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Overview of the Weekly Reading: Ki
Tissa
To be read on 20 Adar Alef 5763 (Feb.22)
Torah: Ex. 30:11-34:35;
Haftorah: Kings I 18:1-39
(parallels to Golden Calf episode)
Stats: Ki Tissa 9th Reading out of 11 in Exodus
and 21th overall, contains 4 positive mitzvot
and 5 prohibitive mitzvot. It is written on 245 lines
in a parchment Torah scroll, 8th out of 54 in overall length.
Commandments 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 Mocha’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 mountain top. Moshe recited special verses which 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 should 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
"…Every man shall give G-d an atonement for his soul...a
half-shekel." (30:12-13)
Moshe could not understand how money can accomplish forgiveness for the
soul. G-d showed Moshe a fiery coin which weighed a half-shekel, and He
explained that a coin by itself cannot atone for a grave sin. However,
if one gives with warmth and enthusiasm that comes from the fiery core
of the Jewish soul, then a coin can truly become the cause of forgiveness.
(Likutei Sichot)
The amount was set at precisely half a
coin, to show that G-d Himself is responsible for the other half. Had He not created
the Evil Impulse to tempt us in the first place, we would never transgress.
(Rebbe Simcha Bunim)
A MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
(M:21-63
Ki Tissa
)
FROM THE MASTERS OF KABBALA
(K:21-63
Ki
Tissa )
Selected
with permission and adapted from the three-volume English edition of Shney
Luchot HaBrit -- the Sh'lah, as translated,
condensed, and annotated by
Eliyahu Munk.
Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(1565-1630), known as the 'Sh'lah' - an acronym of the title, was born
in Prague. A scholar of outstanding reputation, he served as chief Rabbi
of Cracow, and more famously, of Frankfort (1610-1620). After his first
wife passed away, he remarried and moved to Israel in 1621, where he became
the first Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Jerusalem. He later moved to Tiberias,
where he is buried, near the tomb of the Rambam.
Seeing that the Tabernacle was a re-enactment of the work of creation,
and Israel, as the carrier of the Merkava, is closely intertwined
with the forces represented in the construction of the Tabernacle, we
can understand why the 39 kinds of work prohibited on the Sabbath are
the ones which were employed in the construction of the Tabernacle.
In this portion, Betzalel and the other divinely inspired artisans are
commanded to observe the Sabbath regulations even during such a holy endeavor
as the construction of the Tabernacle, because the Torah (31, 13) says:
"But you must observe My Sabbath days."
Because the Sabbath represents a mystical element of the Ineffable Name,
we have been forbidden to carry items from the "private domain,"
i.e. the domain represented by the Ineffable Name as Yud, as we
showed earlier, to the public domain (which represents the number 4, as
cubits) as we described. In a nutshell, before
G-d created the physical universe, there was only a single domain, G-d's
domain, the private domain; since G-d created a universe, there is an
additional domain, the public domain, since G-d by having created the
universe - "shared" part of His previously exclusive private
domain with His creatures.
The principle of private and public domain thus became part of the creation,
and is reflected in restrictions placed on the interaction of these domains
on the Sabbath. Israel is described in numerous Midrashim as the
mate of the Sabbath; this is because both Israel and the Sabbath are holy.
(adapted from Torat Moshe - the 16th commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshech
of Zefat on the Torah, as translated and condensed in the English version of Eliyahu
Munk)
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click here)
(W:21-63
Ki
Tissa )
Ki Tisa introduces the commandment, "Aaron and his sons should wash
their hands and feet in it (the washstand) before they come to the tent
of meeting" (Ex. 30:19). This washing had two purposes. First, cleanliness
and purity is a prerequisite to priestly service. Second, by washing,
the priest would come to a higher level of holiness. The Mishna calls
this process, "sanctification of the hands and feet" (Yoma 28a).
Since the destruction of the Temples, it is impossible for us to serve
the Almighty in totality. Notwithstanding, the spiritual imperative
for the required service still exists today. The "priest" is
every Jew, as the verse says, "You are a kingdom of Priests
and a holy nation". Accordingly, it is appropriate even today for
each of us to prepare ourselves for spiritual service by washing. The
Rambam writes in his Laws of Prayer, "Before one prays the morning
prayers, he should wash his face, hands and feet and only afterwards pray."
His ruling is based on the Talmudic adage, "The daily prayers are
said in relation to the temple offerings". Similarly, the washing
we do today is representative of the purity and sanctification accomplished
by the washing performed by the priest before his service.
It might have slipped by you, but the Rambam added a detail not present
in the commandment for the priests - the washing of the face. The Rambam
was not trying to make our lives more complicated. The washing of the
face has a special significance in these days of exile. What is the difference
between our present era and Temple times?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that feet and hands, means of interfacing
with the world, represent the human capacity of action. On the other hand,
the face connotes the subtler, inner strengths, our intellect, sight,
hearing, speech, etc.. The mundane world is dealt with primarily via our
feet and hands, as the verse says, "With the effort of your hands
you should eat" (Psalms 128:2). This isn't an idle statement. King
David is telling us that it is our hands that we should invest in the
world. Your other, more inner strengths keep for the acknowledgement of
and service of G-d.
From this point we can understand the difference between now and the
period of the Temples. During the Temple eras, we were on a higher level.
The "face" was automatically separated from the physical world.
It was natural to maintain an aloofness of the mind and its faculties
from the mundane. Therefore, designating sanctification of the face was
unnecessary. This is not true today when it is hard to remain aloof from
the world. Additionally, our higher qualities are very much under attack
by the world we live in. Some extra protection, in the form of a little
extra purity and holiness is required. This is the basis for the Rambam's
addition, to wash our faces before prayer.
One may think that while the above is a nice idea, it's a bit superficial.
Washing your face to remain aloof from an aggressive world? And according
to some major Jewish authorities you are correct. They do not require
such action. A Jewish person innately has the strength not to be swept
away by the world. Other Rabbis say that even the subtlest effort at the
start of our day, such as the saying of the "Modeh ani"
prayer, is enough to put us in control and connected to our spiritual
source, the Holy One blessed be He. Overt action is not required they
say. The inner dimension of every Jew is always available to serve the
Almighty and is out of reach of the world and its tentacles. But to be
honest with you, I personally say "Modeh ani" and wash
my face before I pray. (Today it is not customary to wash our feet because
we cover them.)
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul Leiter
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
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