CyberTorah

Compassion fatigue is real. It happens when we are too busy, too upset, kept at a pitch of stress and frustration for too long. The symptoms include shortness of temper, lack of empathy, and a quickness to push people away. When we are in such a state, we revert to a deep and problematic tribalism in which those people who agree with us are friends, and those who disagree with us are enemies.

Moses, whom God chose because he is a compassionate shepherd, creates such a situation. His sense of duty causes him to believe that he and only he could help the people. He was adjudicating everything, from the most complex property and relationship issues, to the most minor, working from morning to evening.

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, sees the symptoms in Moses as soon as arrived from Midian. Jethro had heard of all the great miracles of the Exodus story and was bringing Moses’ wife and children with him. When he arrives at the Israelite camp, Moses immediately sets up a respectful and dignified greeting for his father in law .

As my dear friend Rabbi Charles Savenor points out, Jethro saw a missing hug. Instead of hugging and kissing his wife and children, instead of welcoming Jethro who had taught him so much of love and empathy with a genuine loving embrace, Moses went into official mode. He had lost his love and compassion. He could only be Moses, lawgiver and prophet, and had lost his capacity to be Moses, lover, father, and friend.

Jethro told him this behavior was ethically wrong. Perhaps Moses could continue a bit longer in this way through the habits of good leadership, but he was close to a point where he would be no better than Pharoah. Jethro reminds him: choose others to lead and judge. You are not alone. Remember that God is here with you. These miracles are about more than a moment of redemption. They are about a way of life that is infused with love. By admitting he needed help, by realizing that trusting others was necessary and good, Moses became worthy to bring the Ten Sayings (10 Commandments) to the Jewish people.

Many of us suffer from compassion fatigue. Perhaps work or home life has become so demanding that we fail to find the time  for to recharging our compassionate energy. Perhaps we read of things that create stress, leaving us in an agitated state which erodes our compassion.  Whatever the cause, there is a cure. We have to remember that we are part of a community that wants to do good. Others work alongside us to bring blessing into the world. And all the time, God stands behind us, encouraging us to find our own compassion. The more faith we have in other and God, the more we can find our own agency in healing the world.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David Booth

Please note there will not be CyberTorah next week.