There is a moment in this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa, after Moses comes down from Mount Sinai that is cringe worthy. Instead of being overjoyed to have their fearless leader return, the People of Israel react in horror. The Torah states in Exodus 34:29: that “as Moses came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the pact he was not aware that his face was קרן [Keren].” The Hebrew word קרן [Keren] is unclear. It could be lit, it could refer to horns, or it could be something entirely different. He has been as close to God as is humanly possible and for the remainder of his life he will be scarred. A few verses later in verse 33 it says that Moses places a veil over his face to hide it from the world.
February is Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month in the Jewish community making the story of Moses’ predicament all the more poignant. So many of us have things we would like hide about ourselves. People with disabilities have no choice but to reveal themselves to anyone they encounter. The fear, just like for Moses, is that people will react with horror. This month we are encouraged to see the קרן [Keren] they bear, not as something to be feared, but instead as something that radiates with light. We open our doors and our hearts wider, going out of our way to meet people where they are. In this way we reveal the face of God in the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex