Twice the Israelites respond to the covenant at Sinai with the word na’aseh “we will do,” but on their third and final response, they famously say na’aseh venishma, “we will do and we will listen.” They add listening to doing; they begin to understand that God desires us to be listeners in addition to doers. In this meditation, we explore the divine listening presence, what it feels like to be deeply listened to in that way, to receive it and also to offer it to others and to God.
Sources (in the order in which they appear in the meditation):
Exodus 24:7
Talmud Shabbat 88a
Exodus 19:8 and 24:3
Genesis 3:8
Genesis 16:9-15 and 21:13-21
Exodus 33:13
Image by magda-ehlers at Pexels
