“Hineini – Here I am.”
This
Hebrew word, many commentators have pointed out, is used in the book of
Bereishit by one who is prepared to willingly undertake a mission. Avraham responds ‘hineini’ when God calls upon him to sacrifice his son Isaac, and
again when the angel appears to him to stop him from offering his son as a
sacrifice. Jacob says ‘hineini’ when approached by an angel in
his dream and again when God called out to Jacob on his journey to Egypt. Yosef answers ‘hineini’ when his father, Jacob, summons him to be sent on a
mission to find his brothers. In each of
these cases the respondent says ‘hineini’
– God, I am at your bidding. Father,
I am here to do what you request. There
is submissiveness, not out of fear or force but out of love and reverence. And in each case they are directed in an act
that they are able to perform.
Moses
too responds ‘hineini’ when God calls
to him from the burning bush. But unlike
with Avraham, Jacob, and Yosef, Moses is anything but submissive. God appoints Moses as the one to lead the
Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt, but Moses refuses multiple times. He argues with God, saying that he is not the
right person and is inadequate for the lofty task of standing up to Pharaoh and
leading a nation. Yet it is of Moses
that we say "Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.” Moses is the most revered Jewish figure in
the Torah; he comes closer to God than any other man has ever done before (it
is he “whom the Lord singled out, face to face”).
From
Moses we learn of the ability to love, but to argue with God; to show
submission, but to question and contend with your own submission; to follow His
path, but to wonder why His path is
the right path. Sometimes this fine line may get us in
trouble, but it is important for our growth and to help find meaning in our observance
and beliefs.
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