Shabbat Vaeyra

Hearing but not Listening

“And Moshe said, “If Israel will not hear me, how can I expect Pharaoh to?” (Exodus 6:12).

The word Shema, to hear or listen, recurs many times throughout the Torah. Just think of Shema Yisrael, which is understood to mean not only hearing words but also taking the message to heart.

In the opening chapters of Shemot, God listens to the cries of the slaves (3:7), which can also mean that God is hearing and proposing to act. The word Shema can mean to listen, to hear, as well as to understand and to act upon. How do we know which meaning is intended and when?

There is another issue. When God says to Moshe, “The Israelites will listen to you”, the texts include two words. Shema Le, to listen to or hear. And sometimes the text says Shema Be. To listen or hear in. They seem to mean the same, so what is the difference?

God says, “The Israelites will listen Lishmoa Lekol, to the sound of your voice” (Shemot 3.18). But then Moshes replies, “But what if they will not listen Lishmoa Bekol, in the sound of my voice (Shemot 4:1). There is a big difference between hearing words and taking them seriously. And Moshe realises this. In this week’s reading, “the Israelites could not hear Lekol Moses, because of their suffering as slaves (Shemot 6:9). They could hear, but perhaps they could not believe freedom was possible.

And then Moshe asks, “How can Pharaoh listen to me” (Shemot 6:12). He might hear my words, but will he understand or accept the message? How can we know to which of these types of listening the Torah is referring?

The letter lamed, which means “to”, can mean the distance between two points. The word Lekol indicates that the listener is distinct from the speaker, detached, not involved. It is the receiver who will determine whether or not to follow the speaker’s wishes. Whereas the word Bekol, which means “with” or “in”, indicates identification with the message. Taking the message to heart.

Another example is when Abraham speaks to his wife. Sometimes he listens to Lekola’s (Bereishit 16:2) voice but can’t identify with her. And sometimes, as when God commands him to listen to her, it is Bekola (Bereishit 21:12) when he does completely identify with his wife.

Later on, when the Children of Israel cross the Red Sea (Shemot 14:31) it says “Vaya’aminu BaShem.” They believed in identifying not simply a token recognition. There is a difference between believing that something is the case and believing in someone. It is so when it comes to belief. There is a belief in and belief that, and in is much more compelling than that.

We often hear our parents, friends, and teachers, but we don’t necessarily listen to the deeper meaning of the words or the message. We know that other people are there, and we might even feel obliged to obey them. But love is when you really care. Which is why in the Shema it says that after the listening “And you should love.” (Devarim Chapters 6:4&5). The thought should lead to action.

There is an old English saying that goes “There is none so blind as he who will not see.” And “There is none so deaf as he who will not hear.” We can try to argue with people and try to change them. But if they will not hear or refuse to inform themselves or are conditioned by their teachers and politicians to hate, they will be blind and deaf to another point of view. And even if they can hear words, as with the greatest of prophets, they will find it very hard to change their minds. Here, the Children of Israel are so diminished that it takes time and experience for them to come round to their new reality. In fact, it took a whole generation, constant struggling against Moshe, and forty years, before they could. They were hearing words but still turned on Moshe with anger and incredulity.

In our day, too, we are living in a world of blindness. Millions have been so brainwashed that they are unable to see or hear another point of view. And sadly, that can apply to some of us, too. The oldest hatred has taken us back generations. In the end, those who are being duped will pay the penalty of disbelief.

 

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.