S.A.L.T. - Tuesday

Parashat Shemini opens with Moshe outlining the procedures for this eighth and final day of the mishkan's inauguration, when the Shekhina would appear to the nation. He turns to the nation and announces, "This is the thing that God commanded that you do, and the Glory of God will appear to you… " (9:6). Chazal, in the Midrash, inform us as to what "the thing" means: "That evil inclination - remove from your hearts, and the Glory of God will appear to you."

Wherein lies the specific relevance of this command to the revelation of the Shekhina?

The Kotzker Rebbe suggests an answer particularly relevant to our discussion in yesterday's edition of "S.A.L.T."  Moshe understood the nation's eager anticipation of the appearance of God's Glory. They longed for a unique closeness with the Creator, one which can finally be attained on this special day, when He assumes His representative "residence" in the mishkan. They looked forward to a remarkable spiritual experience and awesome sensation of God's presence. Moshe therefore felt the need to bring them back to the basics: "That evil inclination - remove from your hearts."  The skillful teacher that he was, Moshe Rabbeinu reminded his flock that one's primary concern and responsibility is to overcome the day-to-day temptations that lure him away from proper observance. Before one strives for sublime, spiritual experiences, he must first conduct some basic "housecleaning," ensuring compliance with the "ABC's" of Torah and mitzvot. As we saw yesterday, religious growth is a gradual process; one cannot try running before he has learned to walk. Benei Yisrael were thus reminded that the unique experience of the Shekhina may never lead one to overlook the fundamental principles of the Torah and its values.

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