Ki Thisa: forbearance

The overarching principle of  Ki thisa is forbearance.  Not exactly forgiveness, more tolerance of wrongs.  .  The tax, the half shekel assessed from every adult (male), immediately delivers expiation from the most natural of sins: selfishness. It was an offering to the community. It is a payment that elevates the donor; not only because it supports a noble cause, but also because the act of giving liberates the giver from greed. Rashi comments on the first verse:  הַמִּנְיָן שׁוֹלֵט בּוֹ עַיִן הָרָע, The ayin hara, literally the evil eye;  rules over counting. The  well worn Yiddishism "keyn   ayin hara"literally means: “in the absence of the evil eye. To a native Yiddish speaker, it really means " in the absence of envy. "  Envy ( prohibited by the  10th commandment) is an almost inevitable feeling in need of correction.  The equality of the half shekel fee is a great equalizer. 

The root of  תִשָּׂ֞א Thisa is to lift up.  Rashi on the first verse of the parsha generates a strange interaction of comments .  Here , Rashi says 

This has the meaning of obtaining: WHEN THOU TAKEST [THE SUM], (not of “lifting up” as in Genesis 40:13); as the Targum has it, תקבל. 

  Rashi on the referenced verse, Genesis 40:13 reads:

  ישא פרעה את ראשך PHARAOH SHALL LIFT UP THY HEAD — The words נשא ראש denote to count (cf. Exodus 30:12). When he musters his other servants to wait upon him during the meal he will count you also among them.

Rashi insists on the constancy  of  counting as the gloss for תִשָּׂ֞א thisa.

The first  verse  of this week's parsha itself belies the idea that תִשָּׂ֞א thisa means count because internally it uses another word for counting: פְקֹ֣ד In fact, the word is repeated three times in the verse.  פְקֹ֣ד PKD conveys the idea of assignment and it is counting in the sense of assigning a number. פְקֹ֣ד PKD is the kind of counting Georg Cantor used to establish the Aleph zero, the infinity of numbers. 

There is a strong individuality implied by this word פְקֹ֣ד PKD. It is the word used when Gd remembers Sarah (  אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר פָּקַ֥ד  and emphasized by Joseph as Gd’s action that will precede  the redemption from Egypt  (ם  אֶתְכֶ֗ם וְהֶעֱלָ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֛ע לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃.   פָּקֹ֧ד יִפְקֹ֣ד  ) It is the secret code word with which Moshe verifies that the salvation from Egypt is about to begin (י אַבְרָהָ֛ם יִצְחָ֥ק וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לֵאמֹ֑ר פָּקֹ֤ד פָּקַ֙דְתִּי֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם׃) PKD conveys the idea of rescue. Thisa could be rescue or its opposite.

The mysto - mathematician can see this counting aspect in תִשָּׂ֞א, thisa.  It is the last letter of the  Heberew alphabet, followed by the next to last followed by the first. I can be deconstructed to Thisa = z,y…a

A sentence in the middle of the parsha uses the word  תִשָּׂ֞א  thisa in the sense of forbearance  When the parsha turns from crime to punishment,   תִשָּׂ֞א thisa returns:

 וְעַתָּ֖ה אִם־תִּשָּׂ֣א חַטָּאתָ֑ם וְאִם־אַ֕יִן מְחֵ֣נִי נָ֔א מִֽסִּפְרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתָֽבְתָּ׃    

Now, if You will forbear their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written!”  

Here the contextual meaning of  תִשָּׂ֞א thisa is clear: elevate the perception of the golden calf, from terrible to barely acceptable.

Two campaigns to raise money appear in the parsha. One is the poll tax, the equal contribution, regardless of wealth, for the Temple.  The other is the ornamental gold that was removed from wives, sons and daughters to construct the golden calf idol.  Ornaments are symbols of wealth; excesses gifted only after the basic needs are satisfied. The contributions to the aygel golden calf idol were a wealth tax. From each according to the ability to pay.

Jewelry was the problem and it was part of the solution.  Removing jewelry was part of the rehabilitation from this extraordinary violation:

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע הָעָ֗ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הָרָ֛ע הַזֶּ֖ה וַיִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֛תוּ אִ֥ישׁ עֶדְי֖וֹ עָלָֽיו׃

When the people heard this harsh word, they went into mourning, and none put on finery.

Subsequently, Gd commands the people to do what they have already done: 

וְעַתָּ֗ה הוֹרֵ֤ד עֶדְיְךָ֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְאֵדְעָ֖ה מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃

Now, then, leave off your finery, and I will consider what to do to you.’”

 

Both the Mishkan, portable temple, and the golden calf are symbols that unify the people. The meaning of the mishkan has become remote to us through time, but in the context of the Torah, it is a strong positive. The modern "kalf shekel" donation is given to the needy.  The golden calf is placed in contrast to the temple.  The gold of the calf was redirected from its function in the commerce of relationships.  That gold had  bought and rewarded the services provided to the rich, the satisfaction of desires that exceed the basics.  The molten calf maintained the character of its ingredient. It validated quirky, addictive desires; elevated will to a  religious value; established the rule of the rich and the influencer.

This is the parsha that presents the formula for forgiveness; these  magic words of praise that are recited in the annual penitential services  that culminate on Yom Kippur. These words disclose  Gd’s impression of self. They represent the truths about how transgression plays out.  Our custom is to quote the part that suits us, up to  וְנַקֵּה֙,  cleansing ( a frightening concept). The final verb of forgiveness is נֹשֵׂ֥א  nosei, the same idea that introduced the parsha.

נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה forebears  iniquity, transgression, and sin.

 Forgiveness is a most important function of the  relationship with Gd.  A love that transcends ornament allows us to forgive each other.