Jan 29th 2010, 00:00

         Whenever a “natural” disaster strikes, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, many people wonder, “where is God?”  Even people of faith want to know, “how could God let such a thing happen?”  Others don’t worry about such questions, they just respond.  Within hours of the earthquake, the Israeli government moved into action.  Despite the distance of thousands of miles, equipment and personnel were mobilized and quickly transported to Haiti in order to save lives, and save lives they did.  The actions of the Israelis were well publicized and heralded in the press.  If you want to know where God is in such an event, you need look no further than the response of our fellow Jews and so many others who immediately sprung into action to help their fellow human beings. 

         In the Torah, God’s actions and motivations are easier to see and understand.  In this week’s Torah portion, the Israelites stand on the brink of freedom, on the shores of the Sea of Reeds.  Recently released from hundreds of years of slavery, they now face certain death in front of them and Pharaoh’s army advancing behind them.  At this critical moment, they lose faith, both in their leader Moses and in God.  They cry out to Moses: 

”Why have you brought us out here to the wilderness to die?  We were happier as slaves in Egypt!”  Clearly, that generation did not know how to handle freedom.  They did not understand the responsibility that went along with self-determination. 

         According to the Midrash, it was not until one brave soul, Nachshon ben Aminadav, selfishly and bravely advanced forward into the water that the sea ultimately split.  Nachshon didn’t sit back and ask questions.  Nachshon didn’t lose faith.  Nachshon wasn’t complacent with the status quo or willing to accept what others thought to be their destiny.  No, Nachshon knew that God could be reflected in the actions of humans.  He understood that we must take the first and subsequent steps to bring God into the picture and to do God’s work here on earth.  Nachshon wanted to be free and he was willing to accept personal responsibility in order to cross the other side. 

         Like the Israelites who expressed fatalism at the Sea, many people today choose to be bound and enslaved by the past and by their current reality.  They deny or worse yet hand over responsibility for their thoughts and actions to others.  Today, we need more people like Nachshon, those willing to take chances for change, to move forward for progress, to accept personal responsibility for themselves and for the community. 

         So, is God in nature?  Each person must answer that question for themselves.  Judaism would say that God is reflected in our actions and that when we perform a mitzvah we are raising our lives and those around us to a higher plane. 

         Tonight at Temple, we have our very special Friendship Musical Shabbat service.  Please note the special time of 6:00 PM.  Tomorrow, religious school and Torah Study as usual and our Shabbat Morning Service at 10:00 AM, at which time our Adult B’nai Mitzvah class will be called to the Torah.  Mazal tov to our six adult B’nai Mitzvah!  Both services will be carried live on our website, www.templebethtikvah.com (click on Live Services).  I hope you have a great weekend.