Shaarei Shamayim

KI TISA 5770

 

Today is Shabbat Para, the 2^nd of 4 special Shabbatot before Passover. We read about the Para Aduma, the rare red heifer, whose ashes were used in the bizarre and mysterious purification rite of the ancient Temple. The message for us is that it’s time to begin planning to purify our homes and ourselves for Passover. But when we take a close look at the text of that purification rite of the ancient Temple, we immediately ask, “It makes no sense; how could this be?”

 

For this rite, the ashes of the Red Heifer were sprinkled on those that had become impure—usually because of contact with the dead—and they became pure, while those who prepared the ashes became impure. Even King Solomon questioned the understanding of this rite when he said (Mishley 7:23): “I said I would be wise, but it is far from me.” Perhaps it is because, in the presence of death, there are no answers, only questions.

 

Rabbi Mordecai Gafni (Ynetnews.com, 6/9/06) points out that the Hebrew word for repentance is, teshuva, sometimes meaning, “return,” but literally, “an answer.” Teshuva, repentance, he teaches, is what takes us into the Divine space. Those who become more observant are therefore called, baaley teshuva, literally, “those who return with answers,” a process that brings us closer to Gd. Conversely, those who abandon Jewish observance however, are called, “those who once again ask questions,” and they are in the process of leaving the Divine space. So it seems that questioning removes one from the Divine space.

 

But is this really so? The Bible indicates that questioning is a core spiritual path. Questioning, in fact, is a key to spiritual growth. The whole Passover Seder is set up to get its participants to question.

 

At a funeral we recite the words: “The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are just; a Gd of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is He.” (Deut: 32:4) This funeral text is a quote from Moses’ farewell to the Jewish people before his death. It calls upon us to accept Gd’s decree—no questions asked—because Gd is perfect and all His ways are just.

 

But is this all we can say before an open grave—to affirm the justice of Gd? Do we respond to pain with theology? Is this not the sin of Job’s friends who, when they saw his suffering, told him that he must be a sinner, otherwise Gd, Who is just, would not have brought all that suffering upon him? The Talmud declares that such a response is considered verbal abuse and forbidden. So why recite this passage before an open grave?

 

The key word in the text of Moses farewell is d’rachav, “His ways.” Moses refers to Gd’s “ways” only one other time—in this week’s Torah portion, when he stands before Gd after the sin of the Golden Calf, seeking atonement for the children of Israel. Gd responds in the affirmative and is willing to embrace his people once more despite their betrayal. But for Moses this is not enough. Moses (Ex. 33:13) demands, in a cry which resounds throughout the centuries: Hodi-eyni na et d’rachecha, “Gd, make known to me Your ways.”

 

What is Moses asking for? What does Moses want from Gd, above and beyond forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf and a renewal of a relationship with the Jewish people? With audacity and daring, the rabbis of the Talmud (Brachot 7a) interpret the text as Moses challenging Gd, saying, “The righteous suffer; the wicked prosper.” In other words, “Gd, Your world is not fair. Do You not know about the widows; do You not know about the orphans? Don’t you know about the wells of tears shed by your children every day? Hodi-eyni na et d’rachecha, show me your ways.”

 

Moses (Ex. 33:18) concludes his question by asking, Hareyni na et k’vodecha, “show me please Your glory?” Moses was not asking to see Gd. He knew that was impossible. The word kavod, “glory,” also means, “honor or respect.” What Moses was really asking was: “Gd, I want to totally respect You—to give You the respect that comes from understanding. I don’t understand Your management of the world when I see a young child with leukemia or a great teacher of Talmud withering slowly away with Alzheimer’s.”

 

Moses was the greatest of all the prophets. He got closer to Gd than any other human being—panim el panim, “face to face”—as today’s parsha puts it. This passage was the zenith of his closeness to Gd—alone together on Mt. Sinai. At this moment does Moses embrace Gd with clear theological proofs of divine perfection? Does he, in ecstasy, move to a higher level of meditation? No. At the highest level of human spirituality, Moses challenges Gd. He cries out in question and demands a response. And the Torah understands this challenge not as a movement away from Gd, but as the quintessential movement towards Gd. Questioning becomes the ultimate embrace of Gd!

 

What is Gd’s response to Moses’ question? “And I will make all my goodness pass before you and I shall call out with the name of Hashem before you.” The usage of Hashem (Y-H-V-H) as Gd’s name instead of Elokim is very significant. Hashem denotes Gd’s mercy and compassion. What Gd is saying to Moses is: If you could see everything, if you had a total picture of My goodness, you would be able to understand that I am always Hashem, the compassionate Gd. And everything I do, I do out of love and compassion!

 

And the verse continues: “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” What is Gd saying here? It’s not up to us to judge how Gd distributes His bounty in this world. Gd has his reasons why some people prosper and others struggle. Someone we may think is so righteous may not be and someone we may think is a sinner may have such goodness inside. And Gd may have a plan that is beyond our understanding. Therefore, Gd “will be gracious to whom He will be gracious!”

Look at it this way, try to find the beauty of a needlepoint work of art by looking only at the backside. The backside of Gd’s masterpiece, that is this word, is all we really get to see.

 

And so Gd then tells Moses (Ex. 33:22): “When My glory passes by, I shall place you in a cleft of the rock; I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I shall remove My hand,” and here Gd adds the crucial words, “And you shall see my back, but my face you will not see.” Now this response is even stranger than the question. Gd has no form. Therefore, He cannot have a front or a back.

 

Gd’s answer to Moses was: “When I pass before you, you will not see me. You will only see my back.” In other words: “Often, when things happen in the world, you won’t see Me. But in retrospect, as you look back, you will understand and see how things are tied together.” Sometimes the retrospect is obvious, as in the case of someone coming late and missing a plane that crashes; or the case of one who loses his job and winds up with a much better job. But sometimes the retrospect, the backward look, is not so obvious. Therefore, Gd adds the phrase: lo yirani ha-adam vachai, “No human can see Me and live.” The Hebrew letter vav, which we translate as, “and,” can also mean, “while.” The deeper meaning of the verse therefore is that we cannot see Gd—and understand His ways—while alive in this world. Full understanding can only come in the retrospect of the next world. After we die we will respectfully ask Gd, “How could You?” And Gd will smile and reply, “I have been waiting to tell you.”

 

So Moses’ phrase, “(Gd) is the rock; his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice,” contains both embrace and challenge. We embrace Gd and accept what has happened as His will and that it is for the best. The usage of “His ways,” in the verse ties into the use of “His ways,” in our Torah portion when Moses questions Gd—teaching us that, nevertheless, questioning brings us closer to Gd. Not by accident was this passage designated by the sages as to be recited before an open grave. It is at that moment that we embrace Gd—accepting His decree—even as the holiest parts of our souls demand that we wrestle and that we question. Embrace and challenge is a core pathway to Gd. May we merit to walk in its path. Amen!

 

                                      Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis

                                      3/6/10