The episode that we read in Exodus, chapter thirty-five, takes place the day after Yom Kippur.
The full tale actually opens up a short while before when Moshe ascended Mt Sinai to receive the Word of God. Leaving his family and people behind Moshe climbed upward to the gateway of heaven. When he returned forty days later, Moshe was crushed as he discovered his people had crafted a Golden Calf. Moshe was beyond dismayed. Having just met God and emerging from the meeting glowing with the vestiges of the Divine encounter, Moshe finds Bnai Israel had utterly betrayed his trust. His faith in the people was misplaced. The tablets were shattered.
Moshe then went up to meet God a second time. The day when he returned to the people was on the tenth of Tishray, Yom Kippur.
Is this not auspicious? Forgiveness of the Great Betrayal was granted, sealed and completed on the Day of Atonement. When HaShem issued the second set of Commandments it was the ultimate signal that He had embraced the people once again.
A recurring question we ask about the Israelites is, how could they have turned on God? After everything that God did for them how could this nation forget so easily? The plagues? The sea? The manna?
Another question asked less often is, how could HaKadosh Barukh Hu forgive them? It would not have been a long leap of imagination to suggest that the people were not worth saving. The experiment failed. Why not just give up on the Israelites? The brit, the holy covenant, had been abrogated by them. God kept His side of the bargain. We reneged. What stopped God from saying; "Since you have abandoned Me, I am abandoning you?"
The only plausible response to this question is that God wants us. Just like we want our children and parents to be strong and well; so too, God wants us to succeed and overcome our worst impulses. Just like we do not jettison our loved ones, God does not abanondon us.
There is an old rabbinic conundrum of what to say when called upon to officiate at the funeral of a no-goodnik. What is there to say? He was a lousy provider. He stole. He cheated. The only answer is, he was good to his mother!
In much the same way we look at God and see the same hope from Above. He wants us to do well. God cheers for us. He hopes for the best. Even in our most awful, dark moments, God sees our potenitial. That is why the Holy One embraces us even when we have turned our backs on Him.
Here, in our parsha, God shows us how to forgive, even when the crime seems unbearable...
A thought: God Himself visits Abraham as he is ailing. Why does the Holy One visit the sick? To teach us how we must behave. Our responsibility is to visit people in pain.
In the opening chapters of the Torah, God makes clothes for Adam and Havvah. The Sages were not at a loss to tell us why God becomes a provider of garments: He wants us to imitate Him. God shows us how to care for the disadvantaged. As the Holy One clothes the naked so should we care for our brothers and sisters.
Going back even further, HaKodosh Barukh Hu designs a universe in seven days. Does the All Powerful One really need that length of time to create the cosmos? Cannot God cast a universe in a millisecond? Why seven days? He makes a universe in the span of one week to show us how to use our time. If the Omnipotent One refrains from creating on the seventh day then it follows that we need to imitate Him.
What is the first mitzva in the new era when the Torah was given? The Israelites are directed to build a Mishkan, a Tabernacle. Before any further instructions are given comes a warning: The first utterance before any construction begins is to not work on Shabbat.
The Holy One knew that the people would now be eager to please their Maker. After all, they had just been forgiven for the crime of the Golden Calf. Now was the time for contrition and proving that they were a faithful lot. They wanted to prove that they were worthy of God's forgiveness. Understanding their few-found zeal, God articulated that under no circumstances were the people allowed to do any kind of word on the Mishkan during Shabbat.
In the immediate next verses the work of the Mishkan is carefully delineated. The Rabbis throughout the ages looked at these passages and determined that if we are not allowed to do them on Shabbat for the sake of God, then we are most certainly not allowed to do them for any other reason on the holy Shabbat. These thirty-nine articulated labors then became the identifying features for prohibited work on Shabbat.
Two questions need to be asked:
1. Are there any features link the 39 labors together?
2. And what do these labors have to do to with the creation by God of the universe, i.e. refraining from creating on the seventh day?
1. The thirty-nine actions have in common with each other the idea that they build a comfortable, useful universe to suit our needs. All these items -- cooking, baking, making fire, sewing, etc.-- provide us with a more predictable and ordered world. Each labor changes the natural universe to make us more comfortable. In our time, the comparison might be mowing the lawn, working in the yard, using engines to change the environment.
Idea: nowhere in the Torah does it state that we must not "work" on Shabbat; that is, "work" in the traditional mode of doing what we get paid for. The halakha is far more complex.
2. What do these labors have to do with Shabbat?
Listen to the description of Man in Genesis. Of man it states that when God breathed into this first being His animating breath of life Adam became a living nefesh. Genesis 2:7
The nefesh becomes worn and depleted as we exercise our never-ending role of "dominator of the world."
That is why as the Torah is given another gift is offered by the Holy One. "...and on the seventh day he rested, "vayinfash." Vayinfash literally means "and he was soul-ed." S'forno reveals that God, at the same time that He presented us with His Torah, also presented us with an additional dimension to life, Shabbat. When we act within the universe, not as conquerors or overlords, we imbibe an extra soul. Or, at the very least, we become whole with our original self, our nefesh.
On Shabbat we are presented with the godly gift of becoming re-souled.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Self Definition
Self Definition
Order is important. When reading the Torah, chronology informs us of how people and a peoplehood develop. We watch as the life of Moses, for example, is first described in the opening chapters of Exodus. We then follow him as he grows, matures and changes through adulthood. Without this order we would have a faulty, sporadic view of how this redeemer/lawgiver came to be.
That is why this Torah parsha is so troubling. It is out of order. The Sages, of blessed memory, universally agreed that the narrative of the census belongs elsewhere in the Torah. They tell us that all the commandments enumerated here were given before the episode of the Golden Calf…yet they are placed after the event.
The Sages were unmoved by the conundrum. They figuratively shrugged their collective shoulders and said, “There is no chronology in the Torah.”
For those who sit and learn in the light of the Torah, carefully scrutinizing the Text for its many meanings, this is a critical issue that demands a response.
The scientific study of Bible yields its answer: the lack of order in the Writ shows bad editorial-ship. The Text, they tell, is actually a series of disparate fragments that were patched together, rather poorly as proven here, in a single volume. Each fragment may tell the story of the same people but each has a dissimilar viewpoint. Sometimes, the authors even lived in different centuries!
To the scientifically oriented the lack of chronology is not troubling. It simply reveals the human artistry and foibles of the biblical authors.
For the faithful, the lack of order is also not disturbing. They look at the world and stand in silent awe of a vast universe that holds secrets that can never be plumbed. The cosmos is too vast. As a tiny pebble on an endless stretch of beach, the believer looks out at the expanse and sees a mystery that will always lie beyond his reach.
For such a religious being the lack of chronology is a spur to study the hoary texts and scour them for clues to its meaning with every available piece of information from the present. And if they still cannot understand why the Bible is out of order? They accept that this is part of the plan of God.
Ultimately, they believe, He will unfurl the mystery when the time is right.
Every person is predisposed to see the world as befits their personality and outlook. Some are optimistic, others are pessimistic. Some are field with bleak despair, others brim with hope. We all search for what our heart yearns to find. Invaiably, we find what we want to find.
We choose the path which best suits our soul. For every student of Torah this question must be confronted: Which voice is stronger inside us? The empiricist who looks for scientific data? Or the person of awe who is in search of God? The answer to these questions is a clue to who we are truly are. More often than otherwaise, we see what we are predisposed to see. We find what we want to find.
Which are you? God centric? Scientifically focused?
-------------- ---------------------------------------------
Exodus 30:16 One-half shekel is given by every Israelite as atonement for their soul.
No one was all owed to give more or less than the stated amount. In the final analysis, while some people will accumulate great wealth and others will not raise themselves out of poverty, the value of a soul is the same.
Atonement: the silver that the brothers of Joseph received for selling him was divided between them. Each received one-half shekel as their prize.
For the sin of selling Joseph the Israelites carried the burden of that guilt until now. The half-shekel atoned for Joseph.
D'var Acher: (another approach): Some say the half shekel was a means of taking a census. In collecting one coin from each person, the elders would soon see how many Israelites would becomes the seeds of the new nation.
D'var Acher: after the rebellion of the Golden Calf many of the instigators and participants died. A census was needed to count the survivors.
Dvar Acher: when people are counted it brings on the ayin hara, the evil eye. For example, when King David took a count of his people the nation was afflicted with a terrible plague. 2 Samuel 24
In our time, as the Jews of the Shoah were numbered ad counted the fires of Gehenna were stoked. That is why one coin was given instead of counting heads.
D'var Acher: only men participated in the actual making of the Golden Calf. A man without a woman is termed a peleg gufa, half a person. For the crime of the men making the Calf, one-half shekel was demanded.
D'var Acher: "God does not reject the broken-hearted." Psalms 51:19
A shekel is a reminder that we are all tormented, fragile beings. Broken as we are – like the half-shekel – God desires us.
D'var Acher: Why was the atonement of the shekel required? We all need forgiveness.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Order is important. When reading the Torah, chronology informs us of how people and a peoplehood develop. We watch as the life of Moses, for example, is first described in the opening chapters of Exodus. We then follow him as he grows, matures and changes through adulthood. Without this order we would have a faulty, sporadic view of how this redeemer/lawgiver came to be.
That is why this Torah parsha is so troubling. It is out of order. The Sages, of blessed memory, universally agreed that the narrative of the census belongs elsewhere in the Torah. They tell us that all the commandments enumerated here were given before the episode of the Golden Calf…yet they are placed after the event.
The Sages were unmoved by the conundrum. They figuratively shrugged their collective shoulders and said, “There is no chronology in the Torah.”
For those who sit and learn in the light of the Torah, carefully scrutinizing the Text for its many meanings, this is a critical issue that demands a response.
The scientific study of Bible yields its answer: the lack of order in the Writ shows bad editorial-ship. The Text, they tell, is actually a series of disparate fragments that were patched together, rather poorly as proven here, in a single volume. Each fragment may tell the story of the same people but each has a dissimilar viewpoint. Sometimes, the authors even lived in different centuries!
To the scientifically oriented the lack of chronology is not troubling. It simply reveals the human artistry and foibles of the biblical authors.
For the faithful, the lack of order is also not disturbing. They look at the world and stand in silent awe of a vast universe that holds secrets that can never be plumbed. The cosmos is too vast. As a tiny pebble on an endless stretch of beach, the believer looks out at the expanse and sees a mystery that will always lie beyond his reach.
For such a religious being the lack of chronology is a spur to study the hoary texts and scour them for clues to its meaning with every available piece of information from the present. And if they still cannot understand why the Bible is out of order? They accept that this is part of the plan of God.
Ultimately, they believe, He will unfurl the mystery when the time is right.
Every person is predisposed to see the world as befits their personality and outlook. Some are optimistic, others are pessimistic. Some are field with bleak despair, others brim with hope. We all search for what our heart yearns to find. Invaiably, we find what we want to find.
We choose the path which best suits our soul. For every student of Torah this question must be confronted: Which voice is stronger inside us? The empiricist who looks for scientific data? Or the person of awe who is in search of God? The answer to these questions is a clue to who we are truly are. More often than otherwaise, we see what we are predisposed to see. We find what we want to find.
Which are you? God centric? Scientifically focused?
-------------- ---------------------------------------------
Exodus 30:16 One-half shekel is given by every Israelite as atonement for their soul.
No one was all owed to give more or less than the stated amount. In the final analysis, while some people will accumulate great wealth and others will not raise themselves out of poverty, the value of a soul is the same.
Atonement: the silver that the brothers of Joseph received for selling him was divided between them. Each received one-half shekel as their prize.
For the sin of selling Joseph the Israelites carried the burden of that guilt until now. The half-shekel atoned for Joseph.
D'var Acher: (another approach): Some say the half shekel was a means of taking a census. In collecting one coin from each person, the elders would soon see how many Israelites would becomes the seeds of the new nation.
D'var Acher: after the rebellion of the Golden Calf many of the instigators and participants died. A census was needed to count the survivors.
Dvar Acher: when people are counted it brings on the ayin hara, the evil eye. For example, when King David took a count of his people the nation was afflicted with a terrible plague. 2 Samuel 24
In our time, as the Jews of the Shoah were numbered ad counted the fires of Gehenna were stoked. That is why one coin was given instead of counting heads.
D'var Acher: only men participated in the actual making of the Golden Calf. A man without a woman is termed a peleg gufa, half a person. For the crime of the men making the Calf, one-half shekel was demanded.
D'var Acher: "God does not reject the broken-hearted." Psalms 51:19
A shekel is a reminder that we are all tormented, fragile beings. Broken as we are – like the half-shekel – God desires us.
D'var Acher: Why was the atonement of the shekel required? We all need forgiveness.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ki Tissa, this week's parasha, begins with God telling Moses to take a census of the Israelites. The mechanism for doing so is to have each Jew give 1/2 shekel. The shekels would then be counted and Moses would know how many people were part go the nation. Why this convoluted way of counting people? Maybe because, as has been suggested, that when we count people we somehow limit their scope. In reducing them to a number we dehumanize them. Sound familiar? We, who live in the post Holocaust generation, know this far too well when our people were shorn of their names and given numbers engraved on their arms.
Here is that by counting someone, we limit that person by imposing a cap or assigning a number to them. Didn't Haman make the same statement when he reduced people to an intrusion of numbers?
As the holy Zohar points out, in Hebrew lispore means to count or cut. Perhaps when we count people we "cut" them. Even today when we need to ascertain that we have a minyan we avoid counting people by saying "not one, not two...". Some refuse to do even that: they will recite the mah tovu, which has ten words, and say one word for each person.
Always think the best of others and you will bring out the best in them.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Defining Our Sacred Space
The parsha of Tetsaveh devotes great attention to the details of the vestments of the Kohen Gadol.
Why are these details so important? Ramban notes and stresses that kings also wore clothing that was not dissimilar to the Kohen Gadol. The Ramban then remarks that dress gives definition to our stature in the eyes of other people. In this instance, Bnai Yisrael became aware of the grandeur of its leader Aaron, through his specified and ornate clothing.
A commentator, Benno Jakob, believes that clothing connotes something far more powerful than dignity. Remember that the Holy One, blessed be He, personally made clothes for primordial man in the Garden. This act separated the man and woman from the beasts of the world. While the animals wore only their natural fur, shell or skin humanity was now cloaked in vestments that were foreign to their bodies. The clothes Adam and Havvah wore differentiated them from beasts. Of all the things that God could have given humanity – food, shelter, gifts of all sorts - He chose to make for them clothes.
What Benno Jakob is telling us is that not only do clothes change the way we are seen they also have an impact on how we view ourselves. They separate us from animals, lower life. Yet, it is not only clothes alone that separate us from the beasts of the earth because we could wear ornaments that would only magnify the worst aspects of animal instinct. Clothes can also have the ability to separate us from our worst, most base animal instincts. For this reason, Judaism places great emphasis on dress, how we present ourselves.
Modesty of dress is one avenue of connection to the world and to the Divine. Modesty means that we respect borders and privacy. The way that we dress, for one example, is about limiting others from accessing our privacy. It is the outward symbol of our desire to connect with other people positively and then as a result connect with the Divine One. That is why the prophet Micah urges us, "to walk with modesty before God." 6:8
Moshe personally clothed his sibling, Aaron. It was his task to appoint and dress the first Kohen. Moshe installed Aaron as the Kohen Gadol. When people saw Aaron wearing his Kohen garb they would accept him for his powerful office and high status. At the same time, Aaron would also feel special because the clothing would remind him that he was different.
Clothes are distinctive reminders of our being. A tale of Nachum of Chernobyl tells of when he once lost sensation in his legs on a Shabbat. He looked down and discovered he was still wearing his weekday trousers. The soul of the tzaddik was sensitive to Shabbat and the great division between the mundane and the kodesh. His subconscious was mindful of the holiness that his Shabbat clothes provided.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the only Torah parsha -- outside of Genesis -- where the name of Moshe Rabbeinu goes unmentioned. After the sin of the Golden Calf Moshe begged the Holy One to not destroy the Jews for their unconscionable sin. He prayed to the Holy One to pardon his people. Moshe was so insistent that he said, … “if not, erase me from Your book." Exodus 32:32.
The Holy One did relent. He heard and accepted the plea from His faithful servant. Yet, the power of this leader was so great that while God forgave Israel the words of Moses remained. No word of a tzaddik is lost. Each utterance is of consequence. That is why the name of Moshe Rabbeinu does not appear in this Torah parsha.
Proverbs goes so far as to state that, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Through the example of Moshe we learn that when we speak every word is counted, each sentence has great import. How many times have you received an e-mail where you read and re-read the message looking for underlying clues of malicious intent? Even while we know there may have been no ill will we scour each word and wring it for inner meaning. Others have done the same to our letters. Such things can destroy relationships forever.
The same is true of words spoken. Sometimes they are remembered, dissected and found to contain meanings that we did not intend. We must be very careful before we write or speak.Torah believes that words spoken are not only important between people but that the Holy One also listens to each word and remembers.
On the other side, rich rewards sate very meeting where Truth is spoken. Hananya ben Teradyon taught: “When two people sit and words of Torah pass between them, the Divine Presence rests between them.” Avot 3.3 Godliness lies in the message.
Implicit in the Torah is the importance of every spoken word. In the tale of Noah God states, “Go into the tevah [the ark] with your household.” (Gen 7:1) Tevah is usually translated as “ark.” However tevah also means “word.” That is why the hidden meaning of the text regarding Noah is that we need to be vigilant about every word that we utter. Before we even open our mouth we ought to think about what we want to say and how it could be interpreted. Our commitment to travel into every “word” is of paramount importance.
There are words that are powerful builders of truth and there are words of waste and terrible destruction. It is a scared task to speak. In fact many traditional commentaries on Genesis explicate the hidden meaning of “man was created in the image of God.” They reveal that being cast in the image of the Holy One means being given the gift of speaking. Each word of the Torah is imbued with depth and meaning. So too is each word spoken by us.
Any word possesses the inherent ability to create or destroy. Our task is to use our God-given gift well. At all costs it must not be abused. The Kotzker Rebbe once said, “It is not enough to pass through the Talmud, the Talmud must pass through us.” Every word is sacred.
Why are these details so important? Ramban notes and stresses that kings also wore clothing that was not dissimilar to the Kohen Gadol. The Ramban then remarks that dress gives definition to our stature in the eyes of other people. In this instance, Bnai Yisrael became aware of the grandeur of its leader Aaron, through his specified and ornate clothing.
A commentator, Benno Jakob, believes that clothing connotes something far more powerful than dignity. Remember that the Holy One, blessed be He, personally made clothes for primordial man in the Garden. This act separated the man and woman from the beasts of the world. While the animals wore only their natural fur, shell or skin humanity was now cloaked in vestments that were foreign to their bodies. The clothes Adam and Havvah wore differentiated them from beasts. Of all the things that God could have given humanity – food, shelter, gifts of all sorts - He chose to make for them clothes.
What Benno Jakob is telling us is that not only do clothes change the way we are seen they also have an impact on how we view ourselves. They separate us from animals, lower life. Yet, it is not only clothes alone that separate us from the beasts of the earth because we could wear ornaments that would only magnify the worst aspects of animal instinct. Clothes can also have the ability to separate us from our worst, most base animal instincts. For this reason, Judaism places great emphasis on dress, how we present ourselves.
Modesty of dress is one avenue of connection to the world and to the Divine. Modesty means that we respect borders and privacy. The way that we dress, for one example, is about limiting others from accessing our privacy. It is the outward symbol of our desire to connect with other people positively and then as a result connect with the Divine One. That is why the prophet Micah urges us, "to walk with modesty before God." 6:8
Moshe personally clothed his sibling, Aaron. It was his task to appoint and dress the first Kohen. Moshe installed Aaron as the Kohen Gadol. When people saw Aaron wearing his Kohen garb they would accept him for his powerful office and high status. At the same time, Aaron would also feel special because the clothing would remind him that he was different.
Clothes are distinctive reminders of our being. A tale of Nachum of Chernobyl tells of when he once lost sensation in his legs on a Shabbat. He looked down and discovered he was still wearing his weekday trousers. The soul of the tzaddik was sensitive to Shabbat and the great division between the mundane and the kodesh. His subconscious was mindful of the holiness that his Shabbat clothes provided.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the only Torah parsha -- outside of Genesis -- where the name of Moshe Rabbeinu goes unmentioned. After the sin of the Golden Calf Moshe begged the Holy One to not destroy the Jews for their unconscionable sin. He prayed to the Holy One to pardon his people. Moshe was so insistent that he said, … “if not, erase me from Your book." Exodus 32:32.
The Holy One did relent. He heard and accepted the plea from His faithful servant. Yet, the power of this leader was so great that while God forgave Israel the words of Moses remained. No word of a tzaddik is lost. Each utterance is of consequence. That is why the name of Moshe Rabbeinu does not appear in this Torah parsha.
Proverbs goes so far as to state that, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Through the example of Moshe we learn that when we speak every word is counted, each sentence has great import. How many times have you received an e-mail where you read and re-read the message looking for underlying clues of malicious intent? Even while we know there may have been no ill will we scour each word and wring it for inner meaning. Others have done the same to our letters. Such things can destroy relationships forever.
The same is true of words spoken. Sometimes they are remembered, dissected and found to contain meanings that we did not intend. We must be very careful before we write or speak.Torah believes that words spoken are not only important between people but that the Holy One also listens to each word and remembers.
On the other side, rich rewards sate very meeting where Truth is spoken. Hananya ben Teradyon taught: “When two people sit and words of Torah pass between them, the Divine Presence rests between them.” Avot 3.3 Godliness lies in the message.
Implicit in the Torah is the importance of every spoken word. In the tale of Noah God states, “Go into the tevah [the ark] with your household.” (Gen 7:1) Tevah is usually translated as “ark.” However tevah also means “word.” That is why the hidden meaning of the text regarding Noah is that we need to be vigilant about every word that we utter. Before we even open our mouth we ought to think about what we want to say and how it could be interpreted. Our commitment to travel into every “word” is of paramount importance.
There are words that are powerful builders of truth and there are words of waste and terrible destruction. It is a scared task to speak. In fact many traditional commentaries on Genesis explicate the hidden meaning of “man was created in the image of God.” They reveal that being cast in the image of the Holy One means being given the gift of speaking. Each word of the Torah is imbued with depth and meaning. So too is each word spoken by us.
Any word possesses the inherent ability to create or destroy. Our task is to use our God-given gift well. At all costs it must not be abused. The Kotzker Rebbe once said, “It is not enough to pass through the Talmud, the Talmud must pass through us.” Every word is sacred.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Mishkan, Terumah and Higher
On God.
These words are sung in the Shabbat and holy days during Musaf: Holy, holy, holy, the universe is filled with His radiance.
There is not quadrant or even an infinitesimal speck in the most remote regions of the cosmos that does not contain the essence of the Almighty. The universe is filled with Him.
In Terumah, there is an elaborate description on creating and maintaining a “Place” or Mishkan where the presence of the Holy One can be found. In fact the parsaha is devoted to sorting out the specific details of how to construct this dwelling place for God. Furthermore, we label the most proximate place of God as the Shechina. Shechina is the “Place “ where the Holy One, blessed be He, can be most strongly felt. Both words — the Shechina and Mishkan – have the same Hebrew root. They indicate a location where God is found.
Question: Did we not just say that there is no place in the universe where Divine sparks cannot be found? Why then build a Mishkan for God? Why specify a word indicting the presence of God?
The decision to have a Mishkan, or dwelling place on earth, dedicated to God was a reaction against the Golden Calf in the wilderness. Because the Jewish people acted on impulse to have an image of God, something they could point to as a physical presence of the Almighty, God responded by giving the specific dimensions of a Mishkan for the Shechina on earth thus satisfying this human need.
The Shechina is not limited to a space. It is only the human awareness of the Presence of the Divine One.
In Psalm 26 David asks, "Who will stand in the place Holiness?"
Note that the question is not, Who will ascend to the place of God? but, who will stand there? In other words, only if our eyes are truly open and yearning for God will find ourselves in a place of holiness. When we search for God every act will be elevated to the plane of holiness. We become souls aflame.
Midrash: A king had a daughter who fell in love and married a man from a distant town. The king, happy at the wedding, made a single request of his daughter. “I love you and will miss you. There is a part of me that wishes I could stop you from moving away but I know you must follow your heart, your love. Please set aside a room for me at your new home so that I may come to visit with you.”
This is the Mishkan.
On people. V-asu, "and they will make," is in the plural form. Every Jew was responsible to contribute toward the building of the Mishkan. The Mishkan was destined to be a structure that every member of B’nai Israel built and owned.
Further on, there is an opportunity to give more for the Mishkan. This time, unlike the last, is optional. The Torah states, "from every person whose heart moves him you shall take My portion.” (25:2)
Idea: Our self image is chiseled from the actions of our hands. We find self-definition by the things we do. When we act in harmony with God; when we choose the path of mitzvot; when we go beyond the boundaries of tzedaka and reach instead for gemilut hasadim,* acts of righteousness, we form an positive self image that makes us happy.
Working in synchronicity with God brings joy. Suggested by the Torah is that when we give our self toward a higher purpose our life becomes elevated.
That is why the Torah also says Vayikhu Lee Teruma, "Take for Me teruma." Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zl, explained that when we do acts of kindness our dark side, or Yetzer Hara, works against us. The building of the Mishkan taught that when we behave with generosity we grow in moral stature. That is why Feinstein interpreted this pasuk as, You will take as you will give. When we give we receive something far greater…..
As recorded in the Talmud, Baba Batra 11a, King Munbaz said, "My fathers stored their wealth below; I have stored mine above." King Munbaz knew that his life and spiritual side had so much more value when he acted out of goodness and with a full heart. His investment was not in his treasury but with God.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Tzedaka is our responsibility, our obligation. Gemilut Hasadim is a way of approaching life. Gemilut Hasadim means acting kindly, stretching beyond the boundaries of what is expected by doing good things.
These words are sung in the Shabbat and holy days during Musaf: Holy, holy, holy, the universe is filled with His radiance.
There is not quadrant or even an infinitesimal speck in the most remote regions of the cosmos that does not contain the essence of the Almighty. The universe is filled with Him.
In Terumah, there is an elaborate description on creating and maintaining a “Place” or Mishkan where the presence of the Holy One can be found. In fact the parsaha is devoted to sorting out the specific details of how to construct this dwelling place for God. Furthermore, we label the most proximate place of God as the Shechina. Shechina is the “Place “ where the Holy One, blessed be He, can be most strongly felt. Both words — the Shechina and Mishkan – have the same Hebrew root. They indicate a location where God is found.
Question: Did we not just say that there is no place in the universe where Divine sparks cannot be found? Why then build a Mishkan for God? Why specify a word indicting the presence of God?
The decision to have a Mishkan, or dwelling place on earth, dedicated to God was a reaction against the Golden Calf in the wilderness. Because the Jewish people acted on impulse to have an image of God, something they could point to as a physical presence of the Almighty, God responded by giving the specific dimensions of a Mishkan for the Shechina on earth thus satisfying this human need.
The Shechina is not limited to a space. It is only the human awareness of the Presence of the Divine One.
In Psalm 26 David asks, "Who will stand in the place Holiness?"
Note that the question is not, Who will ascend to the place of God? but, who will stand there? In other words, only if our eyes are truly open and yearning for God will find ourselves in a place of holiness. When we search for God every act will be elevated to the plane of holiness. We become souls aflame.
Midrash: A king had a daughter who fell in love and married a man from a distant town. The king, happy at the wedding, made a single request of his daughter. “I love you and will miss you. There is a part of me that wishes I could stop you from moving away but I know you must follow your heart, your love. Please set aside a room for me at your new home so that I may come to visit with you.”
This is the Mishkan.
On people. V-asu, "and they will make," is in the plural form. Every Jew was responsible to contribute toward the building of the Mishkan. The Mishkan was destined to be a structure that every member of B’nai Israel built and owned.
Further on, there is an opportunity to give more for the Mishkan. This time, unlike the last, is optional. The Torah states, "from every person whose heart moves him you shall take My portion.” (25:2)
Idea: Our self image is chiseled from the actions of our hands. We find self-definition by the things we do. When we act in harmony with God; when we choose the path of mitzvot; when we go beyond the boundaries of tzedaka and reach instead for gemilut hasadim,* acts of righteousness, we form an positive self image that makes us happy.
Working in synchronicity with God brings joy. Suggested by the Torah is that when we give our self toward a higher purpose our life becomes elevated.
That is why the Torah also says Vayikhu Lee Teruma, "Take for Me teruma." Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zl, explained that when we do acts of kindness our dark side, or Yetzer Hara, works against us. The building of the Mishkan taught that when we behave with generosity we grow in moral stature. That is why Feinstein interpreted this pasuk as, You will take as you will give. When we give we receive something far greater…..
As recorded in the Talmud, Baba Batra 11a, King Munbaz said, "My fathers stored their wealth below; I have stored mine above." King Munbaz knew that his life and spiritual side had so much more value when he acted out of goodness and with a full heart. His investment was not in his treasury but with God.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Tzedaka is our responsibility, our obligation. Gemilut Hasadim is a way of approaching life. Gemilut Hasadim means acting kindly, stretching beyond the boundaries of what is expected by doing good things.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Mishpatim: It's a Family Matter
The world only stands because of three key elements: Law, Truth and Peace. Pirkay Avot 1:18
Law is the consistent and just application of rules to insure life in society. Cutting across all economic and blood lines, Torah’s concern encompasses and embraces all. Mishpatim contains the elements necessary for governance. It is not enough to “feel” that we are doing the right thing because we might be wrong. After all, is it not clear that our first order of business is to protect ourselves? With self-interest at the heart of our actions we cannot be trusted to care for others with the same standard that we care for ourselves. Torah recognizes that the broad strokes of Law are central to existence.
"Pray for the government," warns Rabbi Hanina. "If it were not for the fear of such a hierarchy and order man would consume one another." Pirkay Avot 3:2
Rabbi Hanina made this statement in the midst of the oppressive Roman occupancy. Imagine Hanina thought they would be so much worse without the Romans! What does this say about people left to their own devices?
If we rely upon people to do the right thing without consequences or binding law evil will ascend with dizzying swiftness. Not long after our creation, the Holy, blessed be He, declares in frustration, The world is filled with violence because of them. Genesis 6:13
In fact, if the book of Genesis serves no other purpose, it points to the propensity of humans to assault other people for their own benefit. Starting in the most perfect environment of Eden to the lush valleys of the Nile man proves his predisposition towards evil with ruthless consistency. No other creation has risen to such heights of cruelty as mankind.
Truth is also critical for any just society. Yet the word is not simply a convenient expression which no one could disagree with. For Torah, Truth is the unimpeachable testimony of witnesses. That is why page after page of Talmud is devoted to ascertaining the veracity of witnesses. They are drilled and questioned to determine their testimony. Without that truth the scales of justice cannot be balanced. Any court decision not only has a permanent effect on the litigants but casts a ripple that runs through the fabric of the whole society.
Peace is the goal of all the enactments of Mishpatim.
God loves those who seek justice. Psalms 99:4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought: If death did not exist would we ever put our life in order? If we lived forever would we indefinitely postpone teshuvah? Was the curse of Eden – the invitation to the Angel of Death to meet humanity- a blessing or curse?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honor your father and mother. From Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:12
How? What does this mitzvah mean?
1. Whoever hits his father or mother shall die. Exodus 21:15
Is the death penalty really mandated for abuse of parents?
Thought: A society that tolerates evil is an evil society.
Halacha: Only a child that has reached the age of majority, post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah, is liable to the death penalty for assaulting their parent.
Should a small child be held liable for their thoughtless, callous actions?
Thought: Could a society endure if children not extend honor or deference to their parents? Could this Law be directed at the basic underpinning of a society that would collapse without it? Is this the most basic of all laws?
Question: The mitzvah to honor parents is opposite the mitzvah to acknowledge the presence of God in the universe. Is there a connection between those mitzvot?
Halacha: The Sages indicated that a doctor many not operate on his father/mother lest he make an error and hurt them.
Halacha: The Law to not strike or hurt a parent extends to a convert. Why? Does not a convert accept as their parent Avraham and Sarah? Why then would this mitzvah extend to people who have converted from another religion to Judaism?
What would it mean if this halacha did not extend to them? What does it say about the need to live a just society that this halacha does devolve upon them?
2. Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death. Exodus 21:17
Halacha: This standard of behavior applies even if the parent is dead.
Question: What difference does it make if they are dead? They are no longer in the realm of the physical to be harmed by such words?
Even more, what if they abused her when she was young? No that the abusing parents are dead why not curse them?
Thought: Cursing even an abusive parent must be an affront to God.*
Halacha: Of the two offenses, hitting or cursing a parent, cursing is considered the worse crime.
Question: Why? Is not striking a parent more ruthless and shameful than cursing? Yes, agree the Sages. The difference between the two crimes is that cursing may come much easier than striking. In the midst of a quarrel it is easy to lose your temper and utter something regrettable while hitting is less likely. That is precisely why Torah is so unforgiving of curses: Respect begins on a thoughtful and visceral level. Another reason is that a physical wound heals while a scar to the soul will never go away.
3. Cursed is the one who dishonors his father or mother. Deuteronomy 27:16
Question: How does this mitzvah differ from the two enumerated above?
Anything which brings the parent shame from laughing at them to verbally assaulting them falls into this mitzvah of dishonor.
* This law does not mean that a child must remain in abusive situation.
Law is the consistent and just application of rules to insure life in society. Cutting across all economic and blood lines, Torah’s concern encompasses and embraces all. Mishpatim contains the elements necessary for governance. It is not enough to “feel” that we are doing the right thing because we might be wrong. After all, is it not clear that our first order of business is to protect ourselves? With self-interest at the heart of our actions we cannot be trusted to care for others with the same standard that we care for ourselves. Torah recognizes that the broad strokes of Law are central to existence.
"Pray for the government," warns Rabbi Hanina. "If it were not for the fear of such a hierarchy and order man would consume one another." Pirkay Avot 3:2
Rabbi Hanina made this statement in the midst of the oppressive Roman occupancy. Imagine Hanina thought they would be so much worse without the Romans! What does this say about people left to their own devices?
If we rely upon people to do the right thing without consequences or binding law evil will ascend with dizzying swiftness. Not long after our creation, the Holy, blessed be He, declares in frustration, The world is filled with violence because of them. Genesis 6:13
In fact, if the book of Genesis serves no other purpose, it points to the propensity of humans to assault other people for their own benefit. Starting in the most perfect environment of Eden to the lush valleys of the Nile man proves his predisposition towards evil with ruthless consistency. No other creation has risen to such heights of cruelty as mankind.
Truth is also critical for any just society. Yet the word is not simply a convenient expression which no one could disagree with. For Torah, Truth is the unimpeachable testimony of witnesses. That is why page after page of Talmud is devoted to ascertaining the veracity of witnesses. They are drilled and questioned to determine their testimony. Without that truth the scales of justice cannot be balanced. Any court decision not only has a permanent effect on the litigants but casts a ripple that runs through the fabric of the whole society.
Peace is the goal of all the enactments of Mishpatim.
God loves those who seek justice. Psalms 99:4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought: If death did not exist would we ever put our life in order? If we lived forever would we indefinitely postpone teshuvah? Was the curse of Eden – the invitation to the Angel of Death to meet humanity- a blessing or curse?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honor your father and mother. From Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:12
How? What does this mitzvah mean?
1. Whoever hits his father or mother shall die. Exodus 21:15
Is the death penalty really mandated for abuse of parents?
Thought: A society that tolerates evil is an evil society.
Halacha: Only a child that has reached the age of majority, post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah, is liable to the death penalty for assaulting their parent.
Should a small child be held liable for their thoughtless, callous actions?
Thought: Could a society endure if children not extend honor or deference to their parents? Could this Law be directed at the basic underpinning of a society that would collapse without it? Is this the most basic of all laws?
Question: The mitzvah to honor parents is opposite the mitzvah to acknowledge the presence of God in the universe. Is there a connection between those mitzvot?
Halacha: The Sages indicated that a doctor many not operate on his father/mother lest he make an error and hurt them.
Halacha: The Law to not strike or hurt a parent extends to a convert. Why? Does not a convert accept as their parent Avraham and Sarah? Why then would this mitzvah extend to people who have converted from another religion to Judaism?
What would it mean if this halacha did not extend to them? What does it say about the need to live a just society that this halacha does devolve upon them?
2. Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death. Exodus 21:17
Halacha: This standard of behavior applies even if the parent is dead.
Question: What difference does it make if they are dead? They are no longer in the realm of the physical to be harmed by such words?
Even more, what if they abused her when she was young? No that the abusing parents are dead why not curse them?
Thought: Cursing even an abusive parent must be an affront to God.*
Halacha: Of the two offenses, hitting or cursing a parent, cursing is considered the worse crime.
Question: Why? Is not striking a parent more ruthless and shameful than cursing? Yes, agree the Sages. The difference between the two crimes is that cursing may come much easier than striking. In the midst of a quarrel it is easy to lose your temper and utter something regrettable while hitting is less likely. That is precisely why Torah is so unforgiving of curses: Respect begins on a thoughtful and visceral level. Another reason is that a physical wound heals while a scar to the soul will never go away.
3. Cursed is the one who dishonors his father or mother. Deuteronomy 27:16
Question: How does this mitzvah differ from the two enumerated above?
Anything which brings the parent shame from laughing at them to verbally assaulting them falls into this mitzvah of dishonor.
* This law does not mean that a child must remain in abusive situation.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Yitro, the Man
The parasha of Yitro ranks as the most powerful section of all theTorah readings. Containing the essential narrative of Judaism that tells the tale of the Revelation to the masses assembled at Sinai, Yitro spills out a message that would forever change the course of the universe.
Yet, an anomaly lurches out at the reader: why do we begin with such a forgettable man, Yitro, father-in-law of Moshe, and end with a cosmic event? Two more nagging questions gnaw at the mind. Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called by the name of a pagan? What lies at the crux of the conversion of Yitro to Judaism?
And Yitro heard... and Yitro came... Exodus 18:1 is how the parasha begins. What did Yitro hear that compelled him to join with the Israelites? What was the catalyst that caused Yitro to abandon his past? What did he hear?
In the Talmud we find an answer; actually a series of answers. The greatest Sages of Talmudic fame respond to the question of what moved Yitro. The first, Rabbi Joshua, offers, "Yitro heard of the war with Amalek..." Rumor spread quickly about the vast armies of Amalek that wickedly assaulted the women and children of the newly liberated slaves. Amalek threw his troops at the helpless, the defenseless. God, however, intervened. The enemy was obliterated. It was this unbelievable turn of events that compelled Yitro to join the Jewish nation, tells Rabbi Joshua.
Another Sage, Rabbi Eliezer HaModa'i, weighed in. Rabbi Eliezer told that Yitro understood the gravity of what was happening at the mountain in the Sinai wilderness. As his heart was open to the chasm opening up in theuniverse that would deliver the Torah, Yitro gaped in awe. He then ran to the people chosen to receive such a gift.
Rabbi Elazar, the third Sage, commented that once Yitro heard the tale of the fleeing nation with Egyptian forces ready to pounce and murder every one of them -- and then how the Sea opened up before them -- he cast his lot with theIsraelites. Any God that so fought for His people must be the most powerful. Zevachim 116a
Which one of the Talmudic authorities was correct? Any of them? All of them?
All that we know is that Yitro heard something so powerful that he cut his moorings to his past and joined the newly-spawned nation.
To our second question: Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called bythe name of a pagan, Yitro? The mystic tradition of the Zohar informs us that the Revelation at Sinai could not happen until Yitro had joined the Jewish people. God would not deliver His Torah until the time was right. That means the Holy One waited for Yitro.
Why? What does the conversion of this single man have to do with the destiny of the Jewish people? The holy Zohar elaborates further to tell that the Torah could not be given to Israel until Yitro, the great and supreme priest of the pagan world, had professed his faith in the Holy One, saying, "Now I know that God is greaterthan all the gods."
The Mechilta, Midrash, accentuates that Yitro was not just an ordinary pagan but a pagan priest. In his search for the ultimate truth Yitro scoured his universe to separate what was imagined from what was real. That is why Yitro made himself very familiar with all the practices of the ancient times. He turned his back on each one until the day that he witnessed the power and absolute truth of the Holy One, the God of Israel. Perhaps then the lesson of Yitro is to offset the experience of the new Israelite nation. Unlike the redeemed slaves, Yitro was not obeisant to a God who had personally delivered him. He was not part of the Exodus. He did not stand at Sinai and he did not join in song at the deft parting of the Sea. Yitro made a choice based on his heart and mind..
Was this why God waited? The Lord wants the hearts of those who seek truth; not just those scourged by the whip. Was this message intended for us? Another possibility: A mitzvah from the Torah is to love a stranger who has joined the Jewish people: "And you shall love the ger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" Deut. 10:19
Idea: Kabbalists insist that the hidden world is larger than the revealed world. There is so much to be ferreted out from the earth of this universe that the genuine seekers of God are continually vigilant for signs of Divine Radiance tucked away in every obscure place. Could it be that only the gifted ones are able to see what is hidden? Was Yitro one of these visionaries?
Further, God embedded some Jewish souls in gentile bodies. They are hidden even from themselves. Their task is to find soul-self and become redeemed. Once a soul has embraced its destiny, sparks of holiness return back to the Ultimate Maker. That is why we call a convert, a ger tzedek. They are proselytes of righteousness, returning to their home.
------------------------------------------
Idea: Why did Yitro come having heard all those tales about God protecting the Jewish nation and not people more closely related to the Israelites? Where were the children of Ishmael? What about Esau? Why did not they flock to rejoin their kin? Proverbs 27:10, states, "Better a close neighbor than a distant brother." "A close neighbor"--this is Yitro; "a distant brother" is Esau. Midrash Rabbah
Is it odd that a stranger saw the truth of God's actions? While blood relations shrank away? Moral? Love your family even though they may reject you.
Another possible moral: Be open to miracles. Out of fear or rigidity it is easy to dismiss the miraculousness of life and gifts of God.
The Talmud expresses a fascinating insight into the way people think and behave. The passage talks about a city called Matan Machsaya, a city in Babylonia. For two months each year a miracle occurred there. For these months each year Jewish businessmen would gather and study in the Yeshiva. During that time, a cloud of fire would hover over the Yeshiva. This pillar of fire was a Divine phenomenon was a revealed miracle. Yet, the townspeople went about their daily business and saw the fire as an ordinary, mundane event. A person can face a miracle and remain unmoved and uninspired.
Berachot end of 2nd Perek
--------------------------------------------
Idea:
"I your father-in-law, Yitro am on my way. Your wife and two sons are also coming." Exodus 18:6. Rashi tells us that Yitro sent this message to Moshe:
"If you do not want to come to greet me, come for the sake of your wife. If you do not want to come to greet your wife, come for the sake of her two sons."
Yitro's message to Moshe was clear. "You might have reached the height of spirituality, you must still be a man, a husband, a father, a friend. Spirituality cannot be achieved without first being a mensch.
A tale: A guest of the Hafetz Hayim noticed the master making the bed. The man objected and tried to went to take over from the Hafezt Hayim. "Rabbi, you should not be doing this. Let me do it!" The Hafetz Hayim said, "Will you put on tefillin for me too? I am doing the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, which, like other mitzvot, I must do myself."
The Hafetz Hayim was honored to make the bed for anyone staying at his house. Moshe Rabbeinu too needed to attend to the needs of his family.
Yitro observes Moshe in action as he "sits all day to judge the people; and the people stand upon him from morning until evening." Exodus 18:13 Yitro is surprised at how Moshe works. Yitro questions, "What is this thing that you are doing? Why do you sit alone as the people come to you all day?" Exodus 18:14 Rashi observes that Moshe is "sitting like a king" as the entire population crowds him, flooding him with cases and questions.
Sometimes you just need to make the bed. Get joy from doing the dishes. We are all equal. Moral? When looking at others see them as you see you.
Yet, an anomaly lurches out at the reader: why do we begin with such a forgettable man, Yitro, father-in-law of Moshe, and end with a cosmic event? Two more nagging questions gnaw at the mind. Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called by the name of a pagan? What lies at the crux of the conversion of Yitro to Judaism?
And Yitro heard... and Yitro came... Exodus 18:1 is how the parasha begins. What did Yitro hear that compelled him to join with the Israelites? What was the catalyst that caused Yitro to abandon his past? What did he hear?
In the Talmud we find an answer; actually a series of answers. The greatest Sages of Talmudic fame respond to the question of what moved Yitro. The first, Rabbi Joshua, offers, "Yitro heard of the war with Amalek..." Rumor spread quickly about the vast armies of Amalek that wickedly assaulted the women and children of the newly liberated slaves. Amalek threw his troops at the helpless, the defenseless. God, however, intervened. The enemy was obliterated. It was this unbelievable turn of events that compelled Yitro to join the Jewish nation, tells Rabbi Joshua.
Another Sage, Rabbi Eliezer HaModa'i, weighed in. Rabbi Eliezer told that Yitro understood the gravity of what was happening at the mountain in the Sinai wilderness. As his heart was open to the chasm opening up in theuniverse that would deliver the Torah, Yitro gaped in awe. He then ran to the people chosen to receive such a gift.
Rabbi Elazar, the third Sage, commented that once Yitro heard the tale of the fleeing nation with Egyptian forces ready to pounce and murder every one of them -- and then how the Sea opened up before them -- he cast his lot with theIsraelites. Any God that so fought for His people must be the most powerful. Zevachim 116a
Which one of the Talmudic authorities was correct? Any of them? All of them?
All that we know is that Yitro heard something so powerful that he cut his moorings to his past and joined the newly-spawned nation.
To our second question: Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called bythe name of a pagan, Yitro? The mystic tradition of the Zohar informs us that the Revelation at Sinai could not happen until Yitro had joined the Jewish people. God would not deliver His Torah until the time was right. That means the Holy One waited for Yitro.
Why? What does the conversion of this single man have to do with the destiny of the Jewish people? The holy Zohar elaborates further to tell that the Torah could not be given to Israel until Yitro, the great and supreme priest of the pagan world, had professed his faith in the Holy One, saying, "Now I know that God is greaterthan all the gods."
The Mechilta, Midrash, accentuates that Yitro was not just an ordinary pagan but a pagan priest. In his search for the ultimate truth Yitro scoured his universe to separate what was imagined from what was real. That is why Yitro made himself very familiar with all the practices of the ancient times. He turned his back on each one until the day that he witnessed the power and absolute truth of the Holy One, the God of Israel. Perhaps then the lesson of Yitro is to offset the experience of the new Israelite nation. Unlike the redeemed slaves, Yitro was not obeisant to a God who had personally delivered him. He was not part of the Exodus. He did not stand at Sinai and he did not join in song at the deft parting of the Sea. Yitro made a choice based on his heart and mind..
Was this why God waited? The Lord wants the hearts of those who seek truth; not just those scourged by the whip. Was this message intended for us? Another possibility: A mitzvah from the Torah is to love a stranger who has joined the Jewish people: "And you shall love the ger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" Deut. 10:19
Idea: Kabbalists insist that the hidden world is larger than the revealed world. There is so much to be ferreted out from the earth of this universe that the genuine seekers of God are continually vigilant for signs of Divine Radiance tucked away in every obscure place. Could it be that only the gifted ones are able to see what is hidden? Was Yitro one of these visionaries?
Further, God embedded some Jewish souls in gentile bodies. They are hidden even from themselves. Their task is to find soul-self and become redeemed. Once a soul has embraced its destiny, sparks of holiness return back to the Ultimate Maker. That is why we call a convert, a ger tzedek. They are proselytes of righteousness, returning to their home.
------------------------------------------
Idea: Why did Yitro come having heard all those tales about God protecting the Jewish nation and not people more closely related to the Israelites? Where were the children of Ishmael? What about Esau? Why did not they flock to rejoin their kin? Proverbs 27:10, states, "Better a close neighbor than a distant brother." "A close neighbor"--this is Yitro; "a distant brother" is Esau. Midrash Rabbah
Is it odd that a stranger saw the truth of God's actions? While blood relations shrank away? Moral? Love your family even though they may reject you.
Another possible moral: Be open to miracles. Out of fear or rigidity it is easy to dismiss the miraculousness of life and gifts of God.
The Talmud expresses a fascinating insight into the way people think and behave. The passage talks about a city called Matan Machsaya, a city in Babylonia. For two months each year a miracle occurred there. For these months each year Jewish businessmen would gather and study in the Yeshiva. During that time, a cloud of fire would hover over the Yeshiva. This pillar of fire was a Divine phenomenon was a revealed miracle. Yet, the townspeople went about their daily business and saw the fire as an ordinary, mundane event. A person can face a miracle and remain unmoved and uninspired.
Berachot end of 2nd Perek
--------------------------------------------
Idea:
"I your father-in-law, Yitro am on my way. Your wife and two sons are also coming." Exodus 18:6. Rashi tells us that Yitro sent this message to Moshe:
"If you do not want to come to greet me, come for the sake of your wife. If you do not want to come to greet your wife, come for the sake of her two sons."
Yitro's message to Moshe was clear. "You might have reached the height of spirituality, you must still be a man, a husband, a father, a friend. Spirituality cannot be achieved without first being a mensch.
A tale: A guest of the Hafetz Hayim noticed the master making the bed. The man objected and tried to went to take over from the Hafezt Hayim. "Rabbi, you should not be doing this. Let me do it!" The Hafetz Hayim said, "Will you put on tefillin for me too? I am doing the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, which, like other mitzvot, I must do myself."
The Hafetz Hayim was honored to make the bed for anyone staying at his house. Moshe Rabbeinu too needed to attend to the needs of his family.
Yitro observes Moshe in action as he "sits all day to judge the people; and the people stand upon him from morning until evening." Exodus 18:13 Yitro is surprised at how Moshe works. Yitro questions, "What is this thing that you are doing? Why do you sit alone as the people come to you all day?" Exodus 18:14 Rashi observes that Moshe is "sitting like a king" as the entire population crowds him, flooding him with cases and questions.
Sometimes you just need to make the bed. Get joy from doing the dishes. We are all equal. Moral? When looking at others see them as you see you.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Leaving
And it was when Pharaoh sent the people that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines despite the fact that is was near because the Almighty said the people will reconsider when they see war looming and will return to Egypt. Exodus 13:17
After all the Jewish people suffered in Egypt they would really contemplate returning to bondage? After the onslaught of plagues that rained down on Egypt they would now give up? The miracle at the Sea was so easily over and done? Had they so quickly forgotten the oppression? The genocide of the first born males? The agonizing lashes? How could such pain be forgotten?
Every human is comprised of two disparate parts; body and soul. The body is the “shoe” or cloak of life. It is like the house which holds all our worldly possessions. The soul is the gift of the Lord; it is the held prize of the body. The two segments are likened to the olam, world, which is clear and revealed and the elem, the secreted world that is hidden from the eye. Both exist.
The polar extremities of the competing desires between body and soul can be disconcerting to the point where one begins to exert much control over the other. That is why we fall. It is the soul that usually suffers.
We cannot exist in the ethereal realm of God to the total exclusion of the physical self. We need physical nourishment and care. Yet, this is not the problem that most people go through. Where we stumble is when we ignore the smaller, quieter, inner voice. At a moment we can feel elevated, exuberant. In another instant we can forget the sublime joy of the soul. At the time of liberation from Egypt God feared that the newly liberated slaves would succumb to the moment and forget all the wondrous deeds that had only just happened.
Do not despair. Despair is the path away from the Almighty. It steers us away from hope. It drives a wedge between the body and soul that will cause us to lose sight of our true self. That is what the Talmud means when it states that “All that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His universe, He crafted male and female.” 1 We are different parts, male and female, body and soul, Godly and earthly, that needs to allow both segments of self to work in unison to produce a whole person.
1 Baba Baatra 74b
- - - - - - - - - - -
I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel. Speak to them, saying: In the evening you will eat meat and in the morning you shall be sated with bread. You shall know that I am God. Exodus 16:11
There are four teshukot (or overwhelming desires) in the world:
The first desire is that of Eve for Adam, the second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain, the desire for rain and finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. 1
This first teshuka is a physical lusting. It is a hunger that floods the conscious mind. Pushing away other thoughts it distracts and deceives. The great deception of this desire is the misguided belief that someone will redeem us. If someone can be brought to love us enough they will save us. This desire strips us of our power and role in our redemption. It is also self-deception.
The second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain.
Cain’s sacrifice was inferior to his brother’s, Abel. Knowing full well that that his brother had succeeded in opening his heart to God while he remained closed and selfish, Cain listened to his Evil Inclination. He bought the lie that if he punished his brother his acts would become more righteous. This is the same lie that causes us to shame or degrade other people. Hurting others by actions or words devalues our self.
The desire for rain is the ill-fated wish for someone or something to rescue us out of our malaise. "If only I won the lottery"…"if only I had a good mate"…"if only I had different parents…." This kind of wishful thinking removes us far from what we could become. God wants a partner not a dependent.
And finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. This is a yearning that God holds and that we can share. God wears tefilin that bears the prayer, “Israel, who is like you?” From this we understand that God prays for us. We must join God in the prayer for the wellbeing of humanity. It is a belief in what can be. It is a belief in what is possible. It is trust in our ability to grow and mature.
1 Bereshit Rabba 20:7
- - - - - - - - - - -
Leaving Egypt was no simple task. They were leaving the home they had known their entire life. It was also the place where their families had existed for hundreds of years. Now they were being cast out. Everything familiar was to be left behind. Understandably, the people were frightened. Time and again they queried their leader, How will we survive?
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God." To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever." To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you." And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent." Mechilta
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God."
It is easy to give up. Saying that life is too painful is simple. Losing one’s employment, becoming addicted, losing a love, death and rejection are all components of a lifetime that repeat. We experience these events many times over. It would be too easy to surrender to those opposing forces and give up.
Moses tells us: You are not alone. There is an Ultimate Master of All that cares intensely about you. Do not give up. God will not turn His Face from you.
To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever."
Even pain has a purpose. Hidden deep in the folds of our anguish are seeds of opportunity. There is no pain that does not open up a possibility that would otherwise remain closed. That is not to say that we should welcome pain. Yet, when it comes to our door do not move backward toward the restrictive Egypt that once held us in its vise-like grip. Since we cannot change what has already happened use the experience as a tool for growth.
To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you."
Do not lose sight of your morals. At all costs, do not lose your integrity. It is what makes you a holy vessel. Remain true to yourself; remain true to your God. Perhaps the greatest victory of evil would be to claim their victim as their own.
And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent."
As Psalms indicates, Leckha dumyah tehilla “to You silence is praise.” 1 Sometimes a wellspring of strength emerges from the darkness in the form of quiet. In the maelstrom of pain, when the tears have subsided, it is time to sit silently with God. From that place may issue the strongest prayer ever uttered.
1 Psalms 65:2
After all the Jewish people suffered in Egypt they would really contemplate returning to bondage? After the onslaught of plagues that rained down on Egypt they would now give up? The miracle at the Sea was so easily over and done? Had they so quickly forgotten the oppression? The genocide of the first born males? The agonizing lashes? How could such pain be forgotten?
Every human is comprised of two disparate parts; body and soul. The body is the “shoe” or cloak of life. It is like the house which holds all our worldly possessions. The soul is the gift of the Lord; it is the held prize of the body. The two segments are likened to the olam, world, which is clear and revealed and the elem, the secreted world that is hidden from the eye. Both exist.
The polar extremities of the competing desires between body and soul can be disconcerting to the point where one begins to exert much control over the other. That is why we fall. It is the soul that usually suffers.
We cannot exist in the ethereal realm of God to the total exclusion of the physical self. We need physical nourishment and care. Yet, this is not the problem that most people go through. Where we stumble is when we ignore the smaller, quieter, inner voice. At a moment we can feel elevated, exuberant. In another instant we can forget the sublime joy of the soul. At the time of liberation from Egypt God feared that the newly liberated slaves would succumb to the moment and forget all the wondrous deeds that had only just happened.
Do not despair. Despair is the path away from the Almighty. It steers us away from hope. It drives a wedge between the body and soul that will cause us to lose sight of our true self. That is what the Talmud means when it states that “All that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His universe, He crafted male and female.” 1 We are different parts, male and female, body and soul, Godly and earthly, that needs to allow both segments of self to work in unison to produce a whole person.
1 Baba Baatra 74b
- - - - - - - - - - -
I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel. Speak to them, saying: In the evening you will eat meat and in the morning you shall be sated with bread. You shall know that I am God. Exodus 16:11
There are four teshukot (or overwhelming desires) in the world:
The first desire is that of Eve for Adam, the second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain, the desire for rain and finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. 1
This first teshuka is a physical lusting. It is a hunger that floods the conscious mind. Pushing away other thoughts it distracts and deceives. The great deception of this desire is the misguided belief that someone will redeem us. If someone can be brought to love us enough they will save us. This desire strips us of our power and role in our redemption. It is also self-deception.
The second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain.
Cain’s sacrifice was inferior to his brother’s, Abel. Knowing full well that that his brother had succeeded in opening his heart to God while he remained closed and selfish, Cain listened to his Evil Inclination. He bought the lie that if he punished his brother his acts would become more righteous. This is the same lie that causes us to shame or degrade other people. Hurting others by actions or words devalues our self.
The desire for rain is the ill-fated wish for someone or something to rescue us out of our malaise. "If only I won the lottery"…"if only I had a good mate"…"if only I had different parents…." This kind of wishful thinking removes us far from what we could become. God wants a partner not a dependent.
And finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. This is a yearning that God holds and that we can share. God wears tefilin that bears the prayer, “Israel, who is like you?” From this we understand that God prays for us. We must join God in the prayer for the wellbeing of humanity. It is a belief in what can be. It is a belief in what is possible. It is trust in our ability to grow and mature.
1 Bereshit Rabba 20:7
- - - - - - - - - - -
Leaving Egypt was no simple task. They were leaving the home they had known their entire life. It was also the place where their families had existed for hundreds of years. Now they were being cast out. Everything familiar was to be left behind. Understandably, the people were frightened. Time and again they queried their leader, How will we survive?
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God." To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever." To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you." And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent." Mechilta
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God."
It is easy to give up. Saying that life is too painful is simple. Losing one’s employment, becoming addicted, losing a love, death and rejection are all components of a lifetime that repeat. We experience these events many times over. It would be too easy to surrender to those opposing forces and give up.
Moses tells us: You are not alone. There is an Ultimate Master of All that cares intensely about you. Do not give up. God will not turn His Face from you.
To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever."
Even pain has a purpose. Hidden deep in the folds of our anguish are seeds of opportunity. There is no pain that does not open up a possibility that would otherwise remain closed. That is not to say that we should welcome pain. Yet, when it comes to our door do not move backward toward the restrictive Egypt that once held us in its vise-like grip. Since we cannot change what has already happened use the experience as a tool for growth.
To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you."
Do not lose sight of your morals. At all costs, do not lose your integrity. It is what makes you a holy vessel. Remain true to yourself; remain true to your God. Perhaps the greatest victory of evil would be to claim their victim as their own.
And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent."
As Psalms indicates, Leckha dumyah tehilla “to You silence is praise.” 1 Sometimes a wellspring of strength emerges from the darkness in the form of quiet. In the maelstrom of pain, when the tears have subsided, it is time to sit silently with God. From that place may issue the strongest prayer ever uttered.
1 Psalms 65:2
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
