Shaarei Shamayim

VAYAKEYL 5771

The Other Side of the Coin

It’s almost painful to listen to certain sections of the Torah which are repetitive in endless detail. This week’s parsha is a prime example. 4 weeks ago in the Torah portion of Mishpatim Moses ascends Mt. Sinai. And for the next 2 parshiot—Teruma and Titzaveh—Hashem teaches Moses all the details of the construction of the Mishkan and the holy items that went in it like the Holy Ark, the menorah and the altar, along with the holy garments to be worn by the priests. And then, following a short break in part of parshat Ki Tissa after the command to make the laver and the incense, we have the story of the Golden Calf. It’s a story filled with negativity as the Jewish people appear to reject Gd, but as a story it come to the reader almost as a relief from the details of construction. Then comes another 2 parshiot—Vayakhel and Pikudei—and the entire instruction manual of the Mishkan, its holy vessels, and of the garments of the priesthood is repeated all over again as Moses teaches it to the people, recounting all he had learned while up on the mountain.

A friend and colleague, Rabbi Baruch Melman, maintains that the 40 days Moses ascended the mountain correspond to the 6 weeks—or 42 days—of Torah readings which span the narrative! And the 2 extra days symbolize the 2 ascents up Mt. Sinai! So by reading these Torah portions over 6 weeks, we are, in a way, trying to relive the Sinai experience.

But these Torah portions—especially the ones like today’s that has little or no story line—are hardly candidates for most people’s favorites. Nevertheless, our commentators and mystics have probed the verses and have found great treasures—life lessons. For example, in last week’s parsha, Ki Tisa, we read how our ancestors donated their jewelry to form a Golden Calf. In today’s parsha, Vayakeyl, we read that these same ancestors then donated their jewels to build the Mishkan for the glory of Gd. This prompted our Sages to comment: “With earrings they sinned and with earrings they were restored to Gd’s favor.” In this brief comment the sages emphasized the ambivalent character of our possessions. They can be used for the meanest or the noblest of purposes. Whether they are good or bad depends upon us—on how we use them.

It’s a simple truth—almost a cliché—but a truth that must be retold. Science has done so much to prolong and improve life, but it can also produce weapons of mass destruction. A car can rush a doctor on a mission of mercy or it can carry a drunk on a mission of murder.

A chassid once asked his Rebbe why Gd created skepticism. “After all,” he said, “Hashem made everything and everything that He made, He made for some benevolent purpose. But what possible goodness can skepticism bring? It only leads people to doubt Gd?”

            The Rebbe replied, “When a poor man comes to you for help do not send him away with the assurance that Hashem will help him. At that time you must be a skeptic, filled with doubt that Hashem will help so that you will then help him yourself.”

Is anger good or bad? Again it depends. To be sure, it is said that anger is only one letter away from danger—just the letter “d” to anger. Anger wrecks homes, destroys friendships and often leads to violence. But on the other hand, as Tevya would say, the prophets were Gd’s angry men. Oppression made them angry; injustice made them angry; cruelty and dishonesty made them angry. They were angry for the right reasons.    

A great industrialist once wrote: “The most important thing in life is not simply to capitalize on gains. Any fool can do that. The important thing is to profit from your losses. That requires intelligence and it marks the difference between a man of sense and a fool.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne was dismissed from his government job. He came home a beaten man. His wife listened to him as he poured out his heart, then she threw a few logs on the fire, set pen, ink and paper on the table, put her arms around him and said, “Now you’ll be able to write your novel.” He did. And he wrote The Scarlet Letter. (Rabbi Sidney Greenberg)

While looking at my pictures from a recent trip to Israel a friend asked about a picture on the beach south of Haifa, “Is that a picture of a sunrise or a sunset?” If you think about it, the question itself is a profound statement about life. So often we think we are going through a “sunset” and to our delight it turns out that it wasn’t a sunset after all, but a “sunrise” ushering in a new day with new possibilities and hope.

Gd has given us so many gifts and everything Gd gives us has holiness within it. As we read through the difficult detail in these Torah readings, may we be reminded of the need to look for the holiness, for the good, even in the difficult and tedious details of our lives. Amen!

                                                Rabbi Mark Hillel Kunis

                                                2/26/11