THE TRAVELER AND THE FARMER
In this week’s Parsha, Shemos, the Torah teaches us the power of yearning and hoping.
After informing us of the political atmosphere in Egypt how it was slanted against our people, the Parsha discusses the birth of Moshe. As it continues discussing the development of Moshe the Parsha breaks with the situation in Egypt how it took a turn for the worse and how our people cried out to HaShem. The commentaries explain the reason for this break was to indicate that the next stage of Moshe’s development was a result of our people’s crying out to HaShem. Immediately following that break HaShem appears to Moshe and instructs him to return to Egypt to take his people out. The Parsha is telling us that HaShem chose this moment to appoint Moshe to his mission because the people cried out; their situation had become unbearable.
In his communication with HaShem, Moshe argues that the people will not believe that he comes in the name of HaShem. HaShem responds that he need not worry, for they will surely believe him and they will believe in HaShem.
The question is why is it important that the people believe that Moshe is HaShem’s messenger? Why do they even need to believe in HaShem? Let the plagues begin and over the course of that year of plagues the people will certainly accept HaShem and recognize that Moshe is His messenger. Even Pharaoh acknowledged it.
Our Sages (Ramchal) teach us that before HaShem can send His goodness and kindness to us, there needs to be a path along which that goodness will travel. The material used to construct this path is the person’s קיווי (pronounced key-voi), their hope in HaShem’s help and anticipation for HaShem’s response. The path upon which the help will come is constructed only when the person needing the help places his hopes in HaShem and anticipates His answer. There are many layers of hope and many layers of anticipation.
The layers of hope are dependent on the level of trust that one has in HaShem. The stronger one’s trust in HaShem is, the more hope he has in HaShem. The layers of anticipation are dependent upon the degree of need that the person is in. If his need is urgent and his trust is strong, his anticipation will be great. If the matter is not urgent even if his trust is complete, his anticipation is diminished.
Compare the farmer who needs rain and trusts that HaShem will make it rain to the traveler walking on the road during a torrential downpour. The farmer certainly trusts that HaShem will answer him but his anticipation is significantly less than the traveler’s.
What is the nature of קיווי and how does it work? If we could better understand the nature of קיווי perhaps we could better relate to it.
The word קיווי, comes from the word kav which means a line. A line connects two points. קיווי or תקוה, hope, creates the connection between us and the party upon whom we anticipate. If that party is HaShem then we now have established a line between us and HaShem upon which that goodness can be transmitted.
Many of us experienced waiting for someone or something urgent to arrive immediately. It may have been an ambulance to our home or a bus at the bus stop or even a package in the mail. At every possible interval we go out and look down the block to see if it is coming or check the mail as soon as it arrives. Our entire focus is on that matter. This anticipation touches the very core of our neshoma. It is a form of dedicating our neshoma to Him. We are in constant awareness of Him and look to Him longingly. That yearning creates within us the capacity to receive His goodness.
Let us return to our questions.
As the situation in Egypt deteriorated the matter became urgent. Together with their trust in HaShem they were primed for the redemption. They approached the necessary level of קיווי. Moshe however questioned their level of trust because without their trust at the outset, the plagues could not begin. As our Sages have taught, before any goodness comes from HaShem there must a line upon which that goodness can travel.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind