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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Ki Tisa
The command to count the nation is expressed as: "Ki Tisa et rosh Bnei Yisrael." Literally, "When you lift up the head of the nation." What a strange expression! What does it mean? Why not use the more common expression for counting, "Ki Tifkod?" And why do we say - no less than 4 times - that giving the half-shekel brings "kapara," atonement for the giver? How does that work?
Recently, we learned about the objects in the Mishkan. One of the most important of these is the Kaporet, the cover of the Aron/ark, from which the voice of Hashem emanated. "Kaporet" has the same exact root as "Kapara." The connection? A cover serves to protect. And just as the Kaporet "protected" the Luchot lying in the Aron, so the performance of Mitzvot – such as the giving of the half-shekel for communal offerings – "covers" & protects the giver, allowing him to "raise his head" in full confidence that, through his actions, he has elicited G-d’s favor & blessing.
As the saga of the Egel HaZahav begins, the nation miscounts & believes that Moshe was not coming down from Mt. Sinai with the Luchot. The pasuk there uses the unusual word, "Boshesh," usually translated as "delayed" but clearly implying a certain "busha," embarrassment or lack of faith in one's self. A vicious cycle thus begins: The people panick; they lose confidence in their ability to relate to Hashem without an intermediary – such as Moshe - & so they build a calf, the only "god" they had ever seen before, in Egypt.
When Moshe sees this, he says, "The nation is faruah," a word Rashi says means, "exposed." The people had lost their sense of self-worth & so they sinned; in doing so, their protective "cover" was now off. Only when they eventually repent, & regain Hashem’s favor, does the "cover" return & they are granted a new, second set of Luchot.
Perhaps this is the deeper significance behind the "mask" which Moshe wore at the end of the Sedra (which fits well for the day after Purim!). A mask is also a type of cover; Moshe may have been intimating to his people that as long as we "cover" ourselves in Mitzvot & acts of Chesed, we will be protected by Hashem & worthy of receiving the Torah.
Most of all, our Sedra emphasizes that when we are in consonance with the ways of Hashem, we can hold our heads up high – individually as well as among the nations of the world – confident that we will always be the beneficiaries of G-d’s mercies. And that is why we are certain of our eventual victory: While our terrorist enemies tend to wear masks, our masks will always triumph over theirs.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
