Rav's D'vor Torah Discussion 27 SEP

The thirteen attributes of G*d's mercy from RH were in this reading.

(34:6-7)

. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: Lord, Lord, benevolent God, Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth, ו. וַיַּעֲבֹר יְ־הֹוָ־ה עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא יְ־הֹוָ־ה יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת: 7. preserving loving kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and rebellion and sin; yet He does not completely clear [of sin] He visits the iniquity of parents on children and children's children, to the third and fourth generations."


The majority of the reading was about the Sukkot festival and its customs. Rav' choose for her D'vor Torah to opened up discussion on our Torah reading focusing on lines 19-23 of Exodus 33.



19. He said: "I will let all My goodness pass before you; I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will favor when I wish to favor, and I will have compassion when I wish to have compassion." יט. וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל טוּבִי עַל פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם יְ־הֹוָ־ה לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם:
20. And He said, "You will not be able to see My face, for man shall not see Me and live." כ. וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת פָּנָי כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי:
21. And the Lord said: "Behold, there is a place with Me, and you shall stand on the rock. כא. וַיֹּאמֶר יְ־הֹוָ־ה הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי וְנִצַּבְתָּ עַל הַצּוּר:
22. And it shall be that when My glory passes by, I will place you into the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by. כב. וְהָיָה בַּעֲבֹר כְּבֹדִי וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ בְּנִקְרַת הַצּוּר וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ עַד עָבְרִי:
23. Then I will remove My hand, and you will see My back but My face shall not be seen."

There was a lively discussion. With a comment about time from K. Rabbi liked. Others talked about mystery and humility.

I didn't comment but did later think that as regards the time metaphor the 'cleft' in line 22 could be the present.

I sort of sat back. Although all Torah teaches (it teaches on so many levels), I currently have aversion to what clearly alludes to metaphysics of G*d. I find those discussion destablizing to me right now. I can't think about G*d's nature to deeply as the reading alludes to you could 'die' if you try. You will certainly run out of processor power.

Each of us has different spiritual needs and goals at the place we are in our lives.
There is something disturbing to me about this question where I am spiritually. It is presumptious. It fills me with fear and trembling to contemplate. I see G*d everywhere in everything. This question has the ability as it did with our group to be a way to exhault G*d as greater than we can understand. Halleluyah but it also is for mystics. Thank G*d for mystics. Been there got the t-shirt looking forward to going back when I am an old fart.

I think it went well with the audience. I am a weird duck.

:) quack quack.