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Sights<br />
Mount Sinai—Jebel<br />
Musa<br />
Climbing Mt. Sinai was one of the<br />
highlights of the OSA trip to the Sinai<br />
Desert. As we began the ascent. I was<br />
expecting something of a religious feeling<br />
to sweep over me, perhaps to relive<br />
whatever it was that had swept the<br />
Children of Israel. Well, the experience<br />
certainly did move me. Aerobically. Mt.<br />
Sinai is one of those incredibly steep<br />
mountains, ranging from difficult to<br />
deadly. I found myself thinking of Moses<br />
doing the climb—twice—and as the hike<br />
went on, my image of Moses changed.<br />
When we began, I saw him as elderly,<br />
bearded, in long flowing robes. By the end<br />
of the climb, he looked like a Ken doll:<br />
young, muscular, and well-biceped. I kept<br />
his robes on, though. A Speedo just<br />
wouldn’t cut it.<br />
As the climb went on, the climbers made<br />
jokes. We all recognized the triteness of<br />
our remarks, and wondered how many<br />
climbers before us had cracked the same<br />
lines.<br />
“Gee, no wonder Moses was pissed that<br />
he had to go up a second time.”<br />
“I’d rather make a golden calf than climb<br />
this damn mountain anytime.”<br />
“All this —for a bunch of laws?” And on<br />
and on . . .<br />
We sang songs like “Stairway to Heaven”<br />
through gasping breaths as we continued<br />
the treacherous climb upward. Here and<br />
there, we passed Greek Orthodox<br />
pilgrims, five times our age, out for an<br />
afternoon stroll.<br />
Once we reached the top, our sense of<br />
accomplishment was immeasurable. The<br />
view was magnificent. And then, all too<br />
soon, it was time to climb down. The<br />
climb downward was much easier, even<br />
pleasant. We quickly found ourselves in<br />
the desert, leaving the mountain behind<br />
us. As night fell, it became just another of<br />
the many mountains in the desert<br />
landscape.<br />
Is Jebel Musa really the mountain of our<br />
heritage? We have no proof that it is. If it<br />
is true that nothing that is good comes<br />
easy, however, then Mt. Sinai might very<br />
well be the site where our Torah was<br />
given. Either way, climbing Mt. Sinai was<br />
a feat in itself: for some religious, for<br />
others muscular, but unforgettable for all.<br />
Michelle Abramson<br />
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