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Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
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An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. Every Half-Shekel Counts
The Parsha opens with G-d?s command that whenever a census is taken of the Jewish people, each person over the age of 20 is to contribute a half-shekel, with the donations to be counted (rather than the people) to determine the outcome of the census. The census also has a spiritual side to it, for the Torah says, ?every man shall give G-d an atonement for his soul? (Chap. 30, verse 12). The money collected in the process is to be used for the service of G-d in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. Each person taking part in the tally must give the exact amount of a half-shekel, not a penny more or less. The Torah states, ?The wealthy shall not add and the poor shall not subtract from half a shekel? (Chap. 30, verse 15).
The question: Why must everyone give the same amount?
The answer: The Telshe Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter (who recently passed away), says that each person is required to give the same amount, regardless of his means, to demonstrate that ?everyone is equally needed? to form the Jewish people. Rabbi Gifter says that the purpose in counting the Jewish people is not merely to arrive at a number. Rather, the counting is also ?a reckoning of the individual, because the Jewish people comprises individuals. Should even one member change, then the Jewish people as a whole has changed. Even when the newborn replace the deceased, the Jewish people is no longer the same nation as before.? Thus, the Torah stresses that the half-shekel is ?an atonement for his soul? (rather than ?their souls?), thereby emphasizing the role of the individual and his obligation to take part in the nation?s atonement. For, as Rabbi Gifter states, ?Without even one of its members, the Jewish people are incomplete.?
The lesson: As a people, Jews have always been particularly sensitive to the loss of a fellow ?member of the tribe?. Perhaps because we are a numerically small people, perhaps because of our history of suffering, we have always made great efforts to ensure the safe return of those Jews taken captive by others (whether spiritually or physically). We first find this phenomenon in the Book of Genesis, where Abraham wages war with the sole aim of freeing his nephew Lot from captivity. Down through the ages, Jews have gone to great lengths to save other Jews, whether by ransoming their freedom or risking their lives to return them. Rabbi Gifter?s remarks above add a new dimension to this, because we see that every individual Jew is an essential component of the entire Jewish people. The loss of one Jew is not a micro event ? it is a macro event that impacts on the whole, leaving the Jewish people somehow incomplete. In our own day, there are unfortunately many such Jews who are being held captive - whether it is the 9 Iranian Jews currently imprisoned by the Ayatollahs on trumped-up charges, or the missing Israeli servicemen being held by Hezbollah in Lebanon, or the young Jews who head to the Far East and join other faiths. It is therefore our responsibility as Jews to do whatever we can to bring them home, because their loss is our loss and their suffering is our own. For as have seen, the Jewish people are far more than just a collection of individuals ? we are a living, dynamic organism, and if one limb of our collective body is in pain, then the entire body must rise to the challenge of healing that pain. So step up to the plate and get involved. Your fellow Jews need you.
2. If You Ain?t On the Field, You Can?t Play Ball
The Parsha relates the incident of the Golden Calf, in which some of the Jews constructed a false deity and worshipped it, mistakenly believing that Moshe had died on Mount Sinai. G-d gets angry at the Jewish people, and tells Moshe what they are doing. He says that He wishes to annihilate them and make Moshe into a great nation. Moshe pleads on behalf of the Jewish people, and G-d accepts his prayers. Moshe descends from Mount Sinai, and the Torah says, ?It happened as he drew near the camp and saw the calf and the dances, that Moshe?s anger flared. He threw down the Tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain? (Chap. 32, verse 19).
The question: Why did Moshe get angry about the Golden Calf only when he saw it himself and not when G-d told him about earlier?
The answer: The Sforno says that at first, when G-d told Moshe that the Jews were sinning, he thought that he might be able to correct their sin such that they would recognize the error of their ways and repent. Then, they would still be able to receive the Two Tablets of the Law. But, says the Sforno, once Moshe saw the Jews dancing and reveling in their sin, he despaired of correcting it and concluded that they would not be worthy of receiving the Tablets.
The lesson: Every person makes mistakes, but not every one is willing to recognize or acknowledge their own failings. When a person sees the falsehood of his own ways, yet stubbornly continues to insist that he is right, or when he revels in his own misdeed, then the problem is far deeper and far more difficult to correct. This psychological block is evident nowadays among those who continue to insist that the Oslo process was the right way to go. The very premise of the accords was that Israel would give the Palestinians land, in exchange for which the Palestinians would give Israel security. But as the past six months have demonstrated, Israel gave the land only to get violence and terrorism in return. This led many Israelis who had previously believed in the accords to finally turn against them, for they realized that Oslo had failed to achieve the desired results. But there are still those who cling to the folly, refusing to acknowledge that Oslo has collapsed and continuing to assert that it was and is the magical solution for all of Israel?s problems. Like a zealous believer in a false messiah, such people seem hopelessly unwilling to contend with the truth. And that is precisely why the overwhelming majority of Israeli voters sent them packing last month ? because to be a leader means to deal with reality, not ignore it.
3. The Pioneering Spirit
After descending from the mountain, Moshe smashes the Two Tablets of the Law. He took the Golden Calf and destroyed it. The Torah says, ?Moshe stood at the gateway of the camp and said, ?Whoever is for G-d, join me!? and all the Levites gathered around him? (Chap. 32, verse 26). They then proceeded to punish those people who had worshipped the calf, resulting in some three thousand casualties.
The question: Was it only the Levites who refused to worship the Golden Calf? Weren?t there other Jews as well who refrained from taking part in the idolatrous act?
The answer: The Chiddushei HaRim says it is obvious that the Levites were not the only ones to refrain from worshipping the Golden Calf, because only 3,000 people were punished for taking part. But, says the Chiddushei HaRim, when Moshe declared, ?Whoever is for G-d, join me!?, the Levites were the only ones to respond to the call and demonstrate a readiness to do battle with idolatry. The rest of the Jews simply stood by on the sidelines, refusing to become involved in ?controversy.?
The lesson: At first glance, the Chiddushei HaRim?s explanation seems difficult to accept. How could the overwhelming majority of the Jewish people simply stand by and watch the epic battle between those who worshipped the Golden Calf and those who sided with G-d and Moshe? It was a fateful struggle whose outcome would determine the fate of the Jewish people and of Judaism itself. And remember: those Jews on the sidelines were opposed to the cult of the Calf, as the Chiddushei HaRim explained, but still they would not get involved. How is such a thing possible?
As difficult as it may be at first glance, the Chiddushei HaRim?s description of the dramatic scene should not really surprise us at all. For at the most critical times in Jewish history, it has always fallen upon a small number of brave individuals to rise up and defend the honor of the Jewish people. The silent majority may have been with them, nodding their heads in assent, perhaps even offering them encouragement. But it has always seemed to come down to the courageous few who were willing to turn their feelings into action.
At the splitting of the sea after the Exodus from Egypt, it was one man, Nachshon ben Aminadav, who first plunged into the waters. In the Hannukah story, it was the family of the Hasmoneans. In the Purim miracle, it was the bravery of Mordechai and Esther. In our own day, it is the brave pioneers who leave the luxury of the West and immigrate to Israel armed only with a dream ? the dream of returning to Zion. Their numbers are small, with only a few thousand a year making the trek from countries such as America, Canada, South Africa, the UK and Australia. But their vision and values loom large, for no one can deny that their idealism is rare in an age where Pentiums are valued more highly than principles.
Like their ancestors long ago, most Jews nowadays prefer the serenity of the sidelines, refusing to leave the comfort of exile for the challenge of the Land. But like their predecessors the Levites, it is that handful of immigrants who hear Moshe?s cry above the din of noise around them and respond to the call of ?Whoever is for G-d, join me!? ? it is that small group of people who will ultimately help to shape Jewish destiny for years to come.
Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. Every Half-Shekel Counts
The Parsha opens with G-d?s command that whenever a census is taken of the Jewish people, each person over the age of 20 is to contribute a half-shekel, with the donations to be counted (rather than the people) to determine the outcome of the census. The census also has a spiritual side to it, for the Torah says, ?every man shall give G-d an atonement for his soul? (Chap. 30, verse 12). The money collected in the process is to be used for the service of G-d in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. Each person taking part in the tally must give the exact amount of a half-shekel, not a penny more or less. The Torah states, ?The wealthy shall not add and the poor shall not subtract from half a shekel? (Chap. 30, verse 15).
The question: Why must everyone give the same amount?
The answer: The Telshe Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter (who recently passed away), says that each person is required to give the same amount, regardless of his means, to demonstrate that ?everyone is equally needed? to form the Jewish people. Rabbi Gifter says that the purpose in counting the Jewish people is not merely to arrive at a number. Rather, the counting is also ?a reckoning of the individual, because the Jewish people comprises individuals. Should even one member change, then the Jewish people as a whole has changed. Even when the newborn replace the deceased, the Jewish people is no longer the same nation as before.? Thus, the Torah stresses that the half-shekel is ?an atonement for his soul? (rather than ?their souls?), thereby emphasizing the role of the individual and his obligation to take part in the nation?s atonement. For, as Rabbi Gifter states, ?Without even one of its members, the Jewish people are incomplete.?
The lesson: As a people, Jews have always been particularly sensitive to the loss of a fellow ?member of the tribe?. Perhaps because we are a numerically small people, perhaps because of our history of suffering, we have always made great efforts to ensure the safe return of those Jews taken captive by others (whether spiritually or physically). We first find this phenomenon in the Book of Genesis, where Abraham wages war with the sole aim of freeing his nephew Lot from captivity. Down through the ages, Jews have gone to great lengths to save other Jews, whether by ransoming their freedom or risking their lives to return them. Rabbi Gifter?s remarks above add a new dimension to this, because we see that every individual Jew is an essential component of the entire Jewish people. The loss of one Jew is not a micro event ? it is a macro event that impacts on the whole, leaving the Jewish people somehow incomplete. In our own day, there are unfortunately many such Jews who are being held captive - whether it is the 9 Iranian Jews currently imprisoned by the Ayatollahs on trumped-up charges, or the missing Israeli servicemen being held by Hezbollah in Lebanon, or the young Jews who head to the Far East and join other faiths. It is therefore our responsibility as Jews to do whatever we can to bring them home, because their loss is our loss and their suffering is our own. For as have seen, the Jewish people are far more than just a collection of individuals ? we are a living, dynamic organism, and if one limb of our collective body is in pain, then the entire body must rise to the challenge of healing that pain. So step up to the plate and get involved. Your fellow Jews need you.
2. If You Ain?t On the Field, You Can?t Play Ball
The Parsha relates the incident of the Golden Calf, in which some of the Jews constructed a false deity and worshipped it, mistakenly believing that Moshe had died on Mount Sinai. G-d gets angry at the Jewish people, and tells Moshe what they are doing. He says that He wishes to annihilate them and make Moshe into a great nation. Moshe pleads on behalf of the Jewish people, and G-d accepts his prayers. Moshe descends from Mount Sinai, and the Torah says, ?It happened as he drew near the camp and saw the calf and the dances, that Moshe?s anger flared. He threw down the Tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain? (Chap. 32, verse 19).
The question: Why did Moshe get angry about the Golden Calf only when he saw it himself and not when G-d told him about earlier?
The answer: The Sforno says that at first, when G-d told Moshe that the Jews were sinning, he thought that he might be able to correct their sin such that they would recognize the error of their ways and repent. Then, they would still be able to receive the Two Tablets of the Law. But, says the Sforno, once Moshe saw the Jews dancing and reveling in their sin, he despaired of correcting it and concluded that they would not be worthy of receiving the Tablets.
The lesson: Every person makes mistakes, but not every one is willing to recognize or acknowledge their own failings. When a person sees the falsehood of his own ways, yet stubbornly continues to insist that he is right, or when he revels in his own misdeed, then the problem is far deeper and far more difficult to correct. This psychological block is evident nowadays among those who continue to insist that the Oslo process was the right way to go. The very premise of the accords was that Israel would give the Palestinians land, in exchange for which the Palestinians would give Israel security. But as the past six months have demonstrated, Israel gave the land only to get violence and terrorism in return. This led many Israelis who had previously believed in the accords to finally turn against them, for they realized that Oslo had failed to achieve the desired results. But there are still those who cling to the folly, refusing to acknowledge that Oslo has collapsed and continuing to assert that it was and is the magical solution for all of Israel?s problems. Like a zealous believer in a false messiah, such people seem hopelessly unwilling to contend with the truth. And that is precisely why the overwhelming majority of Israeli voters sent them packing last month ? because to be a leader means to deal with reality, not ignore it.
3. The Pioneering Spirit
After descending from the mountain, Moshe smashes the Two Tablets of the Law. He took the Golden Calf and destroyed it. The Torah says, ?Moshe stood at the gateway of the camp and said, ?Whoever is for G-d, join me!? and all the Levites gathered around him? (Chap. 32, verse 26). They then proceeded to punish those people who had worshipped the calf, resulting in some three thousand casualties.
The question: Was it only the Levites who refused to worship the Golden Calf? Weren?t there other Jews as well who refrained from taking part in the idolatrous act?
The answer: The Chiddushei HaRim says it is obvious that the Levites were not the only ones to refrain from worshipping the Golden Calf, because only 3,000 people were punished for taking part. But, says the Chiddushei HaRim, when Moshe declared, ?Whoever is for G-d, join me!?, the Levites were the only ones to respond to the call and demonstrate a readiness to do battle with idolatry. The rest of the Jews simply stood by on the sidelines, refusing to become involved in ?controversy.?
The lesson: At first glance, the Chiddushei HaRim?s explanation seems difficult to accept. How could the overwhelming majority of the Jewish people simply stand by and watch the epic battle between those who worshipped the Golden Calf and those who sided with G-d and Moshe? It was a fateful struggle whose outcome would determine the fate of the Jewish people and of Judaism itself. And remember: those Jews on the sidelines were opposed to the cult of the Calf, as the Chiddushei HaRim explained, but still they would not get involved. How is such a thing possible?
As difficult as it may be at first glance, the Chiddushei HaRim?s description of the dramatic scene should not really surprise us at all. For at the most critical times in Jewish history, it has always fallen upon a small number of brave individuals to rise up and defend the honor of the Jewish people. The silent majority may have been with them, nodding their heads in assent, perhaps even offering them encouragement. But it has always seemed to come down to the courageous few who were willing to turn their feelings into action.
At the splitting of the sea after the Exodus from Egypt, it was one man, Nachshon ben Aminadav, who first plunged into the waters. In the Hannukah story, it was the family of the Hasmoneans. In the Purim miracle, it was the bravery of Mordechai and Esther. In our own day, it is the brave pioneers who leave the luxury of the West and immigrate to Israel armed only with a dream ? the dream of returning to Zion. Their numbers are small, with only a few thousand a year making the trek from countries such as America, Canada, South Africa, the UK and Australia. But their vision and values loom large, for no one can deny that their idealism is rare in an age where Pentiums are valued more highly than principles.
Like their ancestors long ago, most Jews nowadays prefer the serenity of the sidelines, refusing to leave the comfort of exile for the challenge of the Land. But like their predecessors the Levites, it is that handful of immigrants who hear Moshe?s cry above the din of noise around them and respond to the call of ?Whoever is for G-d, join me!? ? it is that small group of people who will ultimately help to shape Jewish destiny for years to come.
