KiThisa: the mob

KiThisa: the mob

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: ‘Up, make us a god who shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.’

Who were these people?  What does "the people" mean? What percentage of the people approached?  Who were their representatives?  We know from the subsequent text that Yehoshua was not there, he was separated from the camp, wailing for Moshe.  But what about Bezlalel? Chur? Kalev? Korach? Dathan?

When does the assemblage become unified and irresistible?  When does the individual disappear into the mass? 

The parsha begins with the half shekel, the expiational ,token that both counts the  military aged males of Israel and masks the transgression inherent in  the counting.   Perhaps the parsha gives us an insight into the transgression.  The counting turns the person into a fungible element of the set.  The counting create the concept of the group, a larger entity that can have a unified will.  Like the triangular  flock of bird that changes direction in fight.

Moshe's absence was an opportunity for novelty, for trying new things. It was time for a political outsider, a new direction .  The golden calf was not so much a new direction as a rejection of the old.  The tradition has it that , before Moshe's ascent, "the people" had heard two commandments: I am the Lrd  and have no other Lrd.  It was just these two commandments that calf violated.  In our time, we can see how rebellion against the establishment can

trump any coherence of reason and how attractive it can be, how it can redirect "the people."

The midrash says that the Satan projected a picture of the dead Moshe to the people, motivating  the golden calf.  That message was not lost  on Moshe.  When he descended the mountain, he saw what would have happened had he died, presumably, what will happen when he dies. Delivering the tablets, a helicopter rescue, would not work.  The process required a redo. 

Where would I have been  when the calf was formed?  Probably passive.  Let people believe what they will. The story tells me that is wrong.  The story implies that  even a threat to ritual should be resisted.  I am trying to deal with that in 2016 Seattle. 

Tetzaveh: dream clothing

Tetzaveh: dream clothing

Clothes are always symbolic Look at Lady Gaga. .People commonly express their individuality and their group allegiance in clothing. Seahawk jerseys, leather jackets, bike shorts.. all convey tribal identities, 

 Jeans and a tee shirt signify indifference, but in a standardized and intelligible  way. The tuxedo conveys class superiority, the kaputeh sends a complex  message of holocaust survival and ostentatious piety. What did the priestly garb covey?

The vestments of the high priest revolve around  unique objects: the Ephod and the Choshen.  Each of these carry the names of the 12 tribes.  The Cohen is clad as a representative of Israel. His body becomes a conveyance for the united tribes.  Each tribe is a precious stone on the Choshen and part of a precious stone on the ephod. They are separate and unified, conveyed before Gd by a single holy person

When the annointing oil was unavaiable, in the second temple. the High Priest was inaugurated into his office by  dressing in the holy garments. This fashion statement not only impressed those who saw, it encouraged and elevated the man who wore it

 These clothes were the stuff of Alexander the Great's dream.  

Baraita in Yoma, 69a (identical with Megillat Ta'anit, iii.):

"When the Samaritans had obtained permission from Alexander to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem, the high priest Simon the Just, arrayed in his pontifical garments and followed by a number of distinguished Jews, went out to meet the conqueror, and joined him at Antipatris, on the northern frontier. At sight of Simon, Alexander fell prostrate at his feet, and explained to his astonished companions that the image of the Jewish high priest was always with him in battle, fighting for him and leading him to victory. Simon took the opportunity to justify the attitude of his countrymen, declaring that, far from being rebels, they offered prayers in the Temple for the welfare of the king and his dominions. So impressed was Alexander that he delivered up all the Samaritans in his train into the hands of the Jews,

Clothes contain an element of the dream  They attempt to provoke the dream of the viewer and, thus, betray the intention of the wearer.  The self awareness of Adam and Eve necessitated clothing, Joseph coat of many colors came from dreams shared with his father Jacob, and the envy it generated was intentional.  The sartorial splendor of the High priest embodies the dream of a unified, glorious, pure and holy people..

Terumah: theory and actualization

Terumah: theory and actualization

In most living  cells on Earth, DNA  is maintained as a permanent instruction set.  The sequence of the amino acids that make proteins is expressed  in a code consisting of 4 possible letters taken 3 at a time ( 64 possibilities).  The sequence of amino acids, interacting with intracellular structures, determines the final geometry/chemistry mix of the protein  that, in turn, defines its capabilities  which is perceived as its function.  It is the end product that functions... to preserve and proliferate the DNA that coded  it. 

The instructions for the Mishkan  were kept in the ark, housed in the inner sanctum of the Holy of Holies, in the mishkan.  The original text was protected in the gold plated acacia wood coffin, covered by a slab of gold with the images of Cherubim.  The original Cherubim ( Genesis 3: ) blocked the road back to Eden and the Tree of Life.  These Cherubim of the ark  stand guard over ( and block the way to?)  the DNA of the Hebrews, the Torah and the tablets. 

What do people  cover? What do they keep private? It is our essence, our nakedness,  that must remain covered and private.  The Cherubim of Breshith  block the road back  to essence and  innocence

The mishkan creates a place, a portable place,  a place where you cannot go.We all know what is there, but approach is forbidden. We cannot know the heart, we can only know the deeds it motivates and creates. 

Mishpatim:Every case is special

Mishpatim:Every case is special

On every level, the world is governed by rules, but every case is special. 

The laws of nature are not subject to violation, and so they need to be redefined from time to time.  The Copernican circular orbits, closely observed by Brahe become elliptical in the model of Kepler, leading to Newton's universal gravitation, corrected by Einstein, giving us the unobserved planet X. 

The Torah laws are etched in stone. There can be no remodel.  One erroneous letter invalidates the Torah scroll.  The approach to truth is through the interpretation of the words.  We do not understand " an eye for an eye"  literally like Hammurabi.  From context and tradition, we understand that compensating the blinded person is a better solution than creating  a second blind person. 

The parsha sets out defining specific ordinances: The six year term of the bondsman, etc.  Quickly, we are told of exceptions and exemptions from the rule. To apply the rule at all times, in the same way is simple and satisfies a conception of fairness and justice.  It is just not right. 

The same is true for all rules: diagnoses are rules, treatment guidelines are rules, randomized studies generate rules. Situations generate exceptions. 

Know the rules, they can help do what is right. 

Do what is right.