It is one of the remarkable gifts that there are people who want to serve in a synagogue. Here are people who spend God-knows-how-many hours devoted to meetings, fundraising. program development, building maintenance, public relations, teaching, learning and leading and do it all willingly, voluntarily and, by and large, happily. They get not one cent for their work and have to endure the slings of criticism, unhappy congregants and phone calls about things most of us can not even imagine! Why do they do it?
Maybe some insight is in order. When Moses got frustrated - something that happened from time to time - God and Moses commiserated and really helped each other get over it. Sometimes Moses would need a pick me up from God and sometimes God needed a pick me up from Moses.
In one of the most interesting stories, Moses is downtrodden and is ready to give up. Here is the text...
9 When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall upon it.
10 Moses heard the people weeping, every clan apart, each person at the entrance of his tent. The LORD was very angry, and Moses was distressed.
11 And Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me?
12 Did I conceive all this people, did I bear them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,' to the land that You have promised on oath to their fathers?
13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people, when they whine before me and say, 'Give us meat to eat!'
14 I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me.
15 If You would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!"
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy of Israel's elders of whom you have experience as elders and officers of the people, and bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them take their place there with you.
17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will draw upon the spirit that is on you and put it upon them; they shall share the burden of the people with you, and you shall not bear it alone.
(Num 11:9-17 TNK)
10 Moses heard the people weeping, every clan apart, each person at the entrance of his tent. The LORD was very angry, and Moses was distressed.
11 And Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me?
12 Did I conceive all this people, did I bear them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,' to the land that You have promised on oath to their fathers?
13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people, when they whine before me and say, 'Give us meat to eat!'
14 I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me.
15 If You would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!"
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy of Israel's elders of whom you have experience as elders and officers of the people, and bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them take their place there with you.
17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will draw upon the spirit that is on you and put it upon them; they shall share the burden of the people with you, and you shall not bear it alone.
(Num 11:9-17 TNK)
Moses was just a man and like all men and women, was bound to feel the frustrations of leadership. But there is a Divine voice that says "Don't give up because the work you are doing is holy work and there are others to help you." The volunteer board of this temple hears the same voice. Though there may be times of frustration, there are many more times of joy and satisfaction that the temple is serving real needs of real people in so many different way. Our volunteers put in the hours to lead because they, too, hear a Divine voice that says that what they do is worthwhile.
And it is worthwhile. And so we celebrate and congratulate and thank all our Board Members for the remarkable work they do. This temple could not get by without their response to the voice of God.
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