The Importance of Being Beautiful Inside (Teruma #2)

This week's parsha is a dream come true for those readers who love intricate, descriptive detail - you know the people who actually read the chapters of the whale biology in Moby Dick. For the types of people who prefer dialogue or action or narrative, however, parshas Teruma can be a little harder to study… until one realizes that here too the language is full of meaning and subtext.

In the second aliyah of the parsha, Hashem provides detailed instructions on the creation of the cover of the aron, the ark. It must be 2 1/2 amos by 1 /2 amos with a cherub coming forth from each end that has all been hammered from one pure gold plate. No soldering allowed. The text goes into great detail about the cherubim, concluding with the instructions that the two golden angels should face each other. And then comes a seemingly simple, yet oddly placed, sentence: "Place the cover on top of the aron, after depositing inside the aron the pact [the luchos] that I will give you" (25:21). This would be a strange statement for its basic redundancy, since 25:16 states: "And deposit in the aron the pact which I gave you."

However, when you think about it further, it is a strange instruction in general. One is certainly not going to place the cover on the aron before one puts the luchos in. Hashem did not expect Moshe to perform magic tricks to put the luchos in the aron. So why is this pasuk here?

Rabbi Yitzhak Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, noted that all of the other vessels of the Mishkan could be put to alternate pruposes. The aron, however, was static. It had one purpose and one alone, which was to house the luchos. Without the luchos, the aron was just a beautifully sculpted box. This fact, this unique lack, is actually an idea that is rife with meaning. From a theological perspective, one could apply a lesson to the era in which we have to fight a societal philosophy that discourages religious belief. In order to keep people coming to services and synagogues and such, it has become common to use promotions and gimmicky ads. More challenging, however, is hearing about Jewish law being made to be accommodating when it suits the needs of increasing attendance numbers or the current political atmosphere. No matter how beautiful the synagogue, how incredible the organization, or how enthusiastic the people, Jewish life without Torah, without our pact with Hashem, is just a lovely vessel.

One can find a similar lesson about our personal behavior. The need for Torah at the heart is a reflection of how Judaism understands the purpose of the Jewish people, of the individual members of our goy kadosh, our holy nation. Our tafkid, our purpose, is to bring kedusha, holiness, to the world. We can only do this if we are in touch with the spark of Torah within ourselves. A person presenting themselves as "religious," but not really embracing Torah in their hearts is like the aron without the luchos. Luckily, just like the aron without the luchos can be filled and properly closed, so too one can, at any time, acquire Torah with a full heart.

The lessons here are not one sided. The golden beauty of the aron provides us with a separate lesson. Torah is precious. We have to hold on to it, to keep it safe, in a way that demonstrates how glorious it is. This can be understood in physical terms. For example, the idea of hidur mitzvah, of doing mitzvos with the choicest materials available, such as we learn about the process of choosing an esrog. However, it can also be a lesson for how we live our Judaism. Love and joy are precious gold, as compared to the battered wooden box of those who live the mitzvos as a burden.

These ideas about how a beautiful outside only being made significant by a holy inside pairs meaningfully with the two cherubim made from a single piece of gold. While they are angels because the aron was connected with the celestrial realm (thus the place where Hashem’s voice would be heard), their main form was human. The fact that the encasement of the luchos, the treasure box holding our pact with Hashem, is topped by the cherubim might serve as a reminder of the greater importance we must place on bein adam l’chavero over bein adam l’makom (interpersonal mitzvot over mitzvot for Divine connection). When we are kind to each other, when we follow the Torah’s guidelines of bein adam l’chaevero, we are like the cherubim stretching toward one another. And it was only when the cherubim faced one another that Hashem would speak through them.

One could, therefore say, that the detailed instructions of the mishkan are the first iteration of the golden rule of treating others well. There is no better way to do this than by staying holy in our hearts with the Torah and presenting a beautiful face to those we meet.

Mishpatim: Online Rules from the Torah (Mishpatim #2)

The word mishpatim comes from the same root as the word for judge and judging. Perhaps this is one of the main messages of this week’s parsha, that all people need to view the world in the same way as a judge must look at a court case, with the goal of always pursuing justice.

This week’s dvar Torah will focus on the initial verses of chapter 23 (the third chapter of Mishpatim). These verses are interesting because most commentaries appear to presume that these laws are specific for behaviour in a court: "You must not bear false rumors; you shall not join hands with the guilty to act as a malicious witness. You shall neither side with the majority to do wrong - you shall not perverse testimony in dispute so as to pervert it in favor of the majority - nor shall you show deference to a poor man in his dispute" (23:1 - 3). Not once, however, is there a reference to judges or court officials, and while all these rules most certainly apply to officers of the law, the fact is that these commandments are directed at individuals.

We live in a world in which most of us are removed from being part of the legal system. Indeed, many of us have probably had few interactions with civil courts (one hopes) or with beis din. But we live today in a society in which people are highly influenced by the judgements of others. And since we have so much access to each others’ lives, there has never been a more important time to apply the basic civilizing rules of Mishpatim to our lives. Let’s look closer:

23:1) Parents around the world are receiving constant reminders of the danger of cyberbullying to our children, and withou question, it happens to adults as well. Tearing other people down by destroying their character is obviously not a new thing, no more so than bullying, but our highly connected world has amplified the damage that can be done and thus we must always have in mind the commandment “You must not bear false rumors (or even true rumors, really); you shall not join hands with the guilty to act as a malicious witness.”

23:2) For the last several decades, we have seen a growing division among people. Those of different political viewpoints seem determined to believe the worst about those who differ from them. Whether you lean left or right, it has become far too easy to get swayed into demonizing the other side. Perhaps more significant is how easy it has become for each side to ignore the behavior of its own leaders, choosing to believe that one’s support needs to be all or nothing. Here we can see the significance of the the posuk: "You shall not side with the majority to do wrong.” We all tend to surround ourselves with like-minded people. Being in a so-called echo chamber makes it easy to just agree with the majority opinion, even when one’s gut is telling them that that opinion is wrong. The verse continues: “And you shall not give perverse testimony in dispute so as to pervert it in favor of the majority." The online world is full of clickbait articles, extreme opinions, and funny but difficult to doubt memes that subtly subvert the truth. A quote taken out of context or a news article from an unreliable source can be as damaging as a false testimony, since by sharing these items we are subtly saying that this is a thought with which we are in agreement.

23:4) Just as the Torah warns against siding with the majority to do wrong, it also says "nor shall you show deference to a poor man in his dispute." While this may seem obvious to some, and perhaps subtly unfair to others, this is one of the true beauties of the Torah. This statement is a recognition that it is part of human nature to want to help someone who appears to be in need - meaning both a person who is literally poor or someone viewed as an underdog. One might ask how this could be considered wrong. The answer, however, is in understanding that common culture may determine that someone or some group is the underdog, but just because that appears to be a majority view does not mean it is an accurate view. And even when there is a real underdog, the injustice of society cannot be repaired by unbalanced judgement or action. Society still has rules, and both sides must be judged fairly. The imbalance of mob mentality and the act of deferring to the underdog in a dispute can be seen throughout the current North American culture.

One example in which we can see how opinion is affected by false rumors and malicious testimony and has nevertheless become accepted because of the power of majority viewpoint is support for the BDS (BOycott, Divestment, Sanctions - an anti-Israel group) movement. People think, based on one sided information, that by supporting the Boycott Israel movement they are balancing the situation of the Palestinians in comparison to the Israelis, but, in fact, many of the companies affected by the BDS movement are companies that employ and supply all of the communities in the area. By deferring to the underdog, by assuming one is giving to the Palestinians by boycotting Israel, they have set up a new imbalance that will only lead to more conflict.

From the very inception of the Jewish people, Hashem made it clear that maintaining a just and civil society is not just a good thing to do, but our responsibility and our obligation. He also made it clear that this is not always a simple and natural societal path. Luckily, He also gave us the Torah to serve as a constant guidebook.

National Purpose (Yisro #2)

What is your purpose in life? We all have our own answers to this question, both broad answers - such as being an aved Hashem (a servant of God) - and more focused answers - such as, perhaps, writing the great American novel. But the reality is that we all find ourselves wondering about our purpose as we, and it, change throughout our lifetimes.

Wanting to understand why we are here and what we should be aiming for is an integral part of human nature. When we don't know our purpose, we risk wandering aimlessly. This is true of individuals and of collective groups of nations such as Klal Yisrael.

Stuck in slavery, the Hebrews were not able to think about their ultimate purpose. They knew, however, that their identity as Bnei Yisrael meant that they had a destiny, that they were meant to be more than slaves. They called out to God, and He sent Moshe to lead them out of slavery and to save them from the Egyptians and the initial perils of the wilderness (the need for food, water, etc). When they arrived at the wilderness at Sinai, Hashem knew that now that their worries of freedom and survival were behind them that they would start to think about their purpose and their goals. Now, therefore, was the time to set before them the Torah, the laws by which He expected them to lead their lives. Before He began transmitting the Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments), before He even asked Bnei Yisrael if they would accept His laws, Hashem told Moshe and Aharon to tell Bnei Yisrael what He desires their purpose to be: "And you shall be to Me a ממלכת כהנים kingdom of priests and גוי קדושׁ a holy nation" (19:6).

Accepting the Torah means accepting this eternal purpose for our existence as a people. The two work together. Our purpose is to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, and the framework of what we need to do to accomplish this is laid out in the Torah. The laws of the Torah empower us to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
One might ask, and many commentators do ask, why two different terms are used. One common opinion (e.g. Ramban) is that being a ממלכת כהנים, a nation of priests, is our purpose for Olam Hazeh, because in this world we can be to the world like our kohanim are to Am Yisrael - we can teach and guide and provide avodah to Hashem; while being a גוי קדושׁ, a holy nation, is for Olam Habah, for the next world, since being kadosh is more passive than active.

One could also look at the dual terminology as guidelines for our outer world and our inner world. When dealing with the world at large, we must strive to be a ממלכת כהנים, a kingdom of priests. The term ממלכת (kingdom) is very interesting. It is generally understood that the term melech (king) implies a leader whom the people wish to have rule (as opposed to a moshel, which is a leader who comes to rule because of his power). Perhaps the goal of being a ממלכת כהנים is that the people of the the world will want to look to the Jewish people to represent them in serving Hakodesh Baruch Hu. The only way this happens, however, is by making certain that our inner world is a גוי קדושׁ, a holy nation.

Goy Kadosh is also an interesting term. We generally translate kadosh as holy because it seems the easiest word to use, but often a more accurate translation would be sanctified, a word that implies being set aside for God. That could lead one to think that the ideal is for Bnei Yisrael to be set aside, to isolate themselves in pursuit of kedusha, but Hashem ties kadosh to the word goy - a nation or people, which is a term that can apply to every nation. It is, perhaps, a subtle reminder that being kadosh in Judaism means being connected to the world. We cannot be a goy kadosh without recognizing ourselves among the goyim of the world.

Rabbeinu Bachya also points out that the word גוי can be understood as being possessive and that the term could be translated as “a nation that belongs to the Holy One.” Adding yet another layer to the already rich meaning of this pasuk. Being titled a ממלכת כהנים could give Bnei Yisrael an arrogance to think that they are superior to the world, but Hashem immediately reminds them that what now sets them apart is their relationship to Him, not their relationship to other nations.

Parshas Yisro is the parsha during which we recall the moments when we became the “Chosen People,” but perhaps these multi-faceted reflections on what it means to be a ממלכת כהנים and a גוי קדושׁ (a kingdom of priests and a holy nation) will provide us with some further ideas to think about as we strive toward fulfilling our individual purposes and our national goals.

To read last year’s post on Parshas Yisro, please click here: https://cthedawn.blogspot.com/…/better-watch-boundaries.html

Bad Blind/Good Blind (Parshas Beshalach #2)

There are many questions one might wonder about after the departure of Bnei Yisrael from Mitzrayim. For instance, what did Mitzrayim look like as the freed slaves paraded out of the territory. Devastated and decimated, one can only assume that Egypt had the feel of a war zone. Even beyond the damage of the plagues, well over a million of the residents of the land were leaving (a mass of 600,000 men plus the women and children, elderly and very young). The fact is that it doesn't matter that they had been the enslaved “outsiders,” because the sudden departure of that many human beings - even if they were not fully part of the society they were part of the economy - is going to have devastating effects on the nation.

In all of this, surrounded by his country laid waste and his populace in mourning, Pharaoh catches word that the Israelites had changed their direction in the wilderness (based on the understanding that Pharaoh saw Hashem’s redirecting Bnei Yisrael toward the Yam Suf as a means of avoiding Amalek and Philistia at war as a sign of the Israelites fleeing in fear, a comment I saw by the Alsheich and several other commentaries), and Pharaoh appears to immediately perk up at the idea of pursuing them. This is an interesting instance of blindness on Pharaoh’s part, one might say it is one of his constant faults. Pharaoh seems blind to the suffering of his people. All he can see is having been bested by this God of the Israelites.

In a completely different way, the fleeing Israelites also suffered from blindness. They left Egypt triumphant and riding on wave of honest, emergency-driven emuna. Once away from Egypt, they were surrounded by the Ananei Hakavod, the cloud of glory and a pillar of fire. Wrapped in such protection, Bnei Yisrael could focus on discovering who they truly were - getting In touch with the spiritual heritage they had just barely held onto through generations of servitude.

The clouds of glory, however, may have also prevented them from being aware that the Egyptians were pursuing them until, as the pasuk says, they lifted up their eyes and behold Egypt was upon them! You might say it would have been better for them to have seen the Mitzrim in the distance, but the truth was that there would have been little for them to do but panic and wallow in self pity. Instead, when they saw the army suddenly behind them, their days in the cloud paid off, at least initially. They saw the Mitzrim and they immediately called out to Hashem. They prayed instinctively. They understood that their ultimate salvation would come from the Divine hand. Only afterwards, as fear began to take over, did they turn to their emotions and let their fears become complaints. But because they had prayed to Hashem first and instinctively, neither Hasher nor Moshe responded to their complaints with anger. Because their first instinct was to pray, when Moshe told them to look forward, they could - some with more bravery and faith than others, but all of them did so nonetheless.

Had the Israelites not had that time to connect spiritually, they might have crumbled before Pharaoh, whose dominance and megalomaniac power over their lives until so recently must have had traumatic impact on their souls. Had they had more time to worry and fret over the pursuing army, they would have talked themselves off of the path to spiritual freedom.