Something of Value

Parashat Ki Tisa (Shabbat Parah)
20 Adar 5773 / 1-2 March 2013
Torah: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Maftir: Numbers 19:1-22
Haftarah: Ezekiel 36:16-38
 
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Something of Value

“And the people broke off the golden earrings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.” Exodus 32:3

“And the Lord repented of the evil that He had thought to do to His people.” 32:14

Rabbi Eizel of Slonim on verse 3: “Truly this was a great sin committed by Israel in making the golden calf. For all that, we must admit that that generation was better than our own. The members of that generation were willing to cast away their silver and gold in order to make gods for themselves; but today, in our great iniquity, we think it permissible to cast away God solely for wealth and happiness.”

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk on verse 14: “Why did He forgive the sin of the golden calf even though the people did not repent, while He did not forgive the sin of the spies even though the people did repent? The sin of the calf had at least a spark of holiness, a thirst for the Divine. But the sin of the spies was all about a better material life.”

These are fascinating comments. Our teachers boldly imply that even mistaken worship of false gods is better than denying divinity altogether. It is not that money and happiness are innately sinful. Certainly not true happiness! Greed and narcissism are the true enemies of holiness. The evil arises from giving up on any sense of Godliness in order to pursue only worldliness.

Shabbat Shalom U’Mevorakh - A Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom - ZSRS '00
Blogging at: rav-rich.blogspot.com/
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"For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." Isaiah 62:1
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Candlelighting: 5:31 pm
 
Lunch and Learn is an ongoing program of Beit Midrash Shalom that meets Tuesdays to discuss Jewish texts and other topics of Jewish interest. It is open to all regardless of affiliation. Next meeting is Tuesday, March 5, 12:00 noon, at Congregation Beth Meier, 11725 Moorpark St., Studio City 91604. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FOOD UNLESS IT IS IN ITS ORIGINAL SEALED CONTAINER AND BEARING A HEKHSHER AS DAIRY OR PAREVE. Lunch will be provided by Congregation Beth Meier. Donations gratefully accepted.
 
Rabbi Benson will be out of town next week, so the evening session of Beit Midrash Shalom that usually meets on the first the first Tuesday of the month is cancelled. Sorry for any inconvenience.
 
This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Deb Berenbach, Gabor ben Devorah, Selby Horowitz, Pamela Huddleston, Micah Kosche, Sara Lanxner, Emily Levin, Helen Reiter, Len Reiter, Gil Robbins, Rachel Robbins, Judith Sakurai, Kitty Schmerling and Helen Tomsky.
 
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