Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Leviticus Tzav

Tzav
Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36

I. Summary

A. Tzav = Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: “Command” (Aaron and his sons thus).

B. The five sacrifices are again described (though directed at priests v. to all Israelites in Vayikrah) and supplemented: 1) olah - burnt offering (kept on fire all night … priest dressed in ritual linen clears out ashes in morning and feeds fire), 2) minchah - meal offering (unleavened cakes of flour and oil … only Aaron and his male descendants eat), 3) chatat - sin purgation offering (animal slaughter … only males in priestly line eat), 4) asham - guilt reparation offering (animal slaughter with blood splattered on altar… only males in priestly line eat), and 5) sh’lamim - offering of well-being/thanksgiving (unleavened cakes of flour and oil … eaten by priest making offering). (6:1-7:18)

C. Flesh touching anything impure cannot be eaten. Similarly, ritually impure person prohibited from eating consecrated food (to do so = sacrilege with punishment = being cut off from kin (?). (7:19-21)

D. Limitations on the consumption of meat are described (what can be eaten, when meat can be eaten, who can eat meat, and tainting meat with impurity). (7:22-38)

E. Aaron and his sons are ordained as priests (per grand and formal procedures described in Exodus 29:1-37). Moses anoints the Tabernacle as a holy place. (8:1-36)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Prayer – Prayer gives us an opportunity for 1) communication with God, 2) personal introspection recognize what to pray for (Hebrew word for prayer, "li-heet-pallel," comes from the root "pallel," which means to inspect suggesting prayer is an opportunity to understand what you really need at a particular time) and 3) appreciation of what we have. Secular equivalent = “ardent wishing”, i.e. faith/belief in God not necessary for prayer. Also, the passive prayers of words and music are inspirational but they mean nothing unless they are accompanied by active prayers in the form of carrying out mitzvot.

B. Sacrifice v. prayer (successor to sacrifice) – 1) Sacrifice was an act of respect for God v. prayer was only words of respect (issue being that our tradition views actions as superior to words). 2) Sacrifice was sometimes carried out by priests on behalf of individual(s) v. prayer always personal (though one could pray for benefit of others). 3) Sacrifice highly ritualistic v. prayer not as ritualistic ... more personalized. 4) Sacrifice reinforces class distinction (priests v. lay) v. prayer totally egalitarian.

C. Word roots – 1) Root of tzav (command) is same as mitzvah (suggests that being commanded to get closer to God is a good thing). 2) Root of korban (sacrifice) is same as l'hakriv, (to draw near) = purpose of sacrifice (today’s equivalent = prayer) is to draw oneself closer to God.

D. Continuity and renewal – The daily service begins with the lifting of the ashes recalling the previous day’s service; however, the clearing away of the ashes signifies that each new day renews our commitment to comply with all that is incumbent upon us. Continuity of commitment to God exists with renewal. Points to value of repetition.

E. Meal offerings v. matzoh and communion – Note parallel between meal offering of unleavened cakes made from flour and oil and 1) Pesach matzoh and 2) communion wafer.

F. Tzav v. Vayikra (previous parasha)– 1) Vayikrah addresses all Israelites v. Tzav speaks directly to the Levites whose obligation it is to offer the sacrifices on behalf of all the people (as stepping stone to people becoming “nation of priests”). 2) Vayikra puts the sacrifices in the order that the people were most likely to bring them, with the sin offering and guilt offering, which represent an acknowledgment of the mistakes they have made, listed last v. Tzav listing the sacrifices in the order of their holiness. Reconcile: Plaut says sacrifices are listed in same order v. Nechama Lebowitz says they are listed in different order.

G. Power of imperfection – Special sacrificial procedure for priest’s chatat (sacrifice for inadvertent transgression) offering (6:17) tells us everyone is imperfect which should allow us to accept and like ourselves for who we are, even the parts of ourselves and of our lives that seem less than ideal. Significance confirmed by recognizing mistakes of our forefathers (and God?) reinforcing fact that every one (and God?) can make mistakes.

H. Purpose and value of ritual - Description of Tabernacle dedication and ordination of Aaron and sons to priesthood emphasizes grandeur/importance of priests. Priests have vital role in sanctuary usage and sacrifices, both of which help keep God close (purpose of sacrifice). Ritual also gives sense of order (comfortable predictability). Absence of ritual detail could be disconcerting. Also suggests that just doing something is not enough … it needs to be done correctly, i.e. details count.

I. What parasha may mean for us today

1. Even menial tasks deserve to be viewed as holy if (broadly defined) purpose holy -Wearing ritual linen garments for the messy task of removing ashes (Lev 6:3) suggests that all religious ritual should be carried out in a decorous manner. When we take the time to elevate our outward appearance, our inner connection is strengthened. Complements concept of making most holy portions of Mishkan (where fewest people may go) from most valuable materials. Dressing the inside reinforces the holiness of the outside v. dressing for the menial tasks reinforces holiness of all tasks.

2. We are all priests (and should act accordingly) - Prayer (successor to sacrifice) eliminates the role of priests (middle man required in sacrifice); however, prayer views each of us as both a priest (fulfilling the intent of Israelites becoming a "nation of priests") and an ordinary person.

3. We are a product of our environment - Flesh that was pure suddenly become contaminated by merely "touching" something else that was contaminated (7:19) reinforces how we are profoundly influenced by our surroundings (hanging out with “wrong” people exposes us to risk of acting wrongly).

(Revised 3/24/10)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Leviticus Vayikra

Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26

I. Summary

A. Vayikra = (The Eternal One) “called” (to Moses) …

B. God instructs Moses on the four categories of sacrifices that were to be offered in the sanctuary:

1. Voluntary Burnt Offering (olah and minchah) - Although not required, these offerings atoned for neglecting to perform positive commandments and for harmful thoughts or intentions. Not connected to wrongful act. Offering of animals, birds or grain (depending on financial ability of donor). (Lev 1:1-2:16)

2. Peace Offering (zevach sh’lamim) - A person who hadn't sinned, but rather has a positive feeling and wants to relate to the Almighty from that good feeling, would bring a Peace Offering. Not connected to wrongful act. Festive meal eaten by donor and guests. Offering of a male or female cow or sheep. (Lev. 3:1-17)

3. Sin Offering (chatat) – Unintentional but severe sins atoned with a sin offering. Unintentionally means that a person was not aware of the prohibition. Offering of animals, birds or grain (depending on financial ability of donor). (Lev 4:1-35)

4. Guilt Offering (asham) - For transgressions of i) unintentionally deriving benefit from the Temple and any of its vessels or edibles, ii) stealing money or denying receiving a loan or a security, and taking a false oath (intentionally) to that effect or iii) ) not being sure if a transgression was committed at all. Requires a confession. Connected to a wrongful act. Allowed a person to atone until they could establish that he actually did sin, in which case he then brings the regular Sin Offering. (Lev. 5:1-26)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Unifying themes of Leviticus - Dividing/setting apart (clean from the unclean, permissible from impermissible, Tabernacle’s sacred inner sanctum from rest of Tabernacle, holy from non-holy, etc.). Path to holiness through law and ritual. Separate source (Priestly or P) from rest of Torah.

B. Sacrifice replaced by prayer - Destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and rebuilt in the fourth century B.C.E., the Temple was, by the time of its final destruction, the focal point of the entire Jewish world. In century following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. (when the priestly cult, and the sacrifices ceased to function), the framework of the Temple service was shifted by the Rabbis into a then new institution … the synagogue, where Jews would gather three times a day, corresponding to the thrice-daily offerings in the Temple to offer prayers. This decentralization of worship is when Israelites became “Jews”.

C. Sacrifice/prayer brings one closer to God - Just as sacrifices moved one closer to God, so does prayer, study, and acts of loving-kindness move one closer to God.

D. Sacredness as an ends v. ritual as a means - The goal of sacredness and closeness to God is more important than the ritual of sacrifice (prayer). Vayikra establishes the central themes of biblical and rabbinic Judaism. The focus is on establishing a sacred community, “a nation of priests,” whose daily deeds perfect the world under God’s rule. Vayikra recognizes that deeds speak far more eloquently than words and that living in a holy community can provide a sense of God’s presence far more pervasive than more ethereal approaches.

E. Unintentional wrongs - Guilt exists regardless of the perpetrator's awareness of having committed a sin. Guilt, as it were, has a life of its own, and only an act of expiation can wipe it away. When we are merely careless or insensitive in our treatment of others, we risk spiritual impurity and banishing God from our presence.

F. Intentional wrongs - Sacrifice itself does not cure an intentional wrong as evidenced by guilt offering (asham) for intentional wrongs requiring a confession in addition to sacrifice.

G. Small aleph = Moses’ humility and God - At the end of the Hebrew word Vayikra, the letter alef is written in a smaller size than all the other letters in order to reflect the humility of Moses. Small aleph also lends the word vayikra (called) a surface resemblance to a different Hebrew word - vayikor, which means, "to chance upon." Both of these words are often associated with prophecy throughout the Torah except that the word vayikor is specifically selected to convey the very opposite of the idea of "to call"; the intention is to portray the prophetic experience it describes as no more than a chance encounter. God selects prophets based on need (to communicate some vital information specifically through them) rather than God’s relationship with that person.

H. What parasha may mean for us today

1. Leaders expected to offer more than others = Standards vary by who they are being applied to. For example, leaders are and should be held to a higher standard. Similarly, someone who has a greater natural ability is expected to do more.

2. People made offerings according to their financial ability = While we strive to improve, we must be sensitive to our own limitations and not pressure ourselves unrealistically.

3. People offered what was valuable to them = Sacrificing valuable things suggests that nothing in life counts unless we care. If you don't care for something, then it doesn't matter if we lose it or not. The more we care about important things, the more meaningful our lives become.

4. Unintentional yet wrong acts required offering = Carelessness and insensitivity is not an excuse for acting wrongly … a wrongful act is, by definition, a sin. We must take responsibility for intentional as well as intentional wrongs.

5. Broken promises required offering = Do what you say you will do.

6. Animal sacrifice = Expressed reverence and respect for all life (by the careful way they prepared and ate their food and offered sacrifices) v. people today typically (except for relatively few animal rights activists) make no connection between food they eat and lives of animals, i.e. be sensitive to impact of our daily routine on living animals.
(Revised 3/17/10)

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Exodus Vayak'heil/P'kudei (Double Portion)

Vayak’heil
Exodus 35:1−38:20

I. Summary of Vayak’heil

A. Vayak’heil = (Moses) “convoked” (the whole Israelite community)

B. Moses sets out the rules of Sabbath: 1) rest on seventh day, 2) anyone who works that day shall be put to death and 3) no fire shall be kindled on Sabbath. (35:1-3).

C. Moses asks all Israelites (“everyone whose heart is so moved”) for a donation of specified gifts and also asks skilled Israelites to help build the Tabernacle. (35:4-35:19)

D. Israelites donate requested items. Moses calls on Bezalel (who was singled out by God and was to oversee construction), Oholiab and every other skilled person to carry out the task of building the Tabernacle. Israelites donate more items than are needed so Moses tells them to stop making gifts. (35:20-36:7)

E. Skilled Israelites construct the Tabernacle (construction of each part described in great detail). (36:8-38:20)

II. Commentary on Vayak’heil (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Command to observe Sabbath - Reminder of Sabbath’s importance as adjunct to God’s detailed construction orders = don’t let burdens of work prevent celebration of Sabbath. Connects building of Tabernacle with deeper purpose of giving God a presence. Death sentence for violation reinforces Sabbath’s significance.

B. Repetition - Detailed description of Tabernacle construction in this parasha = repetition of detail set out earlier in describing construction plans described (Ex. 25). Repetition not a sign of significance (as repetition typically is) but rather reflects extreme obedience of Israelites.

C. Change of Heart - Following apostasy of golden calf, people now show change of heart through punctilious obedience to God’s commands (construction details) and enthusiasm (“hearts and spirits” moving them and giving so much they had to be stopped). Note irony of same jewelry that the Israelites initially brought to make the golden calf now being contributed to the construction of the sanctuary … act of teshuvah/repentance.

D. Lessons for today

1. Respecting Sabbath = Don’t let hard work crowd out spiritual things in our lives.

2. Israelites donating materials = Our hearts should always “be so moved” to give to righteous causes.

3. Effort of each Israelite was valuable to construction of Tabernacle = Everyone can do something well and it is our responsibility to recognize that within ourselves and use that capability well within our community.

4. Israelites worked hard to build Tabernacle as instructed = If you are going to do something, do it with enthusiasm and do it right.

5. Israelites built Tabernacle together = One can achieve more as part of a community than can be achieved alone.

6. Israelites following God’s detailed instructions explicitly = Pay attention to details … they matter.

P’kudei
Exodus 38:21−40:38

III. Summary of P’kudei

A. P’kudei = (These are the) “records” (of the Tabernacle)

B. A statistical summary of the materials used for the Tabernacle and an account of producing the priestly vestments are recorded. The Israelites present the completed Tabernacle to Moses who then blesses the Israelites for the work they did. (38:21-39:43)

C. God instructs Moses on how to set up and anoint the Tabernacle and how to prepare (wash and dress) and anoint Aaron and his sons as priests. Per God’s instructions, Moses sets up the Tabernacle and anoints Aaron and his sons as priests. (40:1-33)

D. When Moses finished his work, God's Presence in Tabernacle indicated by cloud covering Tabernacle by day (during which time Moses cannot enter Tabernacle nor can Israelites set out on journeys) and fire in it by night (after cloud lifted and when Israelites could set out on journeys). (40:34-38)

IV. Commentary on P’kudei (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Meaning of Tabernacle – Place where God could be served tangibly. Portability of structure allows constancy of God’s presence with Israelites wherever they are. Symbolic of end of Exodus tale, i.e. begun with “absence” of God during enslavement to ever-presence of God through Tabernacle.

B. Parallels between building of Tabernacle and creation

1. “Israelites had done all the work” (Ex. 39:42) similar to “God had completed the work” (Gen 2:2).

2. P’kudei mentioning seven times that each item made “exactly as the Lord commanded” similar to seven-fold repetition in Gen. 1 of “and it was so”.

3. “When Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks … Moses blessed them” (Ex. 39:43) similar to “God blessed all living creatures God had just created” (Gen. 1:22).

4. “You shall … anoint the Tabernacle” (Ex. 40:9) similar to “God blessed the seventh day” (Gen. 2:3).

C. Lessons for today

1. Detailed accounting of materials used to build Tabernacle = We should periodically take a spiritual accounting to be sure that we are properly using our abilities.

2. Cloud indicating presence of God = Find a way to sense the presence and absence of God’s influence on our daily lives (be aware of when you are and are not living by the precepts of Torah).

3. Israelites being blessed by Moses for work done on constructing Tabernacle = Hard work can be rewarding but value is not only in the work itself but in fruits of work, i.e. what motivates us to act is as important if not more important than the act itself.

4. Portability of Tabernacle = Take God with you on all journeys and make no journeys without God … involve God in all actions and decisions. Any place (or state of mind) can become a sacred space if we bring God there.
(Revised 3/9/10)

Friday, March 5, 2010

Exodus Ki Tisa

Ki Tisa
Exodus 30:11 −34:35

I. Summary

A. Ki Tisa = (God said to Moses: when you take a) “census” (of the Israelite men)

B. God tells Moses to take a census of the Israelites and collect a half-shekel (significance of no more and no less?) from every male over 20 years of age. (Ex 30:11-16)

C. God tells Moses to 1) construct a water basin for priests to use for maintaining ritual cleanliness and 2) prepare annointing oil and incense mixtures (for public but not private use) for the ordination of the priests. Bezalel and Oholiab, skilled artisans, are assigned to make objects for the priests and the Tabernacle. (Ex 30:17-31:11)

D. God tells Moses to instruct Israelites to keep the Shabbat during Tabernacle construction as a sign of the covenant (holy time more important than holy place/Tabernacle). God gives Moses the two tablets inscribed with “the finger of God”. (Ex 31:12-18)

E. The Israelites lose patience (and/or faith) and demand a visible sign of God's Presence so ask Aaron to build them a golden calf (which breaks the terms of the covenant). Upon being told by God of the golden calf, Moses successfully implores God not to destroy the people. (Ex 32:1-14)

F. Moses comes down from the mountain. When he sees the idol, he breaks the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments are written. He grinds the idol to powder and makes the Israelites drink it in water (analogy to ordeal of drinking water for suspected adulteress … Num 5:11-31?). Aaron makes excuses (for letting Israelites get out of control). Moses commands the men of Levi to “slay sibling, neighbor and kin” in God’s name resulting in death of 3,000 people (righteous killing?). God punishes the Israelites further with a plague. (Ex 32:15-35)

G. God instructs Moses to take the Israelites to the Promised Land but God refuses to go in their midst since Israelites are stiff-necked and lest God destroy them. (33:1-11)

H. Moses wins God’s forgiveness and persuades God to personally lead the Israelites, i.e. reversing God’s previous decision not to lead (“I will not go in your midst” … Ex 33:3). Emboldened, Moses asks to see God. (33:12-18)

I. God agrees to reveal God’s essential nature (“all My goodness”) to Moses but prohibits Moses from seeing God's face. God permits Moses to see only the shadow/back of God from a cleft in a rock and protected by God’s hand. (Ex 33:19-23)

J. God instructs Moses to carve two tablets so that God can inscribe “the words that were on the first tablets”. Moses carves the tablets and goes up the mountain again. (34:1-5)

K. God reveals Adonai's thirteen divine attributes to Moses on Mount Sinai: 1) compassion for a person about to sin, 2) compassion after a person sins and repents, 3) compassion for both Jews and non-Jews, 4) graciousness to those who have merit, 5) graciousness to those without merit, 6) patience with violators in hope they will repent, 7) kindness to those in need of kindness, 8) faithfulness to those who do God’s will, 9) remembering kindness for a thousand generations, 10) forgiving of deliberate wrongdoing, 11) forgiving of malicious rebellion, 12) forgiving of unintentional wrongdoing, 13) willingness to cancel punishment for those who are repentant and for their descendants. (34:6-7)

L. Moses asks God to forgive Israelites (for golden calf) and to take back the Israelites “”for Your own”.(Exod. 34:7-9)

M. God renews the covenant and warns Moses against forming alliances with the inhabitants of the lands against which the Israelites will advance. (34:10-17)

N. God commands the Israelites concerning the Pilgrimage Festivals (Shavuot, Sukkot, and Pesach). (34:18-26)

O. God tells Moses to write down the terms of the covenant on the tablets (contrary to God’s stated intent to inscribe “the words that were on the first tablets” ... 34:1). Moses remains on Mount Sinai for forty days (during which time Moses neither eats nor drinks). Moses comes down with a radiant face (a result of speaking with God). Moses instructs the Israelites “concerning all that God had imparted to him on Mount Sinai”. Moses then veils his face and takes it off only when speaking to God and delivering God’s words to Israelites. (34:27-35)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Counting (census) – Appears here as 1) necessity for collecting silver used for Tabernacle, 2) preventative re: plague (Ex.30:12) and 3) expiation/atonement to protect people counted (Ex. 30:15). Counting considered a privilege belonging to God whereas humans conducting a census without divine approval place themselves in danger. Counting is a divine act. Humans cannot count love, faith, patience or belief but God can. Note Talmudic dicta not to count Israelites directly; hence the half-shekels are counted rather than the people (explains why all must pay the same amount).

B. Timing of golden calf re: Tabernacle - Almost everything between Moses ascending mountain (Ex. 24:18) and golden calf (Ex. 32:1) is about the building of the Sanctuary and the priestly garments. If Tabernacle construction viewed as a response to the Torah's most infamous idolatrous incident, Tabernacle construction should follow golden calf story.

C. Timing of golden calf re: later (hundreds of years) history - Jeroboam I (first King of Northern Kingdom after post-Solomon split into North and South) introduced calf/bull worship in order to detach people from allegiance to Temple in Jerusalem (“the king took counsel and made two golden calves … You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. This is your god (lower case), O Israel” … First Kings 12:28). Some say Jeroboam tale is “primary” and Exodus story legitimizes Jerusalem Temple and illegitimizes northern worship sanctuaries (Israelites become “Jews” when worship decentralized from Jerusalem temple.) Others say Jeroboam could not have succeeded without pre-existing propensity to favor bull worship, i.e. Exodus happened first and planted ancient seed of post-Exodus idol worship.

D. Sin of golden calf – Golden calf not an idol but the new link with God (meant to replace Moses as intermediary with God). Reinforced by gold used both for idol (Divine throne as Israelites imagined it) and for cherubim on ark cover (also Divine throne). Note that cherubim were permitted and even required by God but golden idol was neither. Hence, Israelite sin was breach of trust rather than rejection of God or a return to idolatry.

E. Positive aspects of golden calf incident – 1) Forging a community - “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron” (Ex 32:1). This is the first time that the group that left Egypt is described as having gathered as a kahal, “community,” rather than a chorus of malcontents. 2) Growth opportunity for Moses - He had been passive but now takes decisive action (shatters the tablets, persuades God not to destroy people and changes God’s mind about personally leading people). Unlike Aaron, who refers to the Israelites as a “they” who are inclined to evil, Moses identifies with the people. Suggests importance of remaining cognizant of covenantal values even in the midst of a crisis.

F. Moses’ seeing “shadow” of God – Having had his request to see God denied, Moses instead finds himself humbly bowing low in the cleft of a rock. Some say that all Moses really saw was the shadow that falls on our lives when God is no longer there. He was able to distinguish between those actions and situations that are filled with holiness and those that are not. Others teach that God's presence may be perceived only after the fact, when we look back on the experiences of our lives. These interpretations recognize God’s acknowledgment of the legitimacy of our need to be connected more directly to what is godly and to somehow “see” God's presence v. simply believing and having faith in God.

G. Why did Moses break tablets? – 1) To punish Israelites for their apostasy (renunciation of faith). 2) To save Israelites from God's wrath, i.e. if Israelites hadn't yet received the laws, they couldn't be expected to keep them! 3) To deflect some of God's anger onto himself - When he realized that there was no future hope for Israel, he linked his own fate with theirs and broke the tablets so that God would have to save Israelites in order to forgive him.

H. Radiance in Moses’ face - "And as Moses came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with God. Aaron and all the Israelites … shrank from coming near him." (Ex 34:29-30). Commentators have analyzed the origin of these rays, variously called "beams of splendor," "divine rays of glory," or (incorrectly) "horns" (“ka-ran” = radiant v. “ke-ren” = horn - basis for the belief that Jews have horns i.e. Christian tradition of “transfiguration of Moses”).

I. Nature of God – Jewish tradition views Ex. 34:7 as setting out the 13 attributes of God v. Maimonides claims 13 attributes describes actions of God but not the nature of God, i.e. text only shows God was unknowable.

J. Tablets as object – Note irony of tablets given by God being tangible object representative of God and covenant (approximating prohibited idol?).

K. Constancy of faith – Questioning of faith in God by Moses (indicated by his request of God to see God’s face as an expression of their ultimate and intimate relationship?) and by Israelites (in golden calf incident?) suggests that faith is not necessarily constant. Should we regularly test our faith, i.e. does periodic questioning and subsequent recovery of faith strengthen faith?

L. Issues re: individual roles of Israelites, Moses, God and Aaron in golden calf

1. Israelites – i) Why did Israelites build golden calf? Anxiety and restlessness over absence of visible leadership (organizational shortcoming)? Sense of abandonment by God (loss of faith)? ii) What was Israelite sin? Breach of God’s trust rather than idolatry (see II.D. above). Post-exilic idol worship arguably OK (see II.C. above) so making of golden calf in and of itself not a sin. It’s possible that when people saw Aaron himself making the golden calf, they thought it was officially ok to worship.

2. Moses – i) Did Moses over-react when he a) broke tablets = voiding covenant (why did he break them? Was it his call to make?) and b) commanded Levites to “slay sibling, neighbor and kin” in God’s name resulting in death of 3,000 people (Moses’ anger or intermediary for God’s anger shown through Moses as God’s intermediary?). ii) Note Moses’ role in convincing God not to destroy Israelites (reminiscent of Abraham’s negotiation with God to save Sodom - Gen. 18:23-30). Suggests flexibility and compassion of God? iii) What was Moses’ motivation for asking to see God? Reassurance in light of doubt and anxiety? Emboldened by having persuaded God to not destroy Israelites and personally lead people? Need perceived by Moses to allow him to more effectively lead Israelites? iv) Why did Moses need to go up on a mountain and alone to meet with God? What was so special about all of this that he had to be completely isolated from the Israelites? Was it a spiritual journey (up on the mountain all by himself with no food or water but just listening to God)?

3. God – i) Was God compassionate when Moses persuaded God not to destroy Israelites? Reconcile with plague brought upon Israelites by God and God allowing Moses to command Levites to kill 3,000. ii) God responds positively to Moses’ request to see God (lets Moses see God’s shadow) yet is angry at Israelites for their desire to see sign of God’s presence (embodied in their minds in golden calf). iii) Did God have some responsibility? by exposing Israelites to idolatry by bringing them to Egypt? by giving Israelites gold (borrowed from Egyptians) when they left Egypt?

4. Aaron – Was Aaron a collaborator? a well-intended victim of the people (trying delay tactics until Moses’ return)? an ineffective and non-confrontational leader of the moment? Arguably, Aaron should not have been held responsible for golden calf (he hadn’t yet been appointed kohen gadol). The people as a whole gave him the authority to act on their behalf and he simply made the casting of the statue, i.e. Aaron responded to the will of the people at the time. Does one have no responsibility because one doesn’t have an official title or are we supposed to speak up and do what we can no matter what our title is? Lesson = even spiritual leaders are capable of leading or following their people up the wrong spiritual tree even when they should know better … we should never follow anyone blindly .

M. What parasha means for us today

1. Dealing with authority – Moses’ “negotiation” with God suggests we respect authority but also stand up to authority for what we believe is right and just (tempered by 1) need to recognize greater good outweighing personal preference and 2) possibility of poor personal judgment).

2. Power of prayer - Moses' prayers (his requests of God) allowed the Israelites a second chance and saved them from destruction by God. Similarly, we can improve our lives by tapping into the power of prayer.

3. Importance of mercy and forgiveness - God giving Israelites a second chance through the second set of tablets and renewal of covenant demonstrates the importance of mercy and forgiveness. God’s behavior tells us 1) we can recover from our mistakes and 2) we should show same merciful and forgiving behavior as God showed to Israelites.

4. Renewal - Pesach is observed in the spring, the time when all of nature is renewing itself. We, too, can renew ourselves by realizing that repentance and forgiveness are available to us all during the year.

5. Attributes of God – Recognition of attributes of God should motivate us to portray similar attributes in our own lives.

Revised 3/5/10