With
a daughter working for Secretary Hilary Clinton, we have all payed particularly
close attention to the very long and winding road that is the Presidential
campaign. One of the more intriguing back stories in both the Democratic and
Republican campaigns has been how all these candidates finance their respective
campaigns. The two candidates with the most interesting approach has been
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, neither for whom would I vote. Trump, a multi billionaire
brags that he can finance his own campaign. The result of self-finance, he
explains is that he not politically beholden to any special interest group.
There are many who vote in the Republican primaries and caucuses who are
attracted to Trump for that very reason. Bernie Sanders is the diametric
opposite of Trump. He has financed most of his campaign from the private
individual donations. Those donations come in the form a few dollars per
person. Rarely if at all will there be a donation from a PAC (Political Action Committee)
for millions of dollars. The result of being financed primarily through individual
donations, he explains, is that he is beholden only to the American people and
not the special interest group. There are many who vote in Democratic primaries
and caucuses who are attracted to Mr. Sanders for that very reason.
This
Shabbat, we read from Parsha Terumah. In it, Moshe has re-ascended the mountain
in order to receive the laws, and the blueprint, if you will, for the
construction of the Mishkan, the portable tabernacle that will eventually
permit B’nai Yisroel to gather, to make offerings to God and to provide a
physical dwelling for God. If you are an architect, or if you are an interior
decorator, this Parsha goes into tremendous detail about Mishkan’s construction
and decoration. Before all the detail are presented for construction and
decoration, God commands Moshe to tell B’nai Yisroel that the funding for this
vital public works project will come from each individual V’Yikchu Li Terumah Mei’eit Kol Ish Asher Yidvenu Libo Tikechu et
Terumati – They shall take for me a
portion, from every man whose heart motivates him, you shall take my portion
(Ex. 25:2). The holiest spot within the community, the most sacred area is
based upon each and every individual apportioning a percentage of their assets
to the construction of, decoration of, and maintenance of the Mishkan. How
incredibly equitable! Everyone is involved and everyone has a stake in the
outcome.
There
were no “dues” per se. Rather each individual had to look within him/herself
and be brutally honest. Each individual would give as they saw fit. This was a
sacred moment between the individual and God. The object was not to give due to
social pressure but rather for the holiest of reasons. However such a process
requires tremendous honesty. Such a process requires us to be sure that our
outside matches our inside. Such a process forces the individual to “mean what
you say and say what you mean”. Such a process forces the individual to not
only “talk the talk” but walk the walk”. This message is subliminally hinted at
when we read about the design of the Aron, the Ark that is to hold the Shnei Luchot Ha’Brit – the Two Stone Tablets upon which are
written the Ten Commandments. V’Asu Aron
Atzei Shitim – they shall make an Ark
of acacia wood (Ex.25:10). V’Tzipitah Oto Zahav tahor Mibayit
U’Michutz T’Tzapenu V’Asita Alav Zeir Zahav Saviv – You shall cover it with
pure gold, from within and from without shall you cover it, and you shall make
on it a gold crown all around (Ex. 25:11).
It makes sense that the outside of the Ark is covered with gold since
that will be viewed by the people. However what is the reason for lining the
arc with pure gold from the inside? Rabeinu Chananel, the 11th
century North African Talmudist, comments that this arrangement symbolized the
Talmudic dictum that a Torah scholar must be consistent; his inner character
must match his public demeanor, his actions must conform to his professed
beliefs. However there is no reason to limit such sentiment to Torah scholars. Kol Ish Asher Yidvenuy Libo Tikechu et
Terumati – every man whose heart
motivates him you shall take my portion. Every man should be motivated to
be consistent. Every person’s actions should conform to his/her professed beliefs,
and his or her beliefs should be expressed by behavior.
Every day, we face the struggle to keep the pure gold
that exists within our insides the same as the pure gold that exists on the
outside. The object is to never tarnish that which lies within nor that which
lies with out. So every opportunity we have to express holiness, whether Mitzvot l’Ben Adam L’Chavero – Mitzvot that pertains between people or Mitzvot L’Hashem – Mitzvot that pertain to God, must be
taken advantage of. For in our neglect to do so, we tarnish the most precious
aspect, our souls’ purity and holiness. The same idea holds for these two men
with their unique methods of financing a campaign (as well as for the other
candidates). The issue is not so much of accepting donations or not leaves one beholden
to no one, someone or everyone. Rather it seems much more important that these
candidates are beholden to themselves and their moral code. That is to say,
their insides, match their outsides. That is how the voters will judge
authenticity. That is how the voters will be able to judge is a candidates word
and deed are consistent.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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