my evidence is not true.
John
5:30-31
Yeshua, the anointed
manifestation of God among humanity, the single most qualified human
to ever claim strength and independence, says he is unable to do anything
at all without his Father's will behind him. He is still submissive
to his Father's will above his own. If Yeshua himself was not able
or willing to discern anything separate from the will of the Father,
how much more so must we as his followers cultivate such humble dependence?
By dependence, I do
not mean ignorance or simplistic disregard for reality. Yeshua does
not demand to be believed or even listened to without evidence, just
as God does not require Moses to claim to have heard a divine directive
without supernatural signs to prove the reality of God's command.
Yeshua's evidence
includes the words of a current-day prophet, John the Baptist, the miraculous
works Yeshua himself was performing constantly, and the very words of
Tanakh in which his listeners were so steeped. In the end, though, the
decision to believe is still a decision, and faith can never be built
on evidence without accompanying relationship. Yeshua's ultimate invitation
here is not only to believe in prophecy, wonders, or learning but to
love. "But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you"
(John 5:42, 44).
Yeshua does not mince
words in demanding from those who claim to serve God the humble, honest
intimacy of relationship. Only from such intimacy can we see the truth
in Scripture and not be distracted by the literary merit or exegetical
conundrums of the best Book in the world. Only from such intimacy can
we discern whether a ‘prophetic' voice is indeed speaking truth.
Only from such intimacy can we ourselves operate in the signs and wonders
of the Spirit as evidence of his reality; only in living entirely immersed
in Love can we not turn miracles into idols.
This week's parasha
points to God's willingness to provide proof of his truth, to be the
Source of our strength if only we are willing to depend. Our daily leap
of faith is to open our hearts enough to allow the ultimate proof in
God's love. What if we were to take to heart Yeshua's example, immersing
ourselves in God's deep love as our first priority, presenting his
truth to the world always backed by the tangible evidence that is the
fruit of intimacy?
NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - VA'ERA
Exodus 6:2–9:35
Numbers 28:9–15
Isaiah 66:1–24
John 6:1–15
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Learning 
