Overview of the Weekly Reading: Ki
Tissa, Parah
To be read on the Shabbat of 18 Adar, 5762 (March 2)
Torah: Ex. 30:11-34:35, maftir Parah Numbers
19:11-22
Haftorah: Ezekiel 36:16-18 (for Parah-"the Red Heifer")
Stats: Ki Tissah contains 4 positive mitzvot
and 5 prohibitive mitzvot. Among the Weekly Readings,
Ki Tissah ranks 10 out of 54 in number of verses, 5 in
number of words, and 8 in number of letters
The Jews were commanded to make a census in which each
male over the age of 20 gave half a shekel, and to make a washstand
and basin, anointing oil, and incense for the Tabernacle. Betzalel and
Oholiav were chosen as the head craftsman for the construction of the
Tabernacle, its contents, the priestly clothes, oil, and incense. The
Jews were commanded to observe Shabbos, the day of rest. Believing Moshe's
descent overdue, the Jews asked Aharon to make them a deity. From gold
the Jews gave, a calf was formed which the Jews began to worship. On
the mountain, G-d told Moshe of what the Jews had done. Moshe pleaded
with G-d not to annihilate them, reminding His promise to the forefathers
to make the Jews a nation. Upon his descent, Moshe saw the Jews idolatrous
behavior and threw down the tablets of the 10 commandments, breaking
them. Then G-d, Moshe and the Levites punished offenders. G-d said that
an angel would lead them in the desert, but eventually agreed to Moshe's
plea that He directly lead the Jews. G-d granted Moshe a special vision
of His glory. G-d told Moshe to carve out two new tablets and return
to the mountaintop. Moshe recited special verses that mention G-d's
attributes of mercy. The Jews were reminded not to commit idolatry,
not to make peace treaties with the nations living in Israel, to observe
Passover, Shavuos and Shabbos, to dedicate first born males, animals
and first fruit to G-d, that all men appear before G-d at the Temple
thrice yearly at certain times, and not to mix milk and meat. Moshe
wrote down all the commandments, and G-d wrote the Ten Commandments
on the two new tablets. When Moshe descended this time, his face was
so luminous that he had to wear a veil over it.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC REBBES Ki
Tissah
"The Children of Israel shall keep
the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath." (31:16)
The holiness of Shabbat exists independently
of the Jew; all he is enjoined to do is guard it. Yet at the same time,
the Jew is commanded to observe Shabbat by his own actions, adding to
its inherent holiness with his preparation and service.
(Sefer Hamaamarim)
Every Jew is given an extra G-dly soul
on the Sabbath, which is why we are especially careful in keeping its
laws: G-d is always more stringent with those He is closest to.
(Ohr Hatorah)
"Before all your people I will
perform wonders, such as have not been done on all the earth, nor in any
nation." (4:10)
The Hebrew word for "wonder"
is related to the word meaning "set apart." G-d promised the
Jews that they would be set apart from the rest of the nations of the
world, for His Divine Presence would henceforth rest only on them. But
what "wonders" were promised? Not merely miracles in the physical
world, but wonders in the spiritual sense, a deeper understanding of G-dliness
and holiness than is afforded others. That is why the verse specifies
"before all your people," for only the Jew can really understand
and appreciate the depth of these wonders.
(Ohr Hatorah)
FROM THE MASTERS OF
KABBALAH- Ki
Tissah
Selected with
permission from the five-volume English edition of Ohr HaChaim: the
Torah Commentary of Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar, as translated and annotated
by Eliyahu Munk.
The holy Rabbi Chayim ben Moses Attar was born in Sale, Western Morocco,
on the Atlantic in 1696. His immortal commentary on the Five Books Of
Moses, Or Hachayim, was printed in Venice in 1741, while the author was
on his way to the Holy Land. He acquired a reputation as a miracle worker,
hence his title "the holy," although some apply this title only
to his Torah commentary.
"Every man over 20 years old …….and give this offering
to G-d." [30:14]
The Torah stipulates that the
minimum age at which a person had to make his half-shekel contribution
was from twenty years and up. The Torah revealed a secret here when it
did not demand that males from the age of 13 and up had to make this contribution.
Seeing the males are considered as adults from the age of 13, why would
teenagers not have been liable for this ransom? They also had participated
in the golden calf episode!
The Torah told us here that a person's personality (nefesh) has
not matured until age 20, as he had not had time to absorb and comprehend
the various spiritual components that make up a true Israelite until he
has reached that age. This is the mystical dimension of Psalms 2:7: "You
are My son, I have fathered you this day."
Compare what the Zohar Mishpatim 98 has to say on that verse. [The
Zohar on Exodus 21:9 writes that a man is called ben form the age
of 13, and ben lehakodosh baruch hu from the age of 20. Ed.]
There is a sound reason why man should not be liable to punishment at
the hands of heaven until he has reached that age, seeing that he has
not yet matured emotionally and intellectually.
Such maturity is essential to enable us to successfully battle the evil
urge and to appreciate G-d's message to man. By the time man has reached
the age of 20 he is considered fully equipped to cope with all kinds of
temptations.
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter
When Moshe came down from Mt. Sinai with the tablets, he saw how the Jewish
people had sinned with the golden calf. In reaction to this, he threw
down and broke the tablets in the sight of all the Jewish People. The
Midrash teaches that afterwards, Moshe felt bad about having broken the
tablets. G-d told him, "Don't be regretful! The first tablets had
only the Ten Commandments. The second tablets, which I will give you,
will have much more. Along with the second tablets, the Jews will also
receive (all of the commentaries, i.e.-) halachas, Midrash, Agadot,
and the entire Oral Torah." Why didn't G-d include all these with
the first set of tablets? Why did G-d wait to give them until Moshe broke
the first tablets?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe
answers that in order for someone to be ready to receive all of G-d's
Torah, he or she must be humble. True humility means that we understand
that every asset we have is a gift from G-d. Our job is to use these assets
properly. When someone is focused on serving G-d and therefore attains
humility, then he or she is fit to receive the Torah. This is as it says
in the prayer, "…and my spirit shall be like dust before all;
open my heart to Your Torah." Once we become humble like the dust
of the earth, then our hearts are ready to accept the Torah.
At the time of the
giving of the Torah, G-d chose the Jews from all the other nations, raising
us above all other peoples. The Children of Israel were on an exalted
spiritual level. They felt themselves to be very important, but they were
lacking the humility required in order to receive the Torah-"…my
spirit shall be like dust before all…" When Moshe broke the
tablets for all to see, so too was broken the haughty spirit of the Jewish
people. True humility filled their hearts. They immediately became fit
to receive all of the Torah-the tablets as well as the halachas
and Midrash of the Torah.
This is why G-d said
to Moshe "Be blessed for having broken them" (Rashi).
It was not just a consolation--G-d thanked Moshe for breaking the
tablets! Through their breaking, Moshe caused the Jews to become humble
in their own eyes, and therefore fit receivers of the Torah. From this
explanation we can understand why the Ark in the Bais HaMikdash (Temple)
contained the pieces of the first broken set as well as the two whole
second tablets. For what purpose were the pieces of the first tablets
kept? It was to be a constant reminder to the Jews that in order to receive
the Torah, one must have humility, without any arrogance. The next time
something not so pleasant happens, think about how the Jewish people felt
when the tablets were broken. Maybe here too the Almighty is coming to
remind us of this lesson. Then, one's heart can be open to the holy Torah.
(Adapted from Mayan Chai)
Shabbat Shalom!
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