Adventure or Comfort?

The book I am currently encountering is Exodus, by Leon Uris; it is not a light and easy read. There are many pages dealing with events in Europe that are painful to read. Following the war the British fell far from ‘covering themselves with glory’ regarding the Jews and the Mandate. They also lost their empire – connection? A discussion for another time. There were, however, those who did rise to the occasion, as there have been throughout history.

Those who accepted G-d’s challenge to adventure rather than remain in state of comfort, have universally stood outside of their elites’ cultural mainstream. Their actions and words were seen, to adapt to current usage, as phobic and hate speech.

Abram and Sarai were apparently living calm ordinary lives in Haran. Midrash tells us that once when Abram’s father was away from his idol shop, he left young Abram in charge. Abram had figured out that there is one, and only one G-d, Creator of the heavens and the earth. His father returned to the shop to find all the idols but one smashed. Abram explained that the surviving idol had become angry with all the others and smashed them. His father said that was ridiculous because none of the idols was really alive. Abram, the monotheist, replied, “My point, exactly.” This incident did not make the local powers happy.

G-d told Abram and Sarai to, “Go to a land that I will show you, a land you do not know.” Given the hostile environment of Haran, it is reasonable to expect that G-d was sending them to a place of greater comfort and safety. However, this did not turn out to be the correct expectation; for the whole story check into the Book of Genesis. As one reads one will see clearly that G-d did not call this couple to a life of comfort and safety.

A particular set of events that closely relates especially to the lives of people generally and children of any age, including pre-birth, is the story of Isaac’s near sacrifice on the mountain. One of the teachings that have been drawn from this is a strict prohibition by G-d of any sort of human sacrifice for any reason. In modern terms the “reasons” for such sacrifice might be for career advancement, because children are expensive, it saves money for a corporation not to pay maternity leave or train a new employee. These, and myriad other “reasons” for killing an unborn child can truthfully only be defined as child sacrifice.

This writer does not propose to compose an entire-pro-life book based on persons’ lives recounted in the Torah, though such could be readily done; I invite one with that sort of talent to write such – a potential best seller, but Amazon and The New York Times most likely would not like it. Truth often seems to seriously trigger those folks. One more example will have to suffice for now.

Something over thirty-four hundred years ago a small baby was rescued from the River Nile in Egypt. He was adopted by a princess and grew up among nobles and royals in a life of luxury, and privilege. It was also a decadent society with incestuous marriage, public nudity, and other deeply immoral activities. I avoid mentioning those as I wish to keep this on a basis that one does not have to hide it from the children.

In spite of his pagan upbringing, this child, whom we know as Moses our teacher, grew up to have a very high moral and ethical level of understanding. To save the life of a fellow Hebrew, he had to kill an Egyptian slavedriver. Then he had to flee the country and ended up in Midian. He got a job as a shepherd and married the boss’s daughter. It is likely that he thought he was pretty well fixed up for life. G-d had other ideas for Moses, namely confronting the Egyptian Pharoah, and leading the Hebrews out of Egypt to serve G-d in the wilderness with all of the difficulties that entailed. This has been a much-condensed telling of the story; read the Torah to get it from the ‘backstory’ beginning at the very beginning and continuing through the whole wilderness sojourn

Moses was a strongly pro-life man. He was not afraid to argue with G-d on behalf of the people several times. His most definitive statement in the matter, “I put before you life and death, blessing curse. Choose life if you and your offspring would live, by loving the L-rd your G-d, heeding His commandments, and holding fast to Him.” (Deut. 30:19-20).

Since modern medical/biological science has clearly demonstrated that the process of human life begins when sperm meets egg, the commandment to choose life begins with even the very small baby’s life. If it supposedly does not begin with the baby’s beginning, then one should ask when does it, to use a phrase from 20th century Germany, become “life worthy of life”? And if the baby is discovered at some other point prior to birth, or in some jurisdictions after birth, to be disabled in some way, should the baby then be considered “life unworthy of life”?

Just as Abram and Sarai/Abraham and Sarah and Moses were called, less than willingly to their adventures of serving G-d. Abram and Sarai left the familiar surroundings of their hometown. When they set out they did not even know where they were headed. Moses had a job he had not wanted; G-d hired him in spite of his objections. We too are called to our adventures. It would be more comfortable to sit by and “let George do it.” Even if “George” were willing to do it, he cannot do it alone. He needs our help and support, meaning time and money. The babies and their families need our help and support.

L'chaim,

Don Belding