Rabbi Steven Bayar
This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tisa: Exodus 30:11 – 34:35
Parshat Ki Tisa begins with a command to Moses to take a census of the Israelites. This census is taken in a special way.
“When you take a census of the Israelite people … each shall pay the Lord a ransom for himself … this is what everyone who is entered in the records shall pay, a half shekel … the rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than half a shekel.” (Exodus 30:12 – 16)
To be counted as a member of the community, everyone must contribute. The amount is not as important as the participation. It is better for everyone to contribute a small amount than for only a few to give a lot.
This lesson is applied to the dynamic of tzedakah. Participation is more important than quantity. The greater the participation, the stronger the community. You may not think that the pennies (or, given the state of our economy, quarters) placed in the tzedakah box amount to very much, but if everyone donated their change, the sum collected would
be massive.
When you think that a nutritious, filling and enjoyable meal can be purchased in the grocery store, serving a family of four for less than $12, the pennies add up.
However, the truly fascinating part of Ki Tisa occurs when Moses, in pleading with God to spare the Israelites after the sin of the golden calf, asks to “behold God’s Presence.”
“[Moses said to God] Now, if I have truly gained your favor, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor” … “Oh let me behold Your Presence” … [God replied] … As My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. (Exodus 33:13 – 34:7)
What chutzpah! Moses asks to see God’s presence and God agrees. Given that Judaism is a religion that rejects any representation of God as idolatry (i.e., the golden calf), how can God blithely agree to an impossible request? God has no form!
God places Moses in the cleft of the rock and Moses prepares to see God’s face. We read that God will protect Moses from God’s Presence, covering Moses’ face so that he will only see God from the rear.
“As God passed before Moses, this is what he perceived … The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the 1,000th generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin’ … ”
Of course, Moses did not “see” God’s physical form. Instead, Moses perceived God’s attributes. Notice that the first attribute of God is “compassion.” Compassion for one’s fellow person is the most Godlike quality we can aspire to.
Compassion is the key to helping others.
Steven Bayar is the rabbi emeritus at Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, New Jersey, and currently serves as rabbi at B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, Maryland. He is the author of several books and curricula on tikkun olam.
