This morning I drove to town to teach a class. I came back to my car to find the battery dead. So I opened the bonnet, attached the cables and waited for a Good Samaritan. An hour later I am still waiting. Hundreds of cars have driven by. Some of them even stood still for a while waiting for a traffic light. They looked over at me and quickly face forward again so I shouldn't notice that they've noticed. The drivers of the cars on either side came and drove away ignoring my pleas for help.
It's a very lonely, sad feeling to feel ignored. I felt that people didn't care and I didn't know how to respond to that.
The Jews in the dessert complained to Moshe numerous times wanting food, water, and safety. Each time Moshe turns to G-d and requests to be absolved of his position in caring for the Jewish people. Except in this week's parsha, Korach and a group of men come storming to Moshe looking to replace him as leader. How easy would it have been for Moshe to abdicate? To turn to G-d and resign. Finally there is someone to take his place! But in this instance Moshe actually replies and says: let's try to deal with this properly.
What was the difference between this complaint and the previous ones? Why does Moshe respond here as he does?
My experience this morning gave me some insight. When people are apathetic and only worried about their dinner, the situation seems hopeless. Such was my situation this morning. People didn't care and there was nothing I could do. When the Jews are only worried about food, even after experiencing true spirituality at Mount Sinai, Moshe is ready to give up. What is there to say or do?
But when they come to argue... Amazing! This is something Moshe feels equipped to deal with. There are real issues at hand and we can deal with them. All I needed this morning was for people to show they cared. Even if they couldn't help.
On a small scale I was able to understand Edmund Burke's comment, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
If we are to develop ourselves as people, or we are to bring about a better, more spiritual world we must first and foremost start to care. Engage with the issues. Look around and feel people's pain. Recognise and try to relate to difficulties and struggles in the world.
Apathy can lead to evil but with empathy we take the first step to making the world a better place.
