SALT | Ki Tisa 5785

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In memory of Rabbi Dr. Joseph I. Singer z"l, 
Rabbi Emeritus of Manhattan Beach Jewish Center, 
and son-in-law of Dr. Chaim Heller z"l, 
whose yahrzeit falls on 12 Adar, by his daughter, Vivian Singer
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MOTZAEI

Parashat Ki-Tisa tells the disheartening story of the "chet ha-egel" - the sin of the golden calf. Among the repercussions of this sorrowful incident was the substitution of the firstborn with the tribe of Levi as ministers in the Bet Ha-mikdash. The Levi'im refrained from participating in the debacle and thus earned the privilege of administering in the Temple. As we know from Parashat Korach, the firstborn harbored intense feelings of resentment over their loss of this right.

In truth, however, the Levi'im received this honor not for having refused to join in the worship of the calf, but for their response in the aftermath of this incident. Moshe Rabbeinu alludes to this specific merit of the tribe of Levi in his blessing to that tribe prior to his death (Devarim 33:9-10). Upon his descent from Mount Sinai, Moshe beheld the people's crime and declared, "Whoever is for God - come here!" (Shemot 32:26). The tribe of Levi gathered round, and Moshe ordered them to execute the perpetrators of the sin. What specifically rendered them worthy of serving in the Mikdash?

The Chafetz Chayim answered that the service in the Temple is reserved for those who answer the call in times of need. At various times throughout one's life, he said, a person hears a silent call, "Whoever is for God - come here." Situations arise requiring proactive involvement and selfless devotion. Most of the nation will remain idle rather than hurrying to Moshe in response to this call. Some, however, zealously drop what they are doing and rush to act; only these people earn the right of performing the sacred service in the Mikdash.

This simple - though ever so meaningful - explanation brings to mind a similar message some have brought out from the sequence of parshiyot earlier in Sefer Shemot. According to Rashi, God ordered the construction of the Mishkan only after the incident of the golden calf, despite its appearance in the Torah earlier. Some have suggested that for good reason the Torah juxtaposed the command of the Mishkan - at the beginning of Parashat Teruma - specifically following Benei Yisrael's declaration of "Na'aseh ve-nishma" ("we will do and we will hear" - at the end of Parashat Mishpatim). This teaches us that resolute declarations and promises mean little without a follow-up of concrete action. Good intentions and emotional identification with an important cause are important but of far less significance than active involvement. Therefore, the Torah follows the nation's heroic proclamation with the commandment of the mishkan: "Tell Benei Yisrael that they shall bring for Me a donation… " (Shemot 25:2).

The Bet Ha-mikdash, the spiritual backbone of the Jewish people, is built by those who generously give of their time and resources for the cause of building this backbone. The Mikdash is similarly run by the tribe of Levi, who demonstrated zeal and fervor at a critical time in the nation's history.

SUNDAY

One Midrash describing the fashioning of the golden calf tells of the iniquitous idolater Mikha, who "constructed" the calf through supernatural means. He took the same golden plate used by Moshe several weeks earlier, when Benei Yisrael departed Egypt, to miraculously identify Yosef's coffin that had been sunken in the Nile River. Just as Moshe cast the plate into the river and caused the coffin to present itself, so did Mikha now throw the plate into the fire to produce a golden calf.

Most of us will probably never know how exactly this golden plate worked. But one message conveyed by this Midrash is clear: the same power used by Moshe to fulfill the important mitzva of bringing Yosef's remains from Egypt now facilitated one of the gravest sins in all of Chumash. Mikha certainly had impressive talent and skill - perhaps, according to this Midrash, equal to that of Moshe Rabbeinu himself!! Yet, he misused his strengths for the sinful purpose of a golden calf.

This very same lesson may underlie Moshe's reaction to the calf. Why did he destroy the tablets? What did he hope to accomplish? What more, Chazal claim that God literally gave Moshe a "yasher koiach," applauding his decision to shatter the sacred stones. Obviously, then, this reaction reflected much, much more than a spontaneous fit of anger! So, what prompted Moshe to drop the tablets? Did he decide that Benei Yisrael should not receive the Torah? How then do we understand his heartfelt intervention on their behalf to secure God's forgiveness?

Some have answered this question based on Chazal's comment (Eruvin 54a) that if Moshe had not broken the tablets, "Torah would never have been forgotten from Yisrael." Meaning, the first set of tablets possessed a special quality that afforded Benei Yisrael special intuition and recall ability with regard to the Torah. The second tablets, which came without the spectacular divine revelation that accompanied the original set, did not feature this same supernatural property. (Symbolic of this point, Moshe himself hewed these stones and inscribed the commandments thereupon, as opposed to God's having produced the first tablets.) Upon seeing the people's worship of the calf, Moshe feared the repercussions of bestowing upon them the unique powers of the first tablets. Such a special talent can easily be misused; he thus preferred that Benei Yisrael receive the second tablets, which demanded natural effort and investment of time and energy to properly comprehend the Torah.

God has bestowed innumerable gifts upon all of us, be it health, family, wealth, intelligence, education or specific skills. Very often, acquiring skills and resources entails far less difficulty than knowing how to put them to use. Even Torah knowledge can become "poison," as Chazal put it, when attained without the necessary "yirat Shamayim." It all depends how one uses the knowledge he acquires. Moshe feared the emergence of future Mikhas, people who harness their God-given talents to perpetrate evil. Reversing Mikha's tragic mistake means carefully selecting the causes into which we pour of precious time, energy and resources.

MONDAY

In Parashat Ki-Tisa, God stresses to Moshe the importance of the mitzva of Shabbat observance. He declares: "You must keep My Shabbatot, for this is a sign between Me and you… that you may know that I, God, have consecrated you" (Shemot 31:13). Commenting on this verse, Chazal (Beitza 16a) interpret God's words as emphasizing the great gift involved in this special mitzva: "The Almighty said to Moshe, Moshe, I have a wonderful gift in My treasury called Shabbat, and I want to give it to Yisrael." How is Shabbat such a special gift?

Rav Moshe Segal, in the introduction to his work "Peri Moshe" on the laws of Shabbat, explains this Midrash in light of a different Midrash cited by the Tur (O.C. 290). This Midrash tells of Torah's complaint before the Almighty that the pressures of agrarian life in Eretz Yisrael do not allow the Jewish people sufficient time for Torah study. God allayed Torah's fears by pointing to Shabbat as Benei Yisrael's opportunity to engage in Torah study, unencumbered by agricultural concerns.

In other words, concludes Rav Segal, the great "gift" of Shabbat relates to the opportunity it provides us to free ourselves from the constraints of our material pursuits and devote more time to spiritual endeavors.

Rav Segal develops this quality of Shabbat further in light of a seemingly peculiar comment of the Zohar, cited by the Mishna Berura in Hilkhot Shabbat (290:3). The Zohar calls upon one to try to come up with "chiddushei Torah" (novel Torah thoughts) on Shabbat or, if one has not reached this level, to at least study some new material. Rav Segal explains that throughout the week we continue, as it were, God's work of creation. We cultivate the earth and develop society, perpetuating the process of building and inventing. On Shabbat, we replace physical and material creation with spiritual creation. He cites a comment by the Ben Ish Chai referring to Torah study as the "construction of a spiritual, sublime structure." That said, we can readily understand why the study of something knew assumes special significance, as part of our spiritual creation on Shabbat.

Understandably, our weekly day of rest also marks a precious opportunity to catch up on other activities kept to a minimum by the busy workweek, particularly sleep and socializing. The fact that the Midrash points to Torah study as the activity of choice on Shabbat gives us an idea of where our priorities should lie. The hustle and bustle of daily life forces us to give up many things. On Shabbat, we demonstrate which of those activities we miss the most during the week.

TUESDAY

The end of Parashat Ki-Tisa tells of the mysterious "shine" that shone on Moshe's face when he descended from Mount Sinai. The Midrash Tanchuma offers various interpretations as to the nature and source of this radiance. The final, and perhaps most commonly known, explanation attributes this shine to a drop of ink left in Moshe's inkwell after completing the entire Torah. This ink was poured over Moshe's head and produced this shine on his face.

What does this mean?

Rav Soloveitchik is cited as explaining this "drop of ink" as a symbol for that which a teacher cannot transmit directly to his students. No matter how many classes, lectures or written material a Torah educator delivers or publishes, a certain dimension of his scholarly persona can never be fully revealed to his audience or readership. This quality finds expression only through an abstract, intangible "radiance" on the mentor's face, an indefinable quality about him that cannot reach students through concrete transmission of knowledge.

Anyone reading this knows that the technological age provides new and exciting opportunities for Torah study. However, this Midrash reminds us that when all is said and done, nothing fully substitutes direct, personal contact with a mentor or teacher. Reading publications and listening to cassettes can provide one with an invaluable treasury of knowledge, but it falls short of the impact of direct exposure to inspiring role models.

Perhaps one brief anecdote - the veracity of which I cannot personally guarantee - will help drive home this point. The story is told of a Jewish boy who betrothed a girl from a different faith. His father, terribly disturbed by his son's decision to intermarry, convinced him to meet with a local acquaintance named Rav Moshe Feinstein. The son begrudgingly agreed, anticipating a much unwanted diatribe about the evils of intermarriage. The story goes that the young groom took a short stroll with Rav Moshe around the block, after which he went to his father to inform him of his decision to call off the engagement.

The father wondered what the sage could have possibly told him that would change his mind so quickly. As it turned out, the two spoke nothing at all about the Jewish view of marriage. Rather, the son told his father, "If Judaism can produce a person like that, I am not ready to give it up just yet."

True or not, this story underscores the point we have discussed. The impact of a true Torah personality "shines" in all its glory through direct contact, much more so than through the written or spoken word.

WEDNESDAY

Parashat Ki-Tisa opens with the mitzva of "machatzit ha-shekel," the mandatory half-shekel tax levied upon each member of Benei Yisrael and used as a means by which to conduct the national census. The Midrash, cited in part by Rashi (30:13), relates that Moshe encountered considerable difficulty envisioning this "half-shekel" coin of which God spoke. The Almighty therefore showed the prophet "a coin of fire" weighing a half-shekel.

Understandably, many later "darshanim" have understood this Midrash on the level of allegory and symbolism. After all, what about this half-shekel would pose such confusion to the greatest of all prophets? Why would a man of such wisdom and insight need a slide-show presentation for such a seemingly trivial point? Secondly, if all that troubled Moshe was the actual appearance of the coin, why would God show him specifically a "coin of fire"? Apparently, there is more in this Midrash than first meets the eye.

The Chatam Sofer explained that Moshe questioned the provision prohibiting the wealthy from donating sums of money beyond the required half-shekel. Why should someone with the means to provide heavy funding be discouraged from doing so? God therefore showed Moshe a "coin of fire," meaning, He emphasized the value of fiery enthusiasm and genuine desire to contribute more. The "atonement for the soul," as this tax is called (30:12), is achieved primarily through the "fire" of zeal and longing for improvement. God requires a mere half-shekel as a hopefully incommensurate reflection of one's true, immeasurable religious drive.

One may wish to adopt a similar approach only by changing one detail in the Chatam Sofer's analysis. Moshe may have questioned not the prohibition against higher donations, but the efficacy of such a small sum. How can a half a coin bring about the "atonement" of which the verses speak and constitute a person's portion in the national Temple fund? The Almighty responded by showing Moshe that even religious "fire" and fervor ultimately produce just a half-shekel. Meaning, one has never truly completed his work or fully accomplished his life's mission. As the Ketav Sofer writes, God chose for this purpose specifically a half-shekel to teach us that no matter how much one donates to charitable causes, he must always perceive his contribution as but half of his due share. More generally, perhaps, the institution of the half-shekel tax teaches us the humble lesson that when all is said and done, we can never claim to have fulfilled more than half our obligation.

By the same token, this somewhat discouraging reality answers Moshe's question: although all we can hope to achieve is "half" of what needs to be done, the Almighty asks for nothing more than the effort, the "fiery" coin. God gives us his guarantee that through diligence and commitment, even our minuscule accomplishments will earn us atonement for our sins and our place in the Bet Ha-mikdash. Even if we produce but a half-shekel, God values the "fire," our genuine desire to do more.

THURSDAY

Although the appearance of the month of Nissan on the horizon generally triggers an exclusive, immediate association with Pesach, this month marks the time of yet another mitzva, albeit one far less time consuming then Pesach: "birkat ha-ilanot." The Shulchan Arukh (O.C. 226:1) writes, citing from the Gemara, "One who goes out during the days of Nissan and sees trees blossoming recites, 'Barukh Atah Hashem…'" This berakha, printed in most siddurim, is among the few berakhot recited only once a year. One says this berakha upon seeing specifically the blossoming of fruit trees, before the fruits have fully grown.

One question regarding this halakha that many poskim have addressed involves the time for the recitation of the berakha. The Shulchan Arukh mentions specifically "the days of Nissan." If one sees a blossoming fruit tree earlier, should he recite the berakha? What if someone neglected to recite the blessing during Nissan - does he do so when seeing a blossom sometime thereafter? What about colder climates or areas in the southern hemisphere, where trees do not blossom in Nissan?

Rav Ovadia Yosef ("Yechaveh Da'at" 1:1) cites an impressive list of later authorities who concur with the Ritva, Sefer Ha-eshkol, and Rabbeinu Yerucham that "Nissan" here is not to be understood in the strict sense of the word. The halakhic sources mention Nissan because in the Middle East fruit trees generally blossom during this month. However, one recites this berakha whenever he sees fruit trees in blossom. On the other hand, the Chida (Rav Chayim Yosef David Azulai) rules on the basis of Kabbala that this berakha should be recited only during the month of Nissan. Rav Yosef notes, however, that the authorities concurring with this position constitute a minority opinion within halakha. Therefore, though one should preferably make an effort to recite the berakha specifically during the month of Nissan - as is the prevalent custom in Eretz Yisrael -, the blessing may be recited whenever one first sees the blossom, so long as the fruits had not fully developed. This is also the ruling of the Mishna Berura (226).

Some authorities have noted another nuance in the halakha's formulation with possible practical ramifications: "and sees TREES blossoming." The plural form of the word "ilanot" (trees) may indicate that one should recite the blessing only upon seeing two or more trees in blossom. Here, too, the majority view appears to maintain otherwise, and thus one may recite the berakha even upon seeing only a single, blossoming fruit-tree. When possible, however, one should try to find two or more blossoming trees standing together.

Whereas today marks the "yartzeit" of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l, who passed away on 20 Adar, 5755, we should perhaps conclude with the following anecdote related to this halakha:

A young yeshiva student once walked in Nissan through the streets of the "Sha'arei Chesed" neighborhood of Yerushalayim, where Rav Shlomo Zalman lived, and saw the sage reciting the berakha over blossoming trees. He noticed, however, that Rav Shlomo Zalman stood in front of a single tree for the recitation. He humbly approached the rabbi and told him that just a block or two away stand two adjacent blossoming trees, allowing for the opportunity to satisfy those views who require seeing more than one tree for the recitation of the berakha.

Rav Shlomo Zalman assured the young man that he is well aware of that position among the authorities and, having lived in the neighborhood his entire life, he has become quite familiar with every tree around. Yet, he makes a point of coming specifically to that spot each year to recite this berakha. He pointed to a window across the yard from where they stood, and the young man saw the face of an elderly woman peering through the window and smiling jubilantly. Rav Shlomo Zalman explained that this tree stands in this widow's yard, and each year she receives immense pleasure watching the rabbi recite the blessing over her tree.

"Making a widow happy," concluded Rav Shlomo Zalman, "is worth far more than satisfying the view of those authorities requiring two trees for the berakha."

FRIDAY

Responding to the tragic sin of the golden calf, Moshe tells the nation, "You have sinned a grave sin. I will now go up to God, perhaps I may achieve atonement for you sin" (Shemot 32:30).

A single word in this verse may teach us a critical lesson about one's attitude towards the Almighty: "ulai" (perhaps). Even Moshe Rabbenu himself, the foremost prophet of all time, could not guarantee Benei Yisrael forgiveness for their sin. All he could promise them was his effort, and presumably latent in this comment lies a charge to them that they themselves repent. Man must concentrate his efforts totally and exclusively on that over which he has control. In times of crisis, this means teshuva, prayer and self improvement. Predictions of God's plan serve no purpose; after all, even Moshe himself could only guess what God had in store for Benei Yisrael!

"The heavens belong to God, but the earth He gave over to man" (Tehillim 115:16). The Almighty has charged us with the earth, leaving it to us to cultivate and develop the land He bequeathed to us. The Torah serves as our guide as to how to achieve this goal. But the "heavens" He kept for Himself, as it were. He denies us access to His decisions, calculations and plans. We can and must therefore deal only with what He has given us - the reality of the world and the Torah. Economists assess the facts on the ground and, using their knowledge and experience, come up with their predictions for the market's behavior. Yet, rarely do they posit definitive forecasts. Can we hope to do any better when it comes to God's plans for the future?

We must do our best to properly observe the mitzvot and sincerely petition God for assistance; then, "perhaps," the Almighty will heed our prayers and grant our wishes.

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