Ki tissa

Ki Tissa

 

It is well known that the Torah is not always written in absolute chronological order. There are flashbacks and prophecies (predictions). In the language of the Rabbis, ” Ain mukdam oh me’uchar baTorah” although this is used very sparingly in the Talmud and only when all other options have failed.

 

There is a major disagreement as to the order of the five sedras that we are now reading. Which came first, the building of the Mishkan or the sin of the Golden calf? A literal reading would indicate Mishkan and then calf. But many commentators hold the reverse, saying that the Mishkan was ordered because of the sin of the Golden calf without which there would have been no need for a central sanctuary.

 

As I have devoted this year to the study of Rashi’s commentary, here is a chronology of events according to his explanation with his sources (i.e. the verse on which Rashi comments)

 

The first year of the Exodus.

 

15 Nisan.    Exodus from Egypt.    Numbers 33:3

 

7 Sivan.      Moshe’s first ascent on Sinai.   Exodus 32:1

(note that the Tanchuma terumah chap. 8 has 6 Sivan).

 

17 Tammuz. Moshe comes down and breaks the tablets. 

 

18 or 19 Tammuz.  Moshe’s second ascent. Rashi to. Exodus 33:11; 18:13; Deuteronomy 9:18.

 

29 Av.   Second descent. Rashi to Deuteronomy 9:18

 

10 Tishri. HaShem forgives Israel and commands to build Mishkan.

 

11 Tishri.   Moshe’s third descent from Sinai. Donations for Mishkan commence.   Rashi here and to Exodus 35:1

 

                    The Second Year after the Exodus

 

1 Nisan.    The Mishkan is erected.   Rashi here and to Exodus 40:17

 

Now let us look at the verse which seems to give the reason  for the terrible sin.

 

EXODUS 32:1

 

“And the people saw that Moses had delayed in descending from the mountain and the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Rise up, make for us gods who will go before us, for the man Moses, who brought us up from Egypt. We do not know what became of him.’ “

 

RASHI

 

that will go before us: אִשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ [The word יֵלְכוּ is in the plural form.] They desired many deities for themselves. -[from Sanh. 63a]

 

אשר ילכו לפנינו: אלהות הרבה איוו להם:

 

Who will go before us – RASHI: They desired to have many gods.

 

 

On what basis does Rashi say that the people wanted “many gods”? Maybe they just wanted one god to replace Moses, as they seem to be saying?

 

 The Hebrew has “asher yei’lchu” means “who will go ( the verb is plural) before us.” So it wasn’t one god that they asked for; the plural verb shows that is was gods, in the plural, that they desired.

 

 But this interpretation is problematic because the word “elohim,” meaning god, is always in the plural even when it refers to the One God, Hashem. So the plural verb (“they will go”) is appropriate. Maybe they desired only one god and referred to him as “elohim,” just as Hashem is also called “Elohim” (in the plural)?

 

 Hashem is referred to as Elohim in the plural, as a sign of respect (in English this is called “the Royal We”). Just as “Adonoi,” another name for Hashem, literally means “my Lords” in the plural. But whenever Hashem is called Elohim, in the Torah, the verb is always in the singular. As in the oft repeated phrase “Va’y’daber Elohim…” – “And God spoke…” – the verb “spoke” is in the singular. But in our verse the people used the plural “they will go,” indicating that they desired many gods. This is the basis for Rashi’s interpretation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ki Tissa,

Ki Tissa: When Bad Things Happen to Good People

After Moses succeeded in petitioning God to forgive the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf, he made an additional request from God: “If You are indeed pleased with me, allow me to know Your ways” (Ex. 33:12).

What exactly did Moses desire to know? The Talmud (Berachot 7a) explains that Moses wanted to understand the age-old problem of reward and punishment in this world:

“Master of the Universe, why is it that some righteous people prosper, while others suffer? Why do some wicked people prosper, and others suffer?”

Two Factors

According to Rabbi Yossi, God fulfilled Moses’ request. The Talmud initially explains that anomalies in divine justice in this world are the result of ancestral merit. A righteous person whose parents were wicked may undergo suffering in this world, while a wicked person whose parents were righteous may be rewarded.

However, the Sages were not satisfied with this explanation. Why should a righteous person who rejected his parents’ evil ways be punished? He should be rewarded doubly! The Sages concludes that if there are righteous who suffer, it must be because they are not fully righteous. (This is usually understood that they are punished in this world to atone for their sins so that their reward in the next world will be complete.) Similarly, the wicked who prosper must not be totally evil. They receive reward in this world for the few merits they do possess.

(The Talmud also mentions an additional factor, called ‘Afflictions of Love.’ Even a perfectly righteous individual may suffer in this world in order to gain additional reward in the afterlife.)

Upon inspection, we discover that these two mitigating factors — ancestral merit and incompleteness of righteousness or wickedness — are interrelated. All actions may be broken up into two categories. Some actions are performed purposely, by choice; while others — the majority — are done without thought, but by habit or training. For a righteous person from a righteous family, good deeds come naturally. He does not need suffering in order to refine his soul. The righteous individual born in a wicked family, on the other hand, must work harder. His good deeds are a conscious effort, going against his education and natural bent. He therefore needs the refinement that comes from suffering in order to perfect his character traits.

The wicked person who hails from a righteous family is naturally helpful to others, and may have inherited many other positive character traits. Therefore, his portion in life is good, as he contributes to the world. But the wicked who comes from a wicked family is usually an utterly evil person. His lot in life is made difficult and unstable, in order to limit the damage that he may cause in the world.

Beyond Our Grasp

The Talmud records a second opinion, Rabbi Meir, who disagreed with Rabbi Yossi. According to Rabbi Meir, God did not fulfill Moses’ request to explain the mechanics of suffering and reward in this world. The complex calculations of how much of our actions is a function of free will, and how much is due to society, education, and family background — belong to the Creator alone. The knowledge needed in order to understand divine justice in this world is beyond the grasp of all humans — even the master of all prophets, Moses.

(Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I, p.32)