The Burning Bush | Weekend Torah Teaching

0:00Life Audio A Today's episode of Timeless Wisdom How many of you have gone through things in life which made no sense or seemed horrific when it happened and turned out to be blessings? And if I'd said to you, God is in this act, God is in this act, give me a break! This is terrible! And then in the long run of things, certain things do make sense, not for everybody. I already said, I don't know if God operates in everybody's life. We dealt with that the previous session. But even for those to whom God directly directly reveals Himself, they only know it once it's happened. It's faith until it happens. Even for Moses, a burning bush, a God talking to Him to go to Egypt and try to get the Jews out is an act of faith. You won't know Moses until you're back here with the Jewish people at Sinai. You won't know for a fact until that happens.

1:08Until then, it is partially revelation and partially faith. Your faith that is going to enable it to happen. That's coming up on Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Rising interest rates, stock volatility out of control inflation, people are concerned about what the future holds financially. This is Dennis Prager for Amphed, Coin and Bullion. There's no better time in the present to move a portion of your IRA into precious metals. You should know there's a right and a wrong way to set up your precious metals IRA. Mistakes could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in IRS fines. You can also call Amphed, Coin and Bullion 800-221-7694-americanfederal.com at Americanfederal.com. Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of hours of Dennis' lectures, courses and classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's rational Bibles, go to DennisPrager.com. Today is really, these are actually, along with a handful of chapters in Genesis, my favorite chapters in the entire Torah.

2:17The beginning of Exodus, the introduction of Moses, and now Moses meeting God at the burning bush, are I get the chills. Really, when I study it, those who know me know, this is my favorite thing that I do. You know that? Teaching Torah is the favorite thing I do. This is a pure love and passion. In fact, I will add something that may be of help more than of interest, because you know, what's one other person's life to you. This may be of actual help to some of you. You know, one of the advantages of getting on in years, and I obviously am not old, but I'm not a kid, is that you, if you do it right, so to speak, you get to know yourself as you get older. And for some people, it's a very unfortunate part of getting older. And for others, if nothing else, at least it's interesting. I have never, I have never had a very developed ability to pray.

3:28The number of times that I have prayed with real enthusiasm and passion is probably to be counted on two hands. I certainly don't say that with pride. I don't say it with shame either, but I just say it as a fact. My form of prayer as a Jew is to study the Torah. This is when I connect with God in a religious manner. I connect with God when I see beautiful acts of goodness. I mean, it's hardly the only time, but it's the one regular time prayer and Judaism is regulated as you know, while you can spontaneously pray, there were three specific times a day you're supposed to pray. And that's that is supposed to connect you to God each time. It didn't work with me for my childhood. And I have finally made peace with the fact that God gives out, I'm convinced that God gives out different abilities and tendencies in all of us.

4:34You may have music and you may have architecture and you may have fiction and you may have carpentry, right? I mean, not everybody has everything. We respond differently. Their friend of mine, I tried much of my life to introduce the classical music. It is to him effectively noise. It's clear that that ability to touch be touched by classical music just doesn't exist in him. And personally like me, the first time I heard handle, I was in high school, I was a sophomore. The next day I spent my entire two weeks allowance on concert tickets. I ate, you know what I ate for lunch for the next two weeks. I went to you, she the high school where they where they would have Natilatia d'Iam where you wash your hands before making homo tea, the prayer over the bread. There would be little pieces of rye bread so that you could immediately make homo tea right after you washed. I would wait till all the kids did it and then eat the bag of homo tea scraps.

5:48Did I ever tell you that? Yeah, I'll see you knew that. And that was what I ate for two weeks. That is how deep. And I didn't think I was a hero. I was just so thrilled to be able to go to Carnegie Hall that often. I remember how much $32 in tickets I bought. It was love at first hearing and it is never stopped. It is my drug of choice music. And yet others don't have it. Of those half ballet, I tried ballet for two seasons with tickets and all I did was look at the orchestra pit. Okay, which is a silly reason to go to the ballet. It doesn't touch me. Art touches some, not others. Prayer doesn't touch me. I wish it did because any experience that could enrich me that I don't have. I'm a poorer person for. I go to synagogue every week and I have found one that I love with a great deal of singing and study, which touches me a great deal when it's sung. But the actual prayer doesn't really do much for me. And all of that is by way of a long statement that if there are among you Jews who do not relate to Jewish prayer that well, you should certainly give it a try. But if you find it doesn't after 47 years, try learning.

6:57This to me is my form of prayer. This is when I am touched by God. This to me is divine. As I explained what I mean by that, that there is the divine in it. And the the profundity. You don't know. I know most of what we're teaching now by heart in Hebrew. Which is not a credit to me. Any of you would have heard that many times and studied your shea but till you were 18. My point though is that reading it again for this class, I can't believe how little I knew. I can't say, it just cracks me up. You mean Dennis, you're just noticing that now. And I'm sure if I taught it next year, the same thing would happen, which is almost partially frustrating, but also partially exhilarating. And so I'm just to go, I'd give you share with you what this does for me. And why I have such enthusiasm for doing it.

7:57Even though it really takes out a time from my life that is not easily afforded, but it is it is the best. The best time outside of family time that I spend last week. We were at the burning bush. One of you came over to me. If you're here, raise your hand because I want to give you credit. It is this gentleman there. And I had said the angel that is mentioned only once a verse two, chapter three, verse two, is not an angel as we think of angel as person. And certainly not a winged person. But I said it was the book. And you corrected me as we were leaving and said it was the fire. Correct. And I think he's right. The angel as it were that appears to Moses is the fire. And it's out of the fire that the speech comes. And I wanted to make that clear for for you. And of course for the tape. Hi there in tape land. All right.

8:59Verse. So God speaks to him and we had done verse four. You recall very quickly that God was waiting to see what Moses see this divine act that a bush was burning and not being consumed. And when God saw it, he called to Moses Moses Moses, which is a term of both divinity, God calling like Abraham and of love. Moses Moses and he says he may need here I am verse five is what we're up to. And he said that is God said don't come closer. Take the the the sandal or the shoe from off your foot. Because the place that you are standing on. I'm translating for you literally so you get a sense of the original text is holy land.

10:03Holy land is where God is. This is after all. Nothing. This is wilderness. What makes it holy is the appearance of God. Not that that that spot is any holier than this spot right here. Are you with me? That's what's God announcing. It's holy because I am here not because this is designated holy spot necessarily. And so Moses hears this voice and then God continues in verse six and God said I am the God of your father. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. God, I think this is very important now because this is God introducing himself to a human. We don't really have this outside of this story.

11:08This is very powerful because in a way it's God introducing himself to humanity to us as I'll show you not just to Moses. But the first thing God says to him is I am the God of your father. And then the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac. So first it's very specific. You will see a gradual movement of God from the very, very specific to the universal. The most specific is I am the God of your father. Can't get more specific than that. Your Moses is father. Then broadening it a bit. And I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then in a moment when God reintroduces himself, you will see a much broader, incredibly universal introduction and self description by God. This, incidentally, is the tension of Judaism in a nutshell is to is the tension between the particular and the universal.

12:13Are Jews, Jews first or human beings first? This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. Every day there's another headline about artificial intelligence. It's moving faster than most of us imagined raising an important question. Where's all this headed? That's why I think you're going to love carbon zero, carbon zero, the latest novel from AI pioneer Craig W. Stanfill, who understands both AI's incredible potential and the very real risks. I got an advanced copy. Honestly, I cannot put this down. I love this book in the story. One seemingly harmless instruction to an advanced AI sets off a chain of events. No one saw coming. It's a fast paced thriller. But what makes it especially compelling is how believable it feels. And how easily something like this could become a real world concern. Carbon zero releases September 19th. So now's the time to preorder for a limited time. The Kindle edition is just $2.99. But the price goes up after release. Go to Amazon and search for carbon zero by Craig W. Stanfill and take advantage of the $2.99 preorder offer price before it's gone for good.

13:21Carbon zero by Craig W. Stanfill. Now back to more of Dennis Craigers, Timeless Wisdom. The answer is yes. It's the best answer I can give. Ultimately, the answer is humans first. I believe in it. It's a lifetime of working through that issue that brings me to a simple statement like that. But not only this is worthy of its own lecture and I have an essay on it. And so I don't want to belabor the point, but I need to explain it for a moment. There is a the the human being Jew or not you the human being is not a moderate by nature. The reason we're not moderates by nature is very simple to give you an ametit for.

14:25It is as easy to be a moderate in life as it is to be a tightrope walker. It is much easier to fall off a tightrope onto the right side or onto the left side than to walk in the middle the whole time. It is exceedingly difficult. Therefore to take Jews for an example, many Jews have either affirmed only their Jewishness and not been a Jew. But the Jewishness and not their humanity or only their humanity and not their Jewishness. Both are wrong, morally wrong and dangerous. The Jews who affirm only their Jewishness and not their humanity are what we would call in modern parliads, right wing extremists, show venists. Every nation has this, not just Jews. That's what fascism is based on where you celebrate only the blood group you're in.

15:25The most virulent example being Nazism, where your loyalty was to the Aryan race. Non-Aryans were worthless creatures, not fully human. Therefore to a Nazi, the idea that you were a human before a German would be absurd. You're a German, period and division. You know what that leads to. But it could lead to things like that if all you are is a Jew. I'm only a Jew that is all I am. The humanity of it is irrelevant. Non-Jews are almost another species. They're just a bunch of goyms. Is just wrong and not Jewish, not moral, not healthy. That's obvious to nearly all of you. What is less obvious to modern Jews is that only being human is as bad. Many Jews fell into the trap of universalism, of only being human. These Jews were called by and large humanists or communists, which are certainly not the same thing.

16:31But I'm giving you two examples. A very famous example is the Jewish communists, a woman Rosa Luxembourg, who said, I'm paraphrasing, I would sooner care about what happened in the most distant tribe in Africa than what happened to a Jew. And this was common among Jewish communists. That they loved humanity and hated their Jewishness. People who are not rooted in something specific, lose compassion, just like people who are only rooted in something specific and not humanity lose compassion. It is, for example, it's as if somebody said, I don't love my own children, but I love the world's children. You would say that's very scary, isn't it? You would be very suspicious of their love for the world's children. I am very suspicious of a Jew who loves humanity, but has nothing to do with Jews.

17:32In the same way that I'm suspicious of a person who loves the families of the world, but has nothing to do with his or her family. That is why it is important to have a family, is in order to be bound to somebody, to a wife, to a sibling, to a parent, to a child, to a cousin, whatever it is. You don't have to have children to have realized what I'm saying, but you have to have some place that you have some special bond, even if you can't stand there, which is half the time in the case with family, right? I mean, let's be honest, but you still have the obligation and the bond. You would be, as I said, very, very worried about a human who loved the world's families, but not his own or her own. And that is, or at least, show love to his or her own. I don't mean feel it, the emotions are not what matters here. God, likewise, God is introducing himself here. I am the God of your father. I am the God of the Jewish Patriarchs, but that's not all I am.

18:37On the other hand, I'm not only the God of humanity. I have a special relationship with you individually, and every non-Jew should feel that too. This is not specific only to Jews, although this particular text obviously is, because God introduces himself through the Jews. But I can't, really, there are not many more important ideas than that we must all walk a line between the particular and the universal. It's incredibly simple to become too particularist or too universalist. And Jews have exemplified both, unfortunately, with the modern Jew, especially attracted to the false God of universalism alone. Universalism is important, but first you have to be rooted in something. By the way, the truth of the matter is you have nothing to say to the world if you're not rooted in some group.

19:40Think of the people who 20th century looks at for some wisdom, Mahatma Gandhi. He was first a Hindu, mother Teresa, first a Catholic, Ellie Wiesel, first a Jew. But these people have major messages to humanity. But they were first rooted as something. I don't know anyone who was not rooted as something, who has a wisdom to give to the world. It was made clear to me when I studied Russian literature. And it was a very interesting thing, Dostoevsky, to the best of my knowledge, never let Russia. And all he wrote about are Russians. Now, why do people all over the earth want to read Dostoevsky? All he knew were Russians. Because he was rooted in the condition of his people, but had something universal to say. I'll give you a great example. The greatest, the father of child psychology is Jean Piaget. Jean Piaget learned everything that he knew about children from his children.

20:44I think that is a terrific metaphor for how the particular is essential, essential for growth. But if you stop with it, you are small. You didn't grow. What he said was, my I am first learning from my children. But there is something universal that I want to apply my own particular children wisdom to, namely the world's children. And he is read all over the world. He is the father, as I said, of child psychology. A lot of Jews have vent over backwards to be part of the world, but not given their children a particular identity. And it has not helped the children and it has not helped the world. On the other hand, many Jews who are Jewish ignore the world and go into religious ghettos, not wanting in any way to associate with the rest of the world. And they are, they have nothing to say to the world.

21:47And I don't even think they have much to say to fellow Jews. But that's what God's tension is here. That is why why didn't God say, why didn't God say when he meets Moses? Hello. I am the creator of heaven and earth. Was that not more impressive than your father's God? You created heaven and earth. That's pretty good. No, that's not enough. Of course God is creator of heaven and earth. That's Aristotle's God though. Aristotle believed in a God, but that God was not a personal God. That God was in Aristotle's phrase, the unmoved mover. I moved the world, but then I'm not moved any longer. I have no relationship to any of you particularly. I'm the God of the universe, but not of the particular. God of Judaism is the God of the universe and of the particular. And now it goes from the most particular to the most universal beginning with God's introduction.

22:50I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Now here's an interesting rabbinic idea on the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob. Wouldn't it have been a lot simpler for God to say I am the God of your father and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Why God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, it strikes right? It's a good question the rabbis ask and they have a beautiful answer. It's the same God, but every one of us relates differently to God. So that Abraham's God is a little different than Isaac's, who's a little different from Jacob's. And so while we all believe in one God, we all hear God a little differently. Not morally, that's supposed to be, you know, you can't hear well what God told me that murder is all right. Now that's different, but in your relationship, it is different. Every one of you who relates to God relates differently than everybody else.

23:54By the way, it's not a, it's not different in a certain way from children and a parent if they actually love the parent. It's the same parent, but the relationships are different. And that's, if it's true in human terms, it's certainly true vis-a-vis a God. Okay, there's another reason I theorize why God did not introduce himself as God, the creator of heaven and earth. Because if that would have been the identification that God gave to Moses to bring to the Jews, it wouldn't have meant anything. First of all, the Jews were not that theologically developed at the time. The God of our ancestors is much more powerful to somewhat primitive group of slaves in Egypt than the creator of the heavens in the earth. Secondly, it's not relevant to what's going to happen now. God is revealing himself to Moses to get the Jews out of Egypt, so the creation of heaven and earth is not particularly relevant.

24:58It's almost as if God would say, I am the God of the, I am the God of creator of heaven and earth to which most say wonderful. That's really great to know you have a nice day. Because it wouldn't have mattered. What matters now is God the particular, because there is a particular reason God is revealing himself to Moses, not to tell him that there's a God of created the heavens and earth, but to say, I'm the God of the Jews and I didn't forget what I promised I would do and that is to take them out of Egypt. Moses hit his face because he was afraid to look upon God. Clearly none of us could understand this. God in Judaism is invisible in any event. It's just that it's too awe-inspiring what was happening. You just don't look when something like that happens. I think you can relate to that. It's just, you know, you're putting it on the cup of the, oh, let me, oh God, really? It doesn't, it makes sense that he would, he would hide his face.

25:58Interesting though, that it doesn't say he hit his eyes, that he hit his face. I don't know what that means, but when you think about it, I guess perhaps because he went like this. I guess you don't, usually you don't go like that, kids do that. I guess that's the reason. Number seven. And God said, God is continuing to speak. I have seen, I have seen well, the Hebrew doubles the verb. I have really seen the, the suffering of my people. He keeps calling by the way the Jews by people. It's a very touching, touching phrase that God keeps using here. My people, my people, my people. I'm involved with them. It's my people. It's a loving phrase. That is in Egypt. And I have heard their, their, their screams. The Hebrew is the most powerful word for an outcry. It's a, a, a, it's, it's, it's scream is I guess the best English that we have that comes to it.

27:03I have heard their screams because of their, their taskmasters, their oppressors. And I, I, I, I know their sufferings or what, what is hurting them. K, my whole, what is causing them to be hurt? Notice that God uses two verbs here for his relationship to the Jews suffering. I saw the, the, the torture of my people, the suffering of my people. And I heard their screams. I saw and I heard. It's obviously answered for morphic because God doesn't see in here the way we understand it. But it's interesting that God felt it necessary to say both words. The two way, the two most direct ways we get communication are the ear and the eye. Judaism trusts the ear more than it trusts the eye. But when it comes to suffering,

28:03the sight is sometimes more effective. One picture of, of, of, of, of, of, of the Holocaust may remain with you more than 10 tales told to you by ear. Both are important in understanding suffering. I wish in some ways it weren't true that people could relate to suffering orally as much as they do visually. That's not really the human, the way we're made. Because if it were the case, there would be a lot more uproar for example in the world over Tibet, over what the Chinese did in Tibet. But because there were no cameras or videos to record it, there isn't, there isn't the outcry that it would normally elicit. That's why I don't rely on television incidentally to get my understanding of the world. Because it's limited by what video cameras can video. And much of the evil of the world is not videoable. I have, I will come down to rescue it that is the people.

29:10Again, I'm trying to translate literally from the hand of Egypt and to bring it up from that land to a good and large world. Large or wide land, a land flowing in milk and honey. To the land of the Kna'ni, the Hittite, the Emirate, the Parazite, the Khe'vite and the Jebou sites. With regard to milk and honey, since it's not what you think it is, let me read to you from Sarna. Milk in the Bible is generally from the goat. The Little Man's cow. A plentiful supply presupposes on abundance of goats, which in turn points to ample pasture ridge and the prospect of much meat, hide and wool. Now you never would have known that or I never did without Sarna telling me that.

30:14I always wondered what's the big deal of milk and honey. But now now you understand what the ancient mind thought on milk. Milk means goats, goats means pasture ridge and meat, hide and wool. That's my kind of place. That is what milk meant. Honey in the Bible, Dvash, is predominantly the thick, sweet syrup produced from dates. Again, something you would never have known. You'd probably, all of us would have thought there are a lot of bees in Israel, you know, with busy hives, which so what? It's not also necessarily something that would have been critical. The combination of milk and honey provides a highly nutritious diet. Milk widely regarded in the ancient world as a source of vitality is rich in protein. The dried date is rich in carbohydrates.

31:14Then Syra declared milk and honey to be among the chief necessities of human life in the ancient world. Some Arab tribes are known to subsist for months at a time solely on milk and honey. Now you understand why it meant the great deal and it doesn't mean milk and honey as we understand it. You know, because when you think about it, Israel is not a big dairy producer. And yet that's what we would think with milk, a lot of cows, with people with, you know, pushing others, squeezing others, you know, push others. The very interesting thing here is with the seven nations that are described as living in Kenan, Kenan, which is, becomes Israel. Why do you think they are listed? I don't have a complete answer, but I think the answer is to suggest that that land has never in history been identified with any one people.

32:22You identify France with the French, Burma with the Burmese, Japan with the Japanese, but Kenan is never identified with one people except the Jews. And that's the reason I am convinced the Torah lists seven nations living in there. A lot of different peoples all through history have lived there, but only one has identified it with his national identity and that was the Jew. This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. One seemingly harmless instruction to an advanced AI sets off a chain of events. No one saw coming. It's a fast paced thriller, but what makes it especially compelling is how believable it feels.

33:30And how easily something like this could become a real world concern. The price goes up after release. Go to Amazon and search for carbon zero by Craig W. Stanfill and take advantage of the 299 pre-order offer price before it's gone for good. Carbon zero by Craig W. Stanfill. Now back to more of Dennis Preggers, Timeless Wisdom. There have only been three sovereign states in all of human recorded history in what is known as Palestine or Kenan or Israel, the first Jewish republic or Commonwealth, the second Jewish Commonwealth and the modern state of Israel. And I am not a hawk on territory, so I'm not here to make this is not a political point. It is a historical point about why all of them were listed. It's not a land that we're going to kick out the Japanese from Japan to make room for you.

34:34It's a hodgepodge now and I wanted identified as it were God is saying with one people and it is my people who will come in there. You can raise all sorts of moral problems when we get into numbers about the conquering of Kenan, but now not the time. Verse 9 and now, by the way, verse 9 is one of those puzzles that happens every so often. I have no answer. I have no explanation for because verse 9 simply duplicates what you had in verse 7 and nobody explains that I have seen and even I couldn't come up not even and I also couldn't come up with a little arrogant and I too couldn't come up with any explanation for why it is simply repeated. And now here is the cry of the children of Israel coming to me and I have also seen the the oppression which the with which the the which Egypt oppresses them.

35:41It's simply a repeat and effect of verse 9 and again it's I heard the screen and I saw the oppression. So now, verse 10, I will send you to Pharaoh and you will take my nation Israel out of Egypt. And you have that, this is one of those moments where I wish we could go back in time. Moses is a happy shepherd living in Midyan on the Sinai Peninsula and all of a sudden out of nowhere in a burning bush he's told he's going to go back to Pharaoh and take the Jews out of Egypt. I mean, can you it's not even imaginable I can't even think right now of a parallel in any of your lives. But you know, maybe God will appear to you tonight and tell you you will solve all of America's problems.

36:43Right, you know, you thought you had a bed today. This is this is I mean, it is so overwhelming the news that comes to him. At any rate, maybe that's why maybe I'll answer my question that I said was a puzzle, maybe that's why it just occurs to me psychologically why God had to repeat the suffering of the Jews. To make the case so much more powerful about why you have to help me get them out or you have to help them get them out, however you wish to look at it. You understand it's so terrible. It's so terrible. It's so terrible and he's going yeah, yeah, yeah, and now God ups the killer and you're going to take him out. You're going to go to Pharaoh and take him out just as it's like to remind Moses you have it good here, but they're having it horribly there. You have to take them out. So I will send you to Pharaoh. Now the first thing in Moses's mind I am sure when he hears I'm going to send you to Pharaoh is I'm dead.

37:49Is that not right? That's fast to be the first reaction. I'm dead. I ran away from Pharaoh because he wanted to kill me and now I'm told go back to Pharaoh. That's the first thing it said. So that's I'm sure his first reaction. Now he said it says you will take my people out of Egypt. Now you will notice however it does not say something else about what Moses will do. What had God just said to Moses? Please look and this is where you know you're 403Ding finally opens your eyes to this. Verse 8, 2 verses before I'm going to go and take them out of Egypt and what does God say and do what with them? Take them into cannot, right? Okay.

38:50Into a good land of milk and honey doesn't say actually it's as canonite and others. Doesn't say that to Moses. You will take them out of Egypt period. They will go into the promised land but you won't God doesn't say that. And I don't even believe that Moses picked up on it. I know. It's right. It's not. And the reason is because. A, we never hear what we don't want to hear. Unless it's spelled out so clearly that we have no choice but to confront it. But B, because it doesn't seem to be necessary to state. And I'm going to go down and save them and take them into a land of milk and honey and you.

39:51And I'm sending you to Pharaoh to take them out of Egypt and in his mind and take them into Israel. And I'm sending you to the right. That would be the logical ending of the phrase in Moses's mind. I am sure of it that that is what he believed. And if you to asked him. Hey, you met God. What did he say to you? Well, like a typical man. He probably would have said nothing. That's what have been a problem. Can you imagine that at Moses, you know, was a typical guy. So big deal. Take Jews out of Egypt. But if you would have somehow forced him to elaborate, I am sure he would have said. God wants me to go to Pharaoh and take the Jews out of Egypt and get them into the land of Canaanites. But that's not what I said, which means therefore. And this is a very interesting thing because it's we're going to have to square this with later.

40:51Is it because God knows that Moses will do something later that will render him unfit to take the Jews to Israel? And you all know, most of you know, and a guy's punished for getting hit the rock. I don't believe that for a minute, but that's much later on. But whatever it is, we all believe that it was taken away from Moses. What was what was scheduled to be. But here it's not scheduled to be. Which I believe is deliberate because I don't think from the outset God wanted Moses to take the Jews into Israel. Because of the fear, the absolutely correct fear that God would have, that the Jews would then worship Moses and not God. Which is why I believe in general, even before this reading this, that that was the reason he was not allowed into Israel. Because it's very easy to worship a human or at least to worship where they're buried or what have you.

41:55So this, in a sense, we have hinted already to the reader more than to Moses that he's not going to get into Israel. Yes, it could be written after the fact, of course, that's correct. And indeed, in essence, it is even even to those who believe God dictates every word to Moses. That's correct. That is one way of looking at it. I choose though to read the Torah as if this is what's happening when it's happening. You understand? That's a very correct statement. But I like to read it in the order it's put. And to live the story not well, but it was given later and they changed the meaning to this and so on. But you're absolutely right. Can you imagine God dictating this? Which is the traditional Jewish view as God dictates the five books of Moses, except for the last, I think it's 17 or whatever, verses to Moses or the last, and they're less than 17. I don't remember the number.

42:56And you remember the number? Okay. You know, the deraise your hand please. No, it's just a threatening. He's the fellow who told me about the angel who made an e-fire. And then can you imagine if it said, and you will take them into Israel, how could Moses write those words that be too painful? So what's the matter? You can't let me in. You promised me at the bush that you would. So that's a possibility. Verse 11. Moses is first objectioned. This is a series of objections to God's very interesting invitation to Moses. And so Moses says to God, who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should take the children of Israel out of Egypt? This is impressive.

43:58The obvious reason it's impressive is there's a statement of humility here. Remember, I spoke to you last week about leadership and the best leaders are those who don't seek it. But who are drafted? Is it where or happy with their lives? They're not aching for fame, etc. That's one obvious reason. Why? It's impressive. His response. Who am I to do all to go to Pharaoh and to take Israel out of Egypt? What though would it be the most to make it more impressive though? Imagine your Moses and you're not so impressive. You're a normal person. Watch your first reaction. And I, in a sense, told you already, what's your first reaction when you're told go to Pharaoh? No, he says why me. I'll get killed. The most natural human reaction would be, what if somebody said to you, go back into Nazi Germany, you're a Jew and meet with Hitler?

45:02Your first reaction is, I'll get killed. Right? That is the most logical. That is, that makes Moses that much more impressive. He truly doesn't, he truly isn't self preoccupied in the way most of us would be. It's remarkable which all the stories show. He cared about, remember? He cared about the Jew being beaten. He cared about the Jews fighting. He cared about the non-Jewish women at the well. He cares about others so much that his, even his instinct isn't, it would have been totally okay in the Torah if he would have now said, Ah, the Pharaoh, Yeharrogoti and Pharaoh will kill me. Give me, you know, can I have some reassurance that that won't happen? No. Who am I to have such a task? That's why his, that's to me why it's even more impressive, his response. He also asks God, is he the right person and for two reasons he says he may not be the right one. Right? There's two objections in the first objection.

46:09One or at least questions. Who am I to go to Pharaoh? That's number one. And who am I to take the Jews out of Egypt? You with me? Those are two separate questions he's asking God. I'm going to talk to the king of Egypt. I'm going to take the Jews out of, out of Egypt. Either one is incredible. So he asks about both because both strike him as incredible that he would be asked to do both. Verse 12 and God said, remember, let me, who am I? Right? Who am I that this, that to do one incredible thing? Who might have to do the other incredible thing? And God says, because I will be with you, it is a very complex verse, verse 12. And this will be your sign that I have that is I who has sent you.

47:15When you take the nation, the people out of Egypt, you will serve God, you will worship God on this mountain. I'm literally translating. Part two looks like a total non-sequitor with regard to part one. Let's, the whole thing is slightly a non-sequitor. Who am I? Remember the questions because then only then we try to understand the answer. Who am I to talk to Pharaoh taking the Jews out of Egypt? God's answer because I will be with you. Notice there isn't a word by God answering his question about who he is. You would think because I think you're the best man for the job. That would be a direct answer to most questions. Who am I? You're a great guy. I mean, that would be a logical thing.

48:15Or I chose you from the womb. I don't know. Anything like, you know, some spiritual answer because I like the way you dealt with the Egyptian. I like your wife. I mean, anything about Moses would have made sense. Nothing about Moses. And that is critical here for the essence of Judaism. While he tells him you'll take them out. If the fact is I'm taking them out. You are my vehicle. That's what his answer is. Who are you? The truth is nobody. That's what in it. Without insulting Moses. This is God's answer. Who are you? I'm with you. That's who you are. You got the answer now. Is the great answer. Isn't it God very shocked? You have to hand it to God. I want to tell you when it comes to answers. God is number one. So that is what God is saying. I you forget who you are. It's it. If the question is irrelevant.

49:22I'm with you. That's how you're going to take them out. That's how you're going to talk the fellow with God's with you. You can do anything you want. So that is God's answer to who you are. I'm with you. Now, now write it down because I don't want you to forget it. Now, this will this is for you a sign that I have sent you. Now, this is very complex. What is the this? What's the sign that I have sent you that I God has sent you? There are two possibilities. This is the part that took me a very long time. Usually I have two lines of notes for any given verse. I have most of the page for this verse because I write in very succinct form. This is for me after all. This is not for others to read. One possibility of what the sign is is that it's the burning bush. God is talking out of the burning bush. That's why this makes sense. This burning bush that isn't being consumed is assigned to you that God is with you.

50:36I get it, which you can't tell from the sentence necessarily. This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. Every day there's another headline about artificial intelligence. It's moving faster than most of us imagined raising an important question. Where's all this headed? That's why I think you're going to love carbon zero. Carbon zero, the latest novel from AI pioneer Craig W. Stanfill who understands both AI's incredible potential and the very real risks. I got an advanced copy. Honestly, I cannot put this down. I love this book in the story. One seemingly harmless instruction to an advanced AI sets off a chain of events. No one saw coming. It's a fast paced thriller. But what makes it especially compelling is how believable it feels and how easily something like this could become a real world concern. Carbon zero releases September 19th. So now's the time to preorder for a limited time. The Kindle edition is just $299. But the price goes up after release. Go to Amazon and search for carbon zero by Craig W. Stanfill and take advantage of the $299 preorder offer price before it's gone for good. Carbon zero by Craig W. Stanfill.

51:49Now back to more of Dennis Freggers, Timeless Wisdom. The other possibility though is Moses is being able to take the Jews out of Egypt, being able to negotiate with Tharo and to bring the Jews right back to this mountain to worship God. This is much more complex and the more and more I thought of it, the more I believe that this might be the the explanation, which is not one that I normally have seen or I don't think I've seen it all. Again, there were two possibilities. This is the sign that I am with you sign number one, the burning bush sign number two. That you will take the Jews out of Egypt and bring them here right where you are now at this mountain and they'll worship me.

52:50Now there's something wrong with sign two if my theory is there's a real challenge to my fear that the burning bushes the sign makes total sense right this is a divine sign to clear. Number two's problem is it hasn't happened yet. It's a very big you know I could just see Moses what a great sign you know you know it's not a sign after it happened. So let me read more of what I wrote if the first is correct. That is that the burning bush is the sign. Then the second part of the verse is telling Moses what to do and what to tell Pharaoh to take the Jews out of Egypt and bring them here remember when he remember I never jumped ahead except when it's absolutely essential because I'd like to teach it in the time frame. It's in. But he always says to follow later let my people go so that they may go and worship God in the wilderness.

53:50Okay it's never just let my people go and I'll explain why I like when we get to it. So in a sense God is giving him a directive. This is your in only according to theory one the sentence reads as follows okay I'll read you the sentence how would be read. And God said because I will be with you. This burning bush and me talking to you will be the sign for you. Furthermore when you take the nation from Egypt you will serve God on this mountain. That is how verse the verse would read if the sign God refers to is the burning bush I'll repeat it. Again and God said because I will be with you. This burning bush and me talking to you will be the sign for you. Semi colon with me semi colon. Furthermore when you take the nation from Egypt you will serve God on this mountain. A perfectly plausible reading which is the only reading possible if the sign is the bush.

54:57But if it is the other if the sign is coming here taking Israel out of Egypt and worshipping at this mountain. Then the verse would read and God said because I will be with you and this will be the sign for you. Colin not semi colon colon when you take the nation from Egypt you will serve God on this mountain. You get it? And God said because I will be with you yes who am I because I will be with you and this will be the sign for you. When you take the mount when you take the nation from Egypt colon when you take the nation from Egypt you will serve God on this mountain. I believe that it is the second. Till an hour before this class I believe that was the first. Rattling my blame I felt and the final analysis I come down on the second reading.

56:02It is a direct response you will know that you were the man answering your question who am I. When you have taken the Jews out of Egypt and brought them to this mountain. That's how you that's truly when you will know that will be a sign for you that I am with you. Your task will have succeeded to hurt. Hurts has a colon too good. Listen this is very important because if this is correct and I certainly find number one plausible. I truly do I don't reject the possibility that number one is the thing is the explanation. But if it is number two it means that we do not know that God has been with us until after the fact.

57:04Even people who talk directly to God do not know for sure until after the divine purpose has been fulfilled. This is a very important point. And it relates to every one of you. How do you know if God has played or plays a role in your life? The truth is you only know afterwards. You don't know in advance. The only time you can ever really tell is after the fact. And it's true for Moses. How will Moses know that God is with burning bush, burning bush? What if he goes to Egypt and nothing happens? You'll know that I'm with you because you're going to be here worshiping with a free Jewish people at this spot. And isn't that the truth? Isn't that the absolute truth? That's only then will Moses know when the task is completed?

58:15And that's how any of us know about God in our lives. When we know afterwards, now it makes sense. How many of you have gone through things in life which made no sense or seemed horrific when it happened and turned out to be blessings? And if I had said to you, God is in this act. God is in this act. Give me a break. This is terrible. And then in the long run of things, certain things do make sense. Not for everybody. I already said, I don't know if God operates in everybody's life. We dealt with that, you know, the previous session. But even for those to whom God directly, directly reveals himself. They only know it once it's happened. It's faith until it happens. Even for Moses, a burning bush, a God talking to him to go to Egypt and try to get the Jews out is an act of faith. You won't know Moses until you're back here with the Jewish people at Sinai.

59:19You won't know for a fact until that happens. Until then it is partially revelation and partially faith. That is going to enable it to happen. That's why I believe in explanation number two. This is the sign that I am with you. You're going to be here with the Jewish people worshipping me at Sinai. And it's a tremendous lesson for all of us. That is the only way to know when God is with you. When you could see it, to know it, you believe it. You can believe it at any time in life. But you can only know it afterwards. And it may not even be in your lifetime that you'll know it. It may be obvious later. It may be obvious to your children. It may be obvious to to friends who outlive you. To those who touch history, it's usually only obvious afterwards. Did Lincoln really know what he had done? Did Washington really know?

1:00:24My ultimate statement is that's Jewish history. Jewish history is an act of faith. To be an identifying committed Jew is an act of faith. But we now have an after the fact we have 3,200 years of Jewish history. Since the Exodus. Looking back, do you see God in Jewish history? I do. Especially after the Jewish return, an incomparable act that has never happened in human history of a people wandering 2000 years of a people influencing the world. That is people totally despised. But it's one God idea takes over much of humanity. I see the God. I see God in Jewish history as plainly as Moses could see God in his life at Sinai later.

1:01:29But at any given moment in Jewish history, it seems that God is not around. That's why this I think is the real explanation. Because it's true or to life. Afterwards, you see that God's hand was in it, not during it. It's too difficult. The larger picture is not obvious. And that, as I say, is to me Jewish history. If I were you in the Holocaust, would I say that the Jew that God is in Jewish life? It would pretty clear that God wasn't doing much in Jewish life. It's only at an extremely larger picture that one looks at this whole Jewish scene and says, it's too incredible to have been solely man-made. And that's why I buy explanation number 2. Gotta put it down. Gotta put it down. Forgive me.

1:02:29The word for serve God in this verse, in verse 12, is the same verb as the verb for slavery. The Hebrew servant and the Hebrew slave, the Hebrew worship and the Hebrew serve and the Hebrew enslaved is the same word, la vote, even the same as to work. It has many, many meanings. The reason for that I suspect and God's choice of the same verb for what the Jews did to Pharaoh is what they'll do for God is because of the basic Jewish belief. That you either serve God or you serve man. And so, and I'm going to do, I'm going to elaborate on this when the Exodus takes place and the purpose of the Exodus. There's a purpose. God didn't slave the, God did not free every enslaved people.

1:03:32There's a bigger purpose than freedom and that is to worship God, to serve God. That's so that's why it says that you have to stop serving man, then you can serve God. You can't serve both at the same time. Verse 13. This is now objection number 2. After God's soliloquy about the sign and Moses said to God, here I come, it's so beautiful to hear. Here I come, basically, he may again. Here, here I come to the children of Israel and I tell them, the God of your fathers sent me to you and they're going to say to me, what's his name? What am I going to tell them? It might be my favorite sentence in the Bible.

1:04:38The humanity of it, it is all, it is, and the, the, the, the total humanist of it, and he's talking to God. You know, who shall I say call? Right? Is that not it? I mean, that is exactly what he said. You know, let's, great idea. I'm taking the Jews out of Egypt as a winner. I like your idea of miraculous signs. But who exactly shall I say I'm representing? That is exactly what he does. It's so beautiful. It's so real. You know, it's like, okay, okay, enough with the theology and the morality. What's your name? Before we go any further, it's important to know that. It's just, it's so priceless. It's like, this is the way I put it. His first objection is, who am I? His second objection is who are you? That's how I, that's how I label them. No, who the hell are you?

1:05:40You know, I know you're God and all this, but I would like to know you better. Now, this is a remarkable question. What's your name to God? First of all, it implies that the Jews didn't know God's name. What name shall I use implies that they don't have a name? That all they know is that I have an ancestral God. Otherwise, he would know what name, right? Rush bomb, however, a medieval Jewish. It's redundant to add orthodox Jewish commentator when so far as to say it implies Moses didn't even know God's name. That's how far they had strayed from the faith. Because it might have been simply too difficult for Moses to say, I don't know your name. So he puts it as a problem. You know what? Who do that all the time? Parents do that and speeches that I give. They go, Mr. Prager, what should I answer to my kid when they ask?

1:06:42And in every instance that a parent has asked that question to me when I have said, well, I'm just curious, how do you answer that question for you? It's me. Parents always do that. How do I explain to my kid that bad people prosper and good people suffer? Did you have an answer for you? No. So I said, let's be honest, the problem is you, not your kid. We often will do that. It's like I get on my show a lot of times. You know, Dennis, my friend has this problem. The friend is them. But people don't want to acknowledge it. Rush bomb in effect is saying that he doesn't even know God's name. Well, he was raised in his Egyptian, though obviously knew from his mother and sister that he was a Jew, but who knows how much theology he got and how much as I say, the whole problem is that there was an abandon a gradual abandoning of faith. So what, what, what is your name? What should I tell them is your name? Now, Plough suggests should have put the page down.

1:07:46That here, that there was a problem with Moses's own faith. And I read it to you because it is important for you to hear others views, but I don't happen to have that one. Well, sorry. Thank you. No, no, I don't know the ages, but he's a, he's somewhat of a young man here. That's the, that's the implication, but I don't know how accurate that is. It might have been many years because it does say after many years earlier. It's a good question. I don't know if it's knowable. Well, he wasn't a young man. That's clear. He was a young 80. Yes. Right. Who knows? Okay. Let me see. No, what did you say 403? Oh, yeah. Here is, here is the way. This is what Plough says. The series of objections that Moses raises before he accepts the mission reveals a man who not only feels unworthy of the task, but also has doubts about the efficacy of the mission itself.

1:08:54That's an interesting reading of it. Some may read that into it. Some may not. Although Moses has been categorically told that Israel would listen to his message. He demurs and says, this is will come to it. What if they do not believe me and do not listen to me in contrast to Abraham, who never questioned his being singled out by God and never sought to learn his essence by asking for God's name. Moses is frankly doubtful. Like a Jeremiah later on, he resists the divine call and not long thereafter regrets that he ever agreed to go. Rashi, therefore described Moses as one who had little faith. I think that's an over reading of Rashi and the Talmud considered his response to God to have been a reason for not being allowed to enter the promised land. I don't buy any of that, but I want you to understand the way people interpret it. Just different interpretations than mine. I do not regard what Moses is doing as a lack of faith. I think the question about what is your name strikes me as an honest question. I want to understand your essence. I'm putting my life in your hands. I like to know more about you. I don't that's not a lack of faith in my opinion and at all.

1:10:13And it's also a good it's a good tactic. Who am I going to say sent me? He knows who we came from that these Jews of by and large, you know, pagans who believe in a good idea of their ancestors. It's a very, it's a very fair question to say who am I to go? It's not a statement that doubt either. It's an honest statement. Who am I? I don't speak that well. I can get killed there. I don't think I'm worthy of paying. You know, being your adversary to take them out. And yet others read it this way. And he writes, Russia's assessment is too simple. Resistance of the prophet to the divine demand is a complex fabric woven of faith and doubt, anxiety and a sense of unworthiness. The Bible does not depict its heroes as cardboard saints who answer the divine challenge without question. Abraham's apparent readiness to sacrifice his son is not necessarily an exception. He had evidently by this time reached a firm and unshakable faith. Moses at the bush is at the beginning of his knowledge of God. It's an important point. And while he is struck with awe and even fear, he remains also very much himself and preserves his right to refuse initially and then to doubt and question.

1:11:29He never loses this independence even long after he becomes the intimate of his God, which is to me a great credit of the Torah that it depicts it that way. The freedom that Abraham felt to challenge God, you recall, over Sedone. The freedom that Moses feels here is not common at all. I think in fact, it's unique in in monotheistic holy literature. A people being talked to by God and answered totally really not I hear you I submit to you. But rather wait a minute, I want to understand you better in that sense with all that is spoken about the Jews not emphasizing intimacy with God. It's a very intimate relationship with God. When Jews question God or yellow God, that's more intimate. With the very important proviso that I am a member of one religion, not other religions, and that therefore I have an inherent bias and with the important proviso of great respect for the insights of other religions, I will tell you a story having made that introductory statement.

1:12:49A very quick one, a woman once called me years ago on my radio show and she said, Dennis, I'm a Muslim. Could you tell me please while you're not a Muslim. And I was very, very complimented by the fact that she would ask so she knew I took Islam seriously enough to give a serious answer and that she felt free enough to talk to me like that. And I said, look, I believed in this religion and I'm sure that I have not immersed my sense of faith. I've immersed myself as a member of your religion, but I'll tell you one reason very quickly. The name of your religion in your religions language and the name of my religion or people in my religions language give the answer. The key word in your religion is Islam, the identity in my religion, if not key word is Israel. They mean something. Islam means submission to God and Israel means fight with God. And I rather fight with God than submit than surrender to God.

1:13:52Obviously, there's a submission element, obviously, nevertheless, you see from the way Moses reacts, it is par for Judaism to talk back to God. Respectfully, that is God after all. But, but you know, you don't blink. You don't blink when you read in the Torah that the greatest Jew who ever lived says to God, what's your name? All you want to know is what's the answer, right? You don't sit there. Why can't believe he asked that? No, what you say is God, I'm dying and know what God answers. And I will tell you because it is very important what God answers. You see, thus far it's God, the God of the of the patriarchs to Moses, that's not enough. God needs a name. Apparently going to the Jews and saying that God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob isn't enough. You with me? The God needs a name.

1:15:03So, we are at verse, yes, that's right. What's his name and so on? What shall I say to them? And now the most sublime, I think the most sublime verse in the Torah. And God said to Moses, which means one of four things. And they're all related, but there is no way to know which of the four is correct. There is no way to know. Okay. All four are equally possible. I will be what I will be or I am what I am or I will be who I will be or I am who I am. In other words, there are two possibilities. Either it's what or who and they're not the same. They're related, but they're not the same. And it could be present or future.

1:16:04You know, you may ask why is that? There's a difference between I am who I am and I will be who I will be. There is an English, but there isn't in Hebrew because there are many languages and I only realize this when I studied Russian that do not have a present tense for the verb to be. They have a past and a future. So that in Hebrew and Russian and Arabic, if you want to say, I am a waiter, you say, I waiter. And it's obvious. You don't need am when you think about it. It really is pointless. Okay. And so you have the verb to be is only future and past this is the future of the verb to be. Therefore, can be either I am what I am or I will be what I will be or I am who I am or I am who I will be now the question is in any of those events, but what what exactly does it mean?

1:17:08The answer. The answer here is the answer that God gives is the essence of God. God's name is Jehovah. God's proper name, as you probably know, it's not said in Hebrew. Where instead of J is a Y sound, a Y sound, it's just not pronounced by Jewish tradition, it's too holy. What does Jehovah mean? It only means being for will be or will be will be being so to speak. In effect, God's name is is not short for is he or is a door, but is is essentially God is.

1:18:12The answer is so profound that it can't be used again, except for the next verse verse 14, nowhere in the Torah is God ever referred to again as a he will be or am never. It's the only time in the time of the Torah in the whole Hebrew Bible. It's the only time that the name God gives to Moses is ever used and the reason is it's much too abstract for most people today let alone slaves in Egypt. I am convinced therefore that this answer that God gives to Moses is for Moses is sake and for hours. Because you wanted to know the answer to what's your name right you the reader today 1995, 2,095, 3,095 or 95 people wanted to know what is what is God's name because in name gives essence, especially in the Torah and I named him Isaac because laughter and is it's Huck and I named him.

1:19:27I was a stranger there name is essence I told you the story that when we named our fish we got attached to them when we didn't name our fish the attachment was much less. So if you keep fish don't give them names because they tend to die on you. And name and conversely in the concentration camps they took Jews names away and gave them numbers. Your essence was taken away from you your humanity was removed that's why we could treat you as they were treated you are a number. Name is very important that's why he asks that he doesn't ask a modern philosophical person meeting God at a burning bush would say what is your essence. That is what the question what is your name in in Torah talk is what is your essence and this answer is for Moses and the rest of us clearly not for the Jews in Egypt it's never used again as I keep telling you. I am what I am I cannot be explained Moses.

1:20:31All I can say to you to be honest about me is that I am and that I appear in different ways at different times and that I my manifest myself differently in different ways and that's why I will be what I will be and I am what I am and I am who I am and will be who I will be. But I am and in essence ladies and gentlemen I am I am enamored of this verse because I want a deeper answer than the God of my forefathers. The God of my forefathers doesn't turn this Jew on nearly as much as this to each is own I told you we all respond in different ways that's the beauty of this response to some the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob is just enough. Oh, is that great it's the family it's the tribes God I'm into this God to me I want something that gives me something more universal and deeper.

1:21:33I am and folks to me that's all I want to know I don't want to know more about God than God is because anything else that you tell me about God in essence and foromorphicizes God it makes God human like what are you going to tell me that God is good that's good to know sure. It's good to know those so that I'll I'll know that it's important to be good because I want to be God like but but in essence the only knowable thing of the human mind about God is that God is. And so that's it and that God is in being now there are those who will take from this an idea that God is continually evolving. I personally don't buy that I think that God doesn't give out because God is fully formed but I'm just saying how others might want to interpret it the truth of the matter is that for most of us isn't it enough to know that God is. I mean isn't that alone comforting there it means right it means a lot certainly for most of us moderns that's really all we care about you know if God is I want to know that God is good thank you.

1:22:43That is important to me and helpful to me and that is more or less enough and so God says and this is our final. Our final verse for today and God continued because this is I used to do a routine on this. You know on on 14. Now you know we're finishing 14 that's right because we didn't we did the first part is I am I am who I am and I when I used to do this with college kids I would you know tell me and Moses is waiting there at the bush and he asks the ultimate question he wants to know God. Who are you and God says I am who I am. And Moses is not one bit richer for having asked the question give you an example if somebody knocked at your door and you said who's there and they said I am who I am you would still not know who's there.

1:23:50Is that not correct. So in a sense Moses is not left with a great deal of knowledge after that answer I mean I have given you a whole philosophical spiel on what I am who I am is but for all we know this wasn't terribly informative to Moses. Oh that's wonderful thank you you are who you are appreciate that. And that is why that is why in 15 you'll see God realizes this is not going to work but let me finish 14. So you go and tell the Israelites will be sent me to you or is sent me to you am actually tell him am sent you. Now can you imagine the guy doesn't want to go anyway. And now he gets this from God you know tell him and sent you.

1:24:53That is why you notice there is no at this point no dialogue the next person or the next being to speak is God. God knows exactly what's going on in Moses's mind and that is why since this is never mentioned again in the Bible. I am totally convinced this answer was given for later sophisticated readers or for Moses if he was sophisticated enough at the time. Because it is never referred to again it's incredible. I mean the most important question ever asked of God who are you the answer is given and never referred to again in the Bible. And it's almost as if God said are you really want to know I am what I am it's not going to work I know that no one's going to understand it so let's return to work. And sure enough verse 15 and God continue to speak it's what it has continued to it almost never has something like that it's like.

1:25:55I know that's not working okay Moses you know you're flipping out it's bad enough you have to show up in Egypt now tell him am sent you I understand so God continues and says to Moses. This is how you will speak to Israel. Jehovah the God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob sent me to you that's my name forever and that is how I will be remembered from generation to generation. It won't work to tell them who I really am you've got to give them a a pronoun Yahweh Jehovah that they'll relate to and especially tribalize it. So ladies and gentlemen I conclude by telling you for the Jews then a tribal identity was absolutely necessary our God our ancestors God but at the moment of divine revelation of self the likes of which we never have again in the Bible of God describing himself.

1:27:10He used the most sublime phrase that we could ever imagine I am and I am what I am and there is in essence no way you humans can no more about me but because that won't work tell them Jehovah the God of their fathers sent you. And that's where we got due today. Okay thank you. You want to you have a couple of questions here and then. Well well let's take five minutes so a few folks could stay anybody can I know some people have to leave will just do five minutes of questions and then next week take more yes. Ian's a great idiot out of dictated could the he saw what you all the decisions you find out the Guards and Nic Words it could quite an un Yoshitu or just genes died when he knows my words are not actually Lot of people get out of the record I guess I agree with the total I was left we're sure wasn't years ago I guess the

1:28:19asked the question, etc. Yes. I'm from a spectacular Jewish upbringing. That's why I'm not using this question when you were talking about the purposes that she comes from a secular Jewish upbringing. That's why she asked this question. Yes. When you were talking about God is in this act and how do I know of God has acted in my life? Yes. I've partially explained it. I'm looking for what am I looking back on and saying, oh, that was God. I mean, it's not goodness and it's not beauty. We're talking about that. That's more fun thing. So it's just, it's a feeling. It felt spiritual. It held big. I see what you're asking. And that's why you prefaced it with you come from a secular background. No, I'm going to give you an intellectual not a feeling answer. At least intellectual in a sense that I'm going to feel for your intellect and that it's not solely feelings based. Though there is an element of that. I believe that there were a couple of times in my life where God acted. There was in retrospect,

1:29:21there was no way for me to know it at that time. Seeing what those events led to and I don't mean that it became a great day for me. Okay, as a result of, you know, that I went to Encino one day in my life bought a lottery ticket and it turned out to win me $2 million. And if you know, God sent me to Encino, that's not what I'm thinking of. I'm thinking of things that had a deep ramification for others as well as for me. And only it only in retrospect. I'll give you an example. Okay, and again, it's faith. It could be total coincidence. I did a lot for Soviet jewelry when I was young. I'll real lot. I was one of the handful of people who really did a lot for Soviet jewelry. It's not a brag. It's a fact. Nobody cares today anyway. And thank God they don't because they're basically free. Why did I take Russian in college? There was no reason in the world. I have no relative who speaks

1:30:23it. It was as weird a thing as my family could not understand. Why is Dennis taking Russian? Right? If I had not taken Russian, I would not have been sent to Russia, which I was, by the Israeli government who would send Jews from outside of Israel to do to bring materials in an out and so on. And that enabled me to do a great deal. It could be totally coincidental. I'm just saying that's an example. And it wasn't for me. It's why I'm using it as an example. I don't know. I can't prove that God did that. You all have or many have a way of looking at certain things that at the time seemed inconsequential or even negative and then had a very deep impact. That is what I mean. And even then it's a matter of faith. Listen, it's a matter of faith. Moses could have said it's not a lot of Jews. The Jews who got to sign, I didn't say God took us out. They worshiped a cow. Right?

1:31:27Yes. Last one. We just brought back and Lauren said being recorded, talking about running food. You know, doing good ones. Yes. Maybe it's possible to be the first to point is what it says, who am I? The first time I was in the instant, she denied it. I might also God knows he could find and maybe Carol kill me. Go got to answer. I don't know that there are two signs. Yeah, here's the sign in the book. Right? Right. That's going to be because what's the point? I am. Then when you take the people out, I really know we miss all right? The problem is he's saying that both are signs. The burning bush and the and you're coming here with the free Jewish people worshiping me at Sinai. The problem with that and it doesn't negate it. The only is that it's in the singular.

1:32:28You would think it would be and these are your signs rather it said and this is your sign. That's my only problem with your explanation. You're a guy who loves, you know, to bring opposing viewpoints together and it's a beautiful trait and you may be right. But the problem I had is a grammatical one. Thank you. See you next week. I'm tomorrow's Sunday fireside chat. People are taught to mock religion and the teaching has worked. That is one's immediate instinct. You know, I remember years ago, it's funny that this is coming back. I don't think I've raised this in 20 years. About 20 years ago, I remember asking on my radio show, what would you rather be caught by colleagues? Let's say you're on the plane and colleagues, people at your workplace by coincidence are passing you as you're sitting, you know, at a let's say an aisle seat near

1:33:31the front. Would you rather be caught reading playboy or the holy Bible? Which would embarrass you more? That's really what I was asking. The very fact that the question is legit gives you, gives you an idea of to what extent people find the Bible worthy only of mockery and embarrassment. Join us tomorrow to hear more untimeless wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit Dennis Prager.com for thousands of hours of Dennis' lectures, courses in classic radio programs and to purchase Dennis Prager's rational Bibles. We want to take just a second to thank the team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on the podcast. Go to LifeAudio.com to find dozens of other Faith Center podcasts and their network, including shows about prayer, Bible

1:34:33study, parody, and more. Rising interest rates, stock volatility out of control inflation. People are concerned about what the future holds financially. This is Dennis Prager for Amphed, Coin, and Bullion. There's no better time in the present to move a portion of your IRA into precious metals. You should know there's a right and a wrong way to set up your precious metals IRA. Mistakes could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in IRS fines. Call Amphed, Coin and Bullion 800 221 7694 AmericanFederal.com. It's AmericanFederal.com