This Sunday, either the New York Giants or the New England Patriots will achieve great glory and acclaim in Superbowl XLVI... and I couldn't really care less about
either team. I'll probably still watch it(or parts of it, at least), but as an Eagles fan, I can't say this game holds much interest or excitement for me whatsoever. Nevertheless, there is glory to be won on Sunday, because the Superbowl is one of our most glorious and glory-filled events of the year. And it serves as a good lead-in for me, because this week I would like to talk to you about - you guessed it - glory.
It's a term that caught my eye while reading through our parasha. As the Israelites depart Egypt, and begin to Exode (can you make 'Exodus' into a verb?) into the desert, God decides to devise a cunning plan. In order to punish Pharaoh one last time, God will make Pharaoh believe the Israelites are lost and bewildered in the desert, and will trick him into pursuing them to the Sea of Reeds. As we
know, the Israelites cross through the sea on dry land (thank you very much, Charlton Heston), while Pharaoh's charioteers all drown as the walls of the sea come crashing down upon them. By doing this, God tells Moses, "I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army" (Exodus, 14:4). And this notion, that God will be glorified through defeating Pharaoh, is repeated again in verses 17 and 18.
I found it striking, and somewhat jarring, that God could sound so vindictive, and almost (heretical, I know) sadistic. It is as if God has been using Pharaoh as a punching bag, and is now ready to deal the final blow. To try and understand this a bit better, I did a little research. Two commentaries - one by Rabbi Gunther Plaut and one by Everett Fox - both highlight a fascinating linguistic connection on this very issue. The word for 'glorify'
in Hebrew is 'Ee-kav'dah,' which comes from the root 'k-v-d.' Interestingly, the word 'harden,' as in "God hardened Pharaoh's heart," is 'kaved,' from exactly the same root! And that root, on its own, evokes a sense of 'heaviness.' The Plaut commentary cites a rabbinic midrash (story) that imagines God saying to Pharaoh, "You sinner! With the same word with which you prove yourself recalcitrant I will glorify Myself." Indeed, for the first five plagues, Pharaoh hardens his own heart, and only with the final five does God 'take over' and push Pharaoh over the edge. 
I want to mention one additional commentary on this subject, actually written by a teenage cousin of mine, Toyam Cox. Toyam points out that Pharaoh was the one who first took away the free will of the Israelites by refusing to let them go. God then took away Pharaoh's free will, as both a reciprocal measure, and as punishment. I thought it was an intriguing juxtaposition. And I can't say that I've lost any sleep over Pharaoh getting bullied around; I think he mostly got what was coming to him. I am, however, still left with great discomfort over the suffering of the rest of the Egyptians, as well as their cattle who were struck by one of the plagues (cows never hurt anyone!), and the horses who perished along with the chariots in the sea. What I find perhaps most disturbing is my original point, about God's malicious desire to be 'glorified' through Pharaoh's misery.
What do we make of 'glory'? Who gets to decide what is glorified and what isn't? I personally feel that the Torah is once again challenging us to reassess our understanding of nuance-free terms like 'good guys' and 'bad guys,' 'heroes' and 'villains.' Nothing is ever so simple; not for us, not even for God!
What one person considers a victory, another considers defeat, or even disaster. Certainly there's a whole segment of the population who see nothing glorious in the violence of pro-football (weirdos...). Once we leave black-or-white solutions behind, and delve into a world filled with shades of grey, I think we begin to have more honest and open conversations about humanity, life, and how we can work together to improve the world. An important, but 'heavy,' task indeed.
2. CC image courtesy of sharon8885@verizon.net on Flickr
4. CC image courtesy of kasthor on Flickr
5. CC image courtesy of miss_rogue on Flickr
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