Drash on Pinchas

Rabbi Aviva Kipen

Progressive Judaism Victoria

The familiar formula, “Va’yedaber Adonai el Mosheh lemor ….. and God spoke to Moses saying ……” propels the biblical narrative, instructing Moses to do or not to do something. God’s will generally prevails. Parashat Pinchas establishes a pivotal change so subtle, that we might be forgiven for missing it.

For seniors, denial is an option, but a head in the sand exposes other parts of the anatomy! Given good health and a bit of mazel, what sailors refer to as ‘good luck and a fair breeze’, we can plan for old age and make the appropriate decisions. Even with good health, preparing partners, siblings, children, grandchildren, colleagues etc for the approaching change of generations is a demanding dynamic. We fail to invest time in meaningful conversation to make our wishes and decisions known at our peril. Sometimes contests are required, tussles must be resolved, preferably while we are alive so that there is nothing to overshadow our deaths. Making our funeral decisions while in good health removes bereavement from the equation. Setting our desires down in writing, buying our cemetery plots or advising the preference for cremation and for the eventual placement of the ashes helps our loved ones. Send this information to the Chevra Kadisha of your congregation, your adult children or grandchildren, Executor or lawyer. Get ready in a matter-of-fact way, so that others don’t have to make those decisions for you at the time of great grief and shock.

As we know, Moses didn’t have to deal with those practical issues. His greater concern was for security for the people. The sand in Moshe Rabbeinu’s hour-glass was running out. (Num 27:12-14) His acceptance, signalled by reversal of his usual dialogue with God, enables the unfolding story of the people. “May/Let Adonai, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation … So that the community of God should not be like sheep who have no shepherd.” (Num 27:16-17) God advises Moshe immediately to commission Joshua.

That wasn’t spontaneous! Joshua had been leading throughout the wilderness journey, had been demonstrably loyal, seasoned by conflicts and unbending in the face of peer pressure. He had served a visible apprenticeship and credentialled himself to all. Succession was not in doubt.

As Israel and Palestine solve their coexistence ba’aretz “on the ground”, the diaspora deals with shootings, fire-bombings, targeted arsons. Our communal realities highlight the generational leadership imperative, as real now, as it was for Moses. Leadership comprises many strata. We urge all members to sign the Jerusalem Platform and spend the sum of $5.00 to cover the cost of administering their online vote, to elect upcoming delegates to the World Zionist Congress, which allocates a huge budget to Israel and Diaspora projects. Your shul will help if you can’t quite work out how to register and vote. Or go the link on the front page of the AANZUPJ website. A vote for the ARZA-Masorti platform represents our progressive, pluralistic and equalitarian approach.

Registering and voting enact the imperative to place over ourselves representatives who understand the holy task of continuity in a modern context, so that we will not be “like sheep without a shepherd”. We must elect delegates to represent us now on the world stage of Jewish affairs. Plus, we need to actively encourage those who will act with dignity and compassion, consistency and honour, proper conduct and unimpeachable role modelling i.e. derech eretz at local level, for their eventual leadership at higher echelons. As things get tougher for the Jewish people, the calibre of our leaders needs to rise to the challenge that is as visible to us as it was to Joshua. Moses was too old to finish the work. Look at the young people all around you. Who of them are the next Joshuas and Deboras to lead us? “And if not now, when?” (Hillel, Pirkei Avot 1:14)