Parshah Summary – P’shat
The parshah opens with Moses taking a census of the Children of Israel. Each person who is counted must contribute a makhazit hashekel – a half shekel of silver to the Sanctuary. Instructions are also given regarding the making of the Sanctuary’s water basin, anointing oil and incense. The “wise-hearted” artisans Betzalel and Aholiav are singled out as possessing hokhmat halev – “wisdom of the heart” – and are placed in charge of the Sanctuary’s construction.
Moses does not return when expected from Mount Sinai. The people lose faith, and make themselves a golden calf to worship. Hashem grows angry and proposes to destroy the errant nation, but Moses prays for them. Moses descends from the mountain carrying the edut – the “tablets of the testimony” engraved with the Ten Commandments. But when he sees the people dancing about their idol, he breaks the tablets, and destroys the golden calf. But then he pleads once again with God: “If You will not forgive them, blot me out from the book that You have written.” Hashem forgives them, but says that the effect will be felt for many generations, and as they continue their journey, Hashem will not be with them; only an angel will accompany them. But, Moses pleads that Hashem to continue to accompany them on their journey to the promised land. Moses then prepares a new set of tablets himself (as opposed the first set which were inscribed by God). On the mountain, Moses is also granted a vision of the “Thirteen Attributes of Compassion.” When Moses returns, his face is so radiant that he must cover it with a veil, which he removes only to speak with God and to teach Torah to the people.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
זֶ֣ה יִתְּנ֗וּ כׇּל־הָעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מַחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִ֤ים גֵּרָה֙ הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל מַחֲצִ֣ית הַשֶּׁ֔קֶל תְּרוּמָ֖ה לַֽי–הֹ–וָֽ–ה׃ This shall be given by all who pass through the counting: a half-shekel by the sanctuary weight--twenty gerahs to the shekel—a half-shekel as an offering to the Divine. - Shemot (Exodus) 30:13, Parshat Ki Tisa
There is a teaching ascribed to the Hasidic master, the Maggid of Mezritch, in which he taught: “Today the holy spirit comes upon us more easily than when the Temple was standing. Once there was a king of a country that was conquered by a foreign power, and the king was driven into exile. In the course of his wanderings, he came upon the home of some poor people who recognized him as king. They took him in, offered him modest food and shelter, and treated him as honored royalty the best they could. The king deeply appreciated their hospitality and chatted intimately with his hosts, as he had once done in his court with those closest to him. Now that the Holy One is in exile from His Holy Temple, He does the same with us.”
This teaching gets at the open secret for communing with the Divine Presence – that is, to humbly and gratefully offer yourself to this moment as it is, in all its fullness, in its beauty and ugliness, in its orderliness and chaos, because this Presence is not something other than your own Essence, hearing these words right now. This Presence is a gift – you cannot manufacture It, you cannot generate It, but you can do your part to open to It, to reveal Its Reality through you; this is meditation. There is a hint in our verse: זֶ֣ה יִתְּנ֗וּ כָּל־הָעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מַחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל... תְּרוּמָ֖ה לַֽי–ה–וָֽ–ה This shall be given by all who pass through the counting – a half shekel, an offering to the Divine… - Exodus 30:13 The “half” that we bring into the sanctuary of this moment is ourselves; we, meaning our bodies, our feelings, our thoughts, are “half” – the other half is the Divine, the Reality behind all forms, and also our own Essence. Bring the half, that is your “self” to this moment, and the Other Half appears. How do we do it? וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְ–ה–וָ֥–ה עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְ–ה–וָ֣–ה יְ–ה–וָ֔–ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת: The Divine passed before his face and called out, “Hashem! Hashem! Compassionate and Gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in Lovingkindness and Truth!” - Exodus 34:6 These Divine qualities that God reveals to Moses are a practical instruction: Hashem! Hashem! The Divine Name that means “Being” or “Existence” is said twice, indicating the realization that whatever is before you is a form of the Divine, and your own consciousness is also the Divine; through the meeting, The Divine becomes One with Itself. This is the fundamental knowledge that brings the felt connection with the Divine Presence. El Rakhum V’Hanun – Compassionate and Gracious God… that is, make the qualities of compassion and grace “God” over all your other qualities…You may not feel like it, but you can bring forth these qualities if you decide that they are “God” to you – meaning, that you revere them: Erekh apayim v’rav hesed v’emet – Slow to Anger, and Abundant in Lovingkindness and Truth… You have the ability to not get caught by anger and bitterness. Instead, choose love. And then to make sure you get it, it also says Emet –Truth – because it is not about “faking” it; it is about holding these qualities as our highest ideal. Then, the prophesy of Purim will be fulfilled, as says in Megilat Ester: לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׁוֹן וִיקָר... For the Jews there was Light, Joy, Gladness and Essence… - Ester 8:16 And as we say every week at the close of Shabbat: כֵּן תִּהְיֶה לָנוּ – So may it be for us! In order for this Light, Joy, Gladness and Essence to blossom, we don’t need to micro manage it or manufacture it. We only need to recognize the inconceivable gift we are now being given, the gift of Being, the gifts of Light and Joy that are always our potential, and open to this potential with humility and gratitude. This is embodied by the sefirah of Hod on the Tree of Life.
Read past teachings on Ki Tisa HERE
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