When the Israelites reached Mount Sinai, where Moses
famously received the Ten Commandments, they were at a spiritual and
existential juncture. Former slaves clinging to the promise of their own holy
land, there were no guarantees they would ever arrive. Some even thought maybe
they should have stayed in Egypt, where life left no room for hope or dreams
but at least was familiar. In the wilderness, the people were anxious and
afraid. For some, cracks began to show in their faith. They made a golden calf
and began to worship it as a god.
To doubt is to be human. Faith is easy when the outcome
looks certain, but so much harder when the way forward is overwhelming, scary, or
difficult. What would have happened to the train full of toys if the Little
Engine That Could had not believed in himself?
I think I can, I think I can—until he did reach the top of the
mountain.
In Sadie and the Big Mountain, a little girl dreads
climbing a pretend “Mount Sinai” on Shavuot, but the beauty of this holiday is
that everyone’s proverbial mountain is within their reach. Sadie’s fears turn
to joy when she sees that her Mount Sinai is the perfect size for her.
Why did God choose Mount Sinai when there were bigger more
impressive mountains nearby? In The Littlest Mountain, the big mountains
were arrogant and hungry for prestige. Little Mount Sinai, on the other hand,
was humble and steadfast, the only mountain that never doubted God’s mysterious
ways. This little mountain would not be led astray by any fool’s gold.