(טז) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְּךָ֥ שֹׁכֵ֖ב עִם־אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְקָם֩ הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה וְזָנָ֣ה ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י נֵֽכַר־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֤וּא בָא־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַעֲזָבַ֕נִי וְהֵפֵר֙ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אִתּֽוֹ׃ (יז) וְחָרָ֣ה אַפִּ֣י ב֣וֹ בַיּוֹם־הַ֠הוּא וַעֲזַבְתִּ֞ים וְהִסְתַּרְתִּ֨י פָנַ֤י מֵהֶם֙ וְהָיָ֣ה לֶֽאֱכֹ֔ל וּמְצָאֻ֛הוּ רָע֥וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְצָר֑וֹת וְאָמַר֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא הֲלֹ֗א עַ֣ל כִּֽי־אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהַי֙ בְּקִרְבִּ֔י מְצָא֖וּנִי הָרָע֥וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ (יח) וְאָנֹכִ֗י הַסְתֵּ֨ר אַסְתִּ֤יר פָּנַי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עַ֥ל כָּל־הָרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה כִּ֣י פָנָ֔ה אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
(16) The LORD said to Moses: You are soon to lie with your fathers. This people will thereupon go astray after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them. (17) Then My anger will flare up against them, and I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them. They shall be ready prey; and many evils and troubles shall befall them. And they shall say on that day, “Surely it is because our God is not in our midst that these evils have befallen us.” (18) Yet I will keep My countenance hidden on that day, because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods.
Vayeilech, the Torah portion on Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, finishes Moses' speech to the Israelites and begins the transition to Joshua as the leader. The Torah portion also tells the Israelites to read from the Torah as a community.
What is happening? What is God upset about? How does God react?
God is warning Moses that this is what is going to happen after he dies when they feel like they have no leader.
God is upset that they abandoned him (for other gods) so God is abandoning them back.
God feels that they are going astray looking for other gods -- "whoring" themselves out as they damage the marriagelike relationship they have with God (JPS).
God has a measure for measure punishment -- you abandon me, I'll abandon you.
God will remove His protection and favor from them and ignore their pleas for help (JPS).
God is upset that they abandoned him (for other gods) so God is abandoning them back.
God feels that they are going astray looking for other gods -- "whoring" themselves out as they damage the marriagelike relationship they have with God (JPS).
God has a measure for measure punishment -- you abandon me, I'll abandon you.
God will remove His protection and favor from them and ignore their pleas for help (JPS).
What do we take away from God hiding?
One way:
"The hidden face of God, the classic theological expression of the presence of suffering and evil in the world, here seems to be a response by God to the sins of Israel, a punishment for their misdeeds."
"The hidden face of God, the classic theological expression of the presence of suffering and evil in the world, here seems to be a response by God to the sins of Israel, a punishment for their misdeeds."
Another way:
"The Hasidic master, Rebbe Ephraim of Sudylkow, understands this passage differently. Carefully re-reading the Hebrew, Rebbe Ephraim separates the phrase into two sections and reinterprets the implications of God’s actions. When anokhi haster — the I-ness of God — is hidden through our entering the slumber of self-deception and idolatry, then astir panai–[God’s] face will be hidden.
When we forget our values and our humanity, we obscure God’s holiness from the world; then God’s face, God’s true presence, is hidden from us. When we pervert what is just and right through the pursuit of that which is not the true center, we cause God’s presence to disappear, not as punishment, but as consequence."
"The Hasidic master, Rebbe Ephraim of Sudylkow, understands this passage differently. Carefully re-reading the Hebrew, Rebbe Ephraim separates the phrase into two sections and reinterprets the implications of God’s actions. When anokhi haster — the I-ness of God — is hidden through our entering the slumber of self-deception and idolatry, then astir panai–[God’s] face will be hidden.
When we forget our values and our humanity, we obscure God’s holiness from the world; then God’s face, God’s true presence, is hidden from us. When we pervert what is just and right through the pursuit of that which is not the true center, we cause God’s presence to disappear, not as punishment, but as consequence."
How do we understand this today?
During the High Holy Days, we are told to look inside ourselves and examine what has happened in the past year and what we can do in the coming year. This text reminds us to remain true to ourselves and our values in order for God's face to be seen. As soon as we focus on being complacent with our lives or on material things, we lose sight of who we are and who we can become.
Let us spend time in the next few days before Yom Kippur, reminding ourselves of our values. Let us think about how we can stay true to who we are in the coming year by constantly seeking to better ourselves. Let us put aside material things and focus on that which truly matters. Let us take the time to see God's holiness and face through our changed behavior. And may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.
Let us spend time in the next few days before Yom Kippur, reminding ourselves of our values. Let us think about how we can stay true to who we are in the coming year by constantly seeking to better ourselves. Let us put aside material things and focus on that which truly matters. Let us take the time to see God's holiness and face through our changed behavior. And may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.
Material from Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels in "The Song of Humanity" on myjewishlearning.com (Full text of article: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-song-of-humanity/)