Ki Tisa 5771

Parshah Ki Tisa
Exodus 30:11-34:35 I Kings 18:1-18:39 (I Kings 18:20-18:39)

Ki Tisa means "when you take" or literally, "when you lift." This phrase is from Shemot 30:12, "When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to their number.." It isn't a very descriptive title for the parsha but then again a great deal occurs in this section. It makes for a rather poor commentary to simply summarize but I found it necessary this go round.

Verses 30:11-16 contain the commandment for the half shekel offering. It is to be given by the rich and poor alike, by each adult to:

"ransom for his soul unto the L*rd" (12)
"make atonement for your souls" (15)

I find this quite interesting but lack understanding. Is this 'ransoming' specific to the Israelites? G*d is the god of all but at this time only recognized by Israel and some enlightened individuals. This verb has the sound of an inexact translation.

30:17-38 contains a variety of commands for the Kohanim, including requirements to wash before sacrifices and to have a special incents for offering not to be used for any other purpose.

This seems to be a continuation of the last parsha's topic but for me it plays up the sad irony of the failure of Aaron with the golden calf; soon to follow in the text.

31:1-11 sites two craftsman by name and describes some of their accomplishments.

31:12-14 elaborates on the observance Sabbath and verse 18 states "And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God."

Again I sense a dichotomy. The very best things a man can create are in service of G*d. The tablets G*d creates (soon to be destroyed) man can somehow take for granted. The formula for wholeness is the Shabbat and commandments.

Then follows the episode, and I hate using that word but it reads as such, of The Golden Calf (Chapter 32). In just six verses the Israelites fearing Moses will not return, beseech Aaron to "Make us a god who shall go before us" Aaron asks them for their gold, they fashion an idol, and begin worshiping it.

Following these six verses are six verses were G*d in wrath proclaims to Moses he should 'consume' and destroy them all.

It is hard to understand how after witnessing so many miracles and experiencing G*d rather directly they could worship the golden calf. Looking back in the Torah the Israelites were specifically commanded not to do this very thing, "You are not to make beside me gods of silver, gods of gold you are not to make for yourselves" (S20:19-20)

G*d is wroth.

Moses pleads with G*d 32:13, "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou didst swear by Thine own self, and saidst unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever."

This is very poignant; the good deeds of today can yield again and again in the future. We must therefore think of ourselves also as setting an example. It is also very wonderful to think our lives can have meaning beyond our days through our faith and good deeds.

G*d in his great mercy relents on killing them all. Just as when he spared Noah, G*d refrains from undoing his work in total. Bless his name and thanks be to him for his mercy. When Moses returns to the Israelites carrying the Ten Commandments on tablets (inscribed by G*d and on both sides!)and sees them worshiping them, however, he is himself completely enraged.

At this moment, Moshe for me symbolizes what all of Israel is meant to be. He is confronting, with the law in his hand, a world that doesn't feel or recognize the presence of G*d. It is an epitome of our higher purpose portrayed vividly against the worst kind of shame.

"And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount." (32:19) He also had the calf ground up and made them drink it!

Moses calls the Levities to him and they slaughter about 3000 of the assembled. Then G*d also sends an Angel who smites more but not all.

"And the LORD said unto Moses: 'whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book." (32:33)

33:1-6 Is confusing to me but seems to relates of G*d reiterating his promise of the Holy Land to the Israelites but they 'lament' having to fight for it and are therefore commanded to put off great ornaments (as if lamenting) from then on.

The remaining verses of chapter 33 relate of Moses finding favor from G*d, of how they talked face to face (33:11) and of the famous request of Moses to see G*d's glory to which G*d replies,

20 And He said: 'Thou canst not see my face, for man shall not see me and live.'
21 And the LORD said: 'Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon
the rock.
22 And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that
I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand until I
have passed by.
23 And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall
not be seen.'

Moses then communes with G*d and returns with new tablets (luchos). His face radiant. (34:29-28) In this section commandments for the observance of the Pilgrim Festivals are also given.

This needs no comment, except that I think it means man lives in the present. If man could perceive fully the future and the past as the present, our identity in the present would be destroyed in G*d.

This is just one small metaphor of the idea of the greatness of G*d's glory and nowhere near sufficient. Blessed is the L*rd our G*d Sovereign of the Universe and All that could be.

The Haftorah tells a story of the Prophet Elijah who invokes G*d in a challenge with King Ahab's priests of Baal and Asherah. This ties to the Golden Calf.

Interestingly, I see a parallel drawn between G*d's power which is like magic in the Haftorah and G*d's power in Moses and the commandments in the parsha. Both are victorious over the idolaters.

There is no doubt that the Torah and Judaism hold idolatry as a cardinal form of 'sin'. It is by definition an impiety and a blasphemy. Having lived as a pagan for many years, I now tend to see such worship as diminutive. I do not believe in lesser G*d's but only aspects of G*d. These however can be empowered by human worship to become 'demonic.' The issue becomes first that there are more than one G*d which would mean G*d is imperfect, second that G*d is conflicted. Men will see G*d in different ways but worshipping him in different ways only breeds confusion and in the worst case people sacrifice to false higher powers (including nations, status symbols, etc) an in doing so become distant from G*d the way pure water becomes undrinkable. It is the G*d of Israel alone who transcends man's ideas of G*d, our images, our correspondences, our philosophy, and our symbols.

The tablets are not idols but idols can be also 'mental' constructions.

The story of the golden calf is a great shame but it reflects as Aaron argues that people are "set on evil." Which I believe includes all people. This evil inclination (yetzer hara) I feel comes from the desire to be close to G*d but is perverted into the desire to 'own' or 'be' a god. It is primitive and yet I believe it is at the root of pride. Pride is the main corrupter of mankind.

In this respect I think the contrast between the giving of a half shekel by all for 'ransoming the soul' verses the desperate giving of gold for the idol teaches that material wealth cannot save us.

G*d have mercy on us, G*d make us worthy, G*d let us serve you.