This past Shabbat we began reading the Book of Numbers. In this book Moses does not have an easy time as leader of our people. Again and again he encounters resistance from the Israelites. They complain. They challenge his leadership.

In the story of the spies in Parashat Shelach Lecha, the people tell Moses they want to go back to Egypt. In Parashat Korach some of the people openly rebel against Moses and Aaron. Korach, a Levite, like Moses and Aaron, criticizes the brothers for elevating themselves into positions of leadership.

Korach wants to take the place of Moses. Korach is fine with the idea of a single Levite leading the people. He just wants it to be a different single Levite, himself.

Korach does not understand the source of Moses' and Aaron’s status. Why should the people listen to Moses? Why should the people trust Moses? God!

Over the centuries many political leaders have claimed that their authority to rule comes from God. They argue that God made them King, therefore the people should listen to them.

In a democracy, individuals achieve high office because people trust them enough to vote for them. Trust replaces faith as the source of authority. 

Trust that comes with political office is easily lost. Here in Illinois so many politicians have acted so poorly that many people distrust politicians as a category.

Trust has to be earned. I am not pleased when people say, "Trust me." Don’t say, "Trust me," show me that I can trust you.

Actual trustworthy people do not have to say, "Trust me." People who have earned the trust that comes with their position, do not have to remind people of their position. During his political decline, Richard Nixon said, "I am the President." His need to make that proclamation illustrated that, in fact, he had lost the trust of the American public.

Trust has to be earned every day, in families, in friendships and in religious settings.

When the faculty of the Hebrew Union College gave me the title "rabbi," they were in essence saying, "We trust you." When people call me "rabbi", they express their trust in me. I am aware that I have to be worthy of the title every day.

In a few weeks it will be Father’s Day. That I am the father of three is a biological fact. The trust my children place in me has been earned.

Sometimes those who we thought were our friends disappoint us. We discover that our trust was misplaced or sometimes we disappoint our friends and must work to again earn their trust.

Moses had an advantage we do not have. God could vouch for Moses. We have to let our deeds vouch for us.

The Torah portion for this week tells of the death of Sarah and then of Abraham's efforts to secure a wife for Isaac.

The ancient rabbis in their interpretation of the Biblical text are not bothered by anachronism. As a matter of fact, they embrace anachronism. They say, “Ein Mukdam V'Ein Muchar, There is no early and there is no late.” So the fact that the rituals for observing Shabbat developed centuries later, does not prevent the rabbis from seeing Abraham and Sarah as Shomrei Shabbat, strict, observers of  Shabbat.

In the Midrash the rabbis imagine Sarah preparing for Shabbat in her tent. They imagine Sarah baking challah and lighting shabbat candles. They say that her shabbat candles gave off such radiant light that it lasted a week from one Shabbat to the next. The rabbis say that Sarah put so much into braiding her challah that over the tent was a cloud in the shape of the braid. The rabbis see in this radiant light and braided cloud, the Shechina, the presence of God.

When Sarah died the radiant light disappeared the braided cloud was not seen. Her tent sat empty. When Isaac brought Rebecca into the tent she took up the kindling of lights and the braiding of challah. The light and the cloud returned the Shechina, the presence of God returned.

From this Midrash we can learn, that our deeds bring us closer to God and our deeds bring God closer to us.