You Ain't Got Half Of What You Thought You Had (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Row Jimmy")

As the traveling carnival known as primaries and caucuses continue to unfold in the United States, as Republican and Democratic candidates crisscross the United States saying incredibly stupid things, insightful things, or far-fetched things; I have started paying a lot of attention to two topics.  One topic is called “delegate math” based upon the number of delegates for the Republican nomination, 1,237, and the Democratic nomination 2,383. When focusing upon these numbers, one can begin to see candidates’ strengths and weakness among different aspects of the electorate. The other mathematical topic to which I have been paying attention, is the amount of money that candidates are able to raise. Obviously the money really is the engine that allows for offices to open and advertisements to air. When the funds run out, even with a path forward, the candidate will have to stop. Sometimes the money runs out first and the candidate must stop. Sometimes the delegate math doesn’t add up to the required number. Then the question becomes whether to continue  campaigning and have fight at the convention (a plan espoused by Republican leadership in order to combat Trump) or cease campaigning and begin the process of reconciling (an idea that many Democratic leaders have call upon Bernie Sanders to begin considering).  In all cases, both in terms of delegates and in terms of campaign dollars, the candidate and his/her brain trust must engage in an accounting. They must look back on where they were, they need to recognize where they are and they need to coldly analyze how far they still need to go. Always they need to be crystal clear with themselves about the financial, political and emotional feasibility of continuing.

            This week's Parsha is Pekudei. It is the last Parsha of Sefer Shmot. The Parsha, in a very matter of fact way, provides us with an accounting of all the material that was used for the Mishkan. The Parsha, in a very matter of fact way, tell us all that Bezazel and Oholiab had done while inspired by God and their art. We derive this idea of "taking stock" from the first Pasuk. Eilah F'kudei Ha'Mishkan Ha'Eidut Asher Pukad Al Pi Moshe Avodat Ha'Leviim - These are the countings of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony, which was reckoned at Moshe's bidding (Ex.38:21). What follows is essentially a ledger of all materials that were used in the Mishkan's construction.  What follows is essentially a ledger of the order in which Bezazel, Oholiab, and B'nai Yisroel used these materials and actually constructed the Mishkan. Why do we need this accounting? We have been reading about the Mishkan for the last four Parshiot. However it was not until now, when Moshe and B'nai Yisroel were able to look back at the process and see exactly how far along they have come. Think about it. For  a lengthy period of time,  B'nai Yisroel, as told to us in the Torah, had experienced an individual, communal and spiritual revolution. They watched Ten Plagues destroy Egypt, fled Egypt, and experienced the miracle of the Crossing of the Yam Suf. They witnessed the revelation at Sinai, received the Ten Commandments, panicked and built the Golden Calf. They began the T'shuvah process by bringing a half Shekel as a means of expressing atonement. They willingly brought their precious jewels and raw materials for the construction of the Mishkan. They came together as a community and they successfully constructed "God's dwelling place."

Certainly there were specific events that we would deem as vitally important, including the actual exodus from Egypt, the Crossing of the Reed Sea, and the Revelation at Sinai. However, in each of these three pivotal moments, B'nai Yisroel behaved as individuals. During each of these three pivotal moments, one could argue that B'nai Yisroel was more reactive than proactive. After the Tenth Plague, following God's direct command, B'nai Yisroel left Egypt. After God opened the Reed Sea, B'nai Yisroel began to cross it. It is the Midrash that explains that B'nai Yisroel took the first steps into the water prior to God's miracle. Even the Revelation at Sinai was a more reactive experience than a pro-active one. Even the Golden Calf fiasco could be argued as B'nai Yisroel's response to the fact that Moshe delayed his descent from the mountain. However Tshuva, and last week's Parsha's explanation that B'nai Yisroel brought its offerings willingly, suggests that B'nai Yisroel took a more pro-active role in the construction of the Mishkan. Constructing and completing the Mishkan, for this generation was perhaps its greatest achievement. They were finally, at least for the time being, pure of soul and pure of heart. They understood what it meant to be a community, a holy community, and the Mishkan was an expression of that. Therefore when B'nai Yisroel completed this transition to “people-hood” culminating in the completion of the Mishkan; it makes sense that an accounting of the Mishkan's construction would occur.

  From Moshe's "accounting", we learn something very important about human nature. As individuals, as part of a team and as part of community;  we need to do Cheshbon HaNefesh, an accounting of our souls. While it is certainly important to do Cheshbon HaNefesh at prescribed times with the community (Yom Kippur for example); it is also vital that we engage in this process when we have survived and successfully or unsuccessfully navigated through transition.  These transitions and changes are not necessarily confined to lifecycle events or the calendar but as a part of life in general.  Certainly we can watch the political carnival going on in the United States, and all the attention to “delegate math” and “campaign finance” and view it through the lens of one enormous transition from one Presidential administration to another. Parsha Pekudei reminds us that we must possess the self-awareness to step back and look back at the process and own it, and if it is appropriate, mourn it, celebrate it, or learn from it. The result is that when the time comes for the next project, (The Holy Temple), the next national endeavor (Bnai Yisroel’s entry in to the land of Israel), the next primary, caucus or the next time that a candidate sits down to determine whether it is time to stop fighting for the nomination or continue fighting for the nomination; a careful and thorough Cheshbon HaNefesh will lead to thoughtful and correct decisions that are to the benefit of the community and even the country.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Everybody Is Playing In The Heart Of Gold Band (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Scarlet Begonias")

Our twelve year old daughter made the school basketball team. This is the first time she has played an organized team sport. This is the first time that she has sweated with teammates, bonded with teammates, and shared a common purpose with teammates. Right now they are 0-2 and they have a lot of work to do in order to be more competitive. However as parents, we have notice a huge change compared to before her tryouts. Before she would get sick and the whole world would have to stop and take notice of her being sick. Now if she is sick she wants to be healed immediately so as not to let her teammates down. Before, the world revolved around her. Now she is so much more helpful around the house because she understands that we, as a family, share common goals and we each have our jobs to do in order to achieve those goals – just like her basketball team. Our oldest daughter started in a full time job this week. It is interesting that she played team sports in middle school and in high school. She also enjoyed playing intramural sports while attending university. She is now works for an organization called Mayors Against Illegal Guns –spearheaded by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York. She is part of team. Like her younger sisters, she realizes the merit of working with people towards a common goal. She understands that everyone on the team has a job to do and success in the individual job translates into success for the team. Both have learned that there is something powerful when individual success is put aside for the success of the group as a whole. Perhaps this is the transition from childhood to adulthood, from the centrality of the individual to the centrality of more than the individual: to the team, to the group or to the family.

            This week’s Parsha is Vayakahel/Pekudei. Following the sin of the Golden Calf and Teshuvah (repentance), B’nai Yisroel begins executing God’s instructions for the Mishkan, the Ark, and the Tent of the Meeting. We recall that when God gave these instructions to Moshe, God started from the middle of the structure (the holiest point of the structure) and worked out towards the outer walls of the structure. Moshe gave the instructions to Bnai Yisroel in the same manner, beginning with the most sacred spot, the Aron and concluding with the least sacred spot, the Ohel Moed 0- The Tent of the Meeting.  However when Betzalel and Olihav begin organizing the construction of the project,  they begin with walls of the Tent, and then conclude with the altar and finally the Ark. 

After the destructive behavior of worshipping the Golden Calf, B’nai Yisroel comes together, and shares a common constructive experience bound by a common goal. Their goal is to complete the construction of the Mishkan. The common experience is their contributions to of raw materials. V’Yavo’u  kol Ish Asher Nasahu Libo V’chol Asher Nadvah Rucho- Every man whose heart inspired him came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of God for the work of the Tent of the Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred clothing (Ex.35:21). By participating in this constructive process, everyone had an opportunity to repent for the sin of the Golden Calf and for his/her respective lack of faith. If viewed as a process, B’nai Yisroel began on the idolatrous fringes in its relationship to God, after repentance, after bringing the materials, after organizing individuals, families and tribes into cohesive construction units, they began moving towards the Holy of Holies. First they built the walls of the Tent of the Meeting, the altar, then the holy of holies.

For the vast majority, we approach God in a similar way. As we become inspired, we are drawn towards Judaism. As we become motivated, we dedicate a greater portion to God, both in terms of tzedakkah and time. It is very rare when our motivation or dedication comes as a result of a “bolt of lightening” or some existential metaphysical sign or wonder. No, our motivation and dedication is a result of our recognition that there is something missing in our lives. We miss meaning in our lives. We miss contentment in our lives. We miss peace in our lives. Certainly we can be happy without meaning. Certainly we can be happy without contentment. Certainly we can be happy without peace. Why? Happiness is rather fleeting and quite often it is the result of some external factor. Meaning, contentment and peace are ultimately internally influenced and far less fleeting.  Our movement towards God, our movement towards greater observance, is a series of steps. We don’t begin as a Tzaddik observing all mitzvot.  Rather, one mitzvah leads to another, learning leads to more learning which eventually leads to doing.

We learn several vital lessons from this Parsha. First, we learn that Judaism works best as a communal experience. Certainly we all have our own individual lives to lead and Mitzvot to follow. However, observance is much easier when its shared. Experience is more meaningful when it is shared. Whether sharing it with the family on Shabbat and Holidays or sharing it with members of the community during prayer, Judaism works best when it is done as a team sport. We learn that when the community shares a commons sense of purpose, something wonderful happens. We achieve that balance between God and ourselves. The result, of course, is that God will dwell among us. God’s dwelling among us makes our community a little warmer, a little kinder, and more significant. Third, we also learn that the actual process of building requires hard work. B’nai Yisroel, like any team, shared in the task’s difficulty. Greater participation made the experience that much more meaningful. When the experience is more meaningful, then the reward will be greater. What is the reward? The reward is a community that shares simchas and tsuris, victories as well as defeats. The reward is that no individual member of the community should ever feel alienated and alone. The reward is a community that strives for growth and improvement. This brings more meaning to the life of the individual, the family, and the community.

Peace,

             Rav Yitz