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Among the first to step up to give in their jewelry for the golden objects - such as the Menora & the Aron Kodesh - were the women. This contrasted sharply to what had occurred in last week's Sedra, when Bnei Yisrael decided to fashion a Golden Calf. Then, the ladies had balked & absolutely refused to part with their jewelry for the idol.
For this show of loyalty to Hashem, the women were rewarded with the mitzva of Rosh Chodesh, when they would traditionally have a day off & not work (& their husbands would take them out to dinner!).
Now, you may ask, "Why should the women be rewarded for holding on to their rings & bracelets & necklaces?! It’s only natural that they should want to keep them!"
Well, for one thing this episode proves yet again that women have a much deeper spirituality than men, intuitively understanding when it was a Mitzva to give over the jewelry, & when it was a Mitzva not to do so. (Just as they knew it was a Mitzva to keep having children during the slavery period, when the men thought it was a sin to bring new life into such a tormented time).
But it also brings home an important lesson to us: Sometimes, the best thing a person can do is: Nothing! When it’s appropriate, just hold back, abstain, be silent or passive. By refusing to join the mob mentality, the women made a powerful statement: For a sin, don’t count us in!
Note that in Jewish life, abstaining from sin is the first step to a G-dly existence. That is why Hillel told the convert who approached him, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to others." Why did Hillel frame this in a negative, rather than a positive way? (i.e. "That which you would like others to do for you, do to them"). It was to teach us that the first step to doing good is abstaining from evil, which is infinitely easier to accomplish than performing a positive act, which takes effort & energy.
That is why the majority of Mitzvot – 365 – are in the category of Lo Ta’ase, "Thou shalt not" commandments, as opposed to the 248 Aseh, or positive Mitzvot. Every time we don’t murder, don’t purposely eat bugs, don’t commit adultery, we gain merit, as G-d wants us to do, & are rewarded for our non-effort.
Sometimes, you see, nothing can really be something!!
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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