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| From Akonia.com |
More appropriately, does this portion mark the points at which B'nei Yisrael camped, encountered something, or simply moved from point A to B (or Aleph to Bet if you want to be precise). I wondered what the necessity of this portion was, until this week.
Masei continues by serving as a reminder of the highlights of what the Israelites encountered during their "main" journey through the midbar (מִדְבָּר, wilderness). These include the departure from Egypt the morning following Passover, through the sea, the death of Aaron at Mount Hor, and concludes at the plains of Moab. This seems to me to suffice. A concluding reminder before the Israelites crossed over into the land Canaan.
However then the parsha turns to G-d's encounter through Moses, ordering Moses to tell the Israelites that once they cross the Jordan, to take hold of the land and distribute it amongst the clans. The "journeys" taken have turned to the journeys that will be. Why? The Book of Devarim is set on stage right, ready to be turned to, what is the point to be taken from this portion of "journeys" some of which being the past, others the future.
I think the events of the past two weeks have made me realize something else about this Torah portion.
Many of us go through life, after a point, not changing much in ourselves. After we mature, we go through some things in our life that carve out who we are and what our lives become. This can be a positve in providing stability and continuity, but can also hinder us and stymie us with our own roadblock to change. The issue of course, is that although we may not change majorly, the world around is constantly changing and moving and modifying. Perhaps most critical to know is that while some of the changes we are brought to face can be controlled, a large amount of things can not. And it is our part to face the changes in our lives, whether we want to or not.
As many know, I grew up through high school in the mountains of Prescott, living in the area to the north and east of Granite Mountain known as the Williamson Valley Corridor WVC.
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| From citydata.com |
My mother was at work and could see the fire, and my dad and I saw the fire from outside our front windows, but we just as much assumed in a few hours it would be put out or at least under control. We actually went out taking pictures, thinking "Oh, our first wildfire."
By 7 pm that night, it was clear that things were not all that well. With eyes staring at my computer screen and ears tuned in to any radio or news outlet covering the fire, the hours got later, and still no positve word on progress with the fire's containtment. By around 10pm I
woke my mother up, saying we need to be ready to leave. I got a phone call from a friend in the FD, things were bad, getting worse, and evacuation orders were being given for communities only miles south of us. At the rate and speed of this fire in it's first hours, we were getting more concerned.
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| From wunderground.com |
The next morning brought no good news, and only news of more evacuations. We all left the house in the morning to try and go about our business, smoke filling the area downwind of the fire. We had all packed up the cars in the event we would not be permitted back home, and got my grandmother and greyhound in the car to spend the day with mom until we knew more. Midday came and my father and I attempted to return home and were met with countless checkpoints and turned away at various points. The first responders indicated that if you ddin't have to be there, and had somewhere else to go, it would just be better and save time.
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| From azfamily.com |
To be three miles from home, feel the heat and smell the smoke of the fire, it is something you hope you will never experience again. Just with the ominous feeling of trying to decide what parts of your home you would need to save.
We stood in a hotel that night, and finally woke up to news that some of the evacuation orders had been lifted and by the afternoon we were able to return home and unpack.
After many days of fighting, the fire was finally controlled and contained, with crews working day in and day out, within meters of homes, working to protect them and their owners. The firefighters and first responders saved so much life and property. No structures were lost as a result of the 7,000 acre fire.
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How does this relate?
Experiencing the fire first hand, being in the line of peril and danger that it brought, I was made so much more aware of what we cannot control. That change in our lives that can often spread like wildfire, leaving us confused, unsure what is going to happen at every moment. That true sense of helplessness, fear, desperation and insecurity. The journey my family and I (amongst countless others) took that day, is one I will soon not forget, and one which painst a part of who I am on to the canvas.
But that's what Masei is getting to. Notice that my family and I looked to things of our past, things which marked the journeys we made previously, to help us determine what to bring with us in the next journey we would make. That insecurity of dealing with change, especially that change which one cannot control. That moment to remember where we came from in order to say where we will go.
Just as the new generation of Israelites stood on the border of a new journey for them, so too did my family and I stare at a fire wondering what our next journey would be. B"H it was one of returning to our home, reminded of the awe of nature. Change is the constant in our lives. Be that as cliche as it is, it is very true. Masei is reminding us of that.
For your reading and study, I found this from Chabad to be quite interesting and relatable to my experience:
Adonai Imachem,
May G-d be with you.
-Sean S
Originally written: 7/10/13
Posted 8/21/13
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