Chukat, from the Book of Numbers, describes Moses and the Israelites’ journey as they were nearing the Promised Land and provides two starkly different visions. Moses sent emissaries, first to the King of Edom, then to the Canaanite King of Arad, and to Sihon, King of the Amorites. Moses made them this offer: “Let us pass, I pray you, through your country; we will not pass through the fields, or through the vineyards, nor will we drink well water; we will go by the king’s highway, we will not turn to the right nor to the left, until we have passed your borders… The people of Israel said to him, We will go by the highway; and if I and my cattle drink of your water, then I will pay for it; I will do you no injury, only pass through on foot.” (Num. 20:17, 19)
Midrash Rabbah emphasizes the generosity of Israel’s offer: “Moses said to Edom: We have a well with us and we eat manna, yet, do not suppose that we shall give you only trouble. You will make a profit for yourself!’…God spoke to Moses in the same way: You shall purchase food of them for money ([Deut. II, 6] Numbers Rabbah XIX:15).
We are told that the Edomites–descendants of Esau–the Canaanites, the Amorites, and also the people of King Og of Bashan attacked the Israelites, not permitting them to pass through their land. It is notable that the Torah begins this section by emphasizing the connection between Israel and Edom, saying that Israel was Edom’s “brother.” Right away we can place ourselves in this metaphor–we are all connected to each other, every person is our brother, our sister. But the King of Edom was either ruled by fear or resistant to change, or he couldn’t be bothered to help his figurative brother. He is all supposed self-interest, even when his people stand to benefit by making money selling food and water to the Israelites.
Had the Israelites been permitted to pass through these lands, everyone would have benefitted. The people of those nations would have made a profit. Both sides would have gained an ally, and the Israelites would have reached their destination sooner, with fewer problems and much more ease. Instead there was war. People died and crops were destroyed. The nations made the Israelites their enemies. Their cities were captured and because of these battles, there was destruction and privation.
These starkly contrasting possibilities provide a teaching: The Source of Life structured the world so that, when we cooperate and help each other, there is enough for everyone. No one need experience any lack. This is the paradigm of a harmonious and perfect world. It is the world as it was designed to operate, a world of oneness where we know of our connection to each other and to God. The Apter Rebbe, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of Apt, wrote: “When we purify our thoughts and only allow spiritual thoughts of the Divine in our mind, we connect…to the highest level of spiritual knowledge, and we purify the breath that comes from the heart and connects it to the heavenly breath, the Divine understanding, which emanates holiness to all the spiritual worlds. And as we purify our voice we connect to the Divine Voice….And finally when we connect our speech, we complete God.” (The Heschel Tradition by Moshe A. Braun)
When we are selfish–attacking and victimizing each other, trying to keep all the resources for ourselves–we create privation. The world is designed to work like an enormous and intricate machine with many different moving parts, each part working with the others in a finely balanced whole. When we cooperate, everyone benefits. The gears mesh and the world operates well. When we are each other’s adversaries, we all lose.
Coincidentally, an article in the New York Times two weeks ago illustrated this point. Jodi Rudoren wrote about a RAND Corporation report that concluded that the Israeli and Palestinian economies would gain $183 billion over the next decade if they separated into two peaceful states immediately.
The more we figure out how to work with each other rather than against each other, the more we allow God’s blessings to flow to us. We can create scarcity or prosperity, and it is a conscious choice. May we respect and help each other, going with the way reality is structured and not against it; working together to create more blessings and prosperity for us all.
Jill Hausman is the Rabbi and also serves as Cantor of the historic Actors’ Temple in Manhattan. She has previously served as Cantor/Assistant Rabbi in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and has been a marine biologist, a singer, and actress.