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| Fri, 10 May 2024 04:06:28 -0500 — |
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D'var: Parashat Ki Tisa 5783
Commentary by Kevin Lockhart Friday, March 10, 2023 |
| Exodus 30:11 — 34:35 |
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Rules and Relationships Chapter 30, Verses 11-34, finds the Lord preparing for a relationship with the newly freed people of Israel. The Lord does not hesitate to tell Moses what will be required of his people for this relationship to work. If they are to have a healthy relationship with the Lord, Moses and his people must learn to appreciate the concepts of sacredness and holiness. The Lord instructs Moses to make “an oil of holy anointment” composed of the finest spices and olive oil, “a perfumed compound according to the art of a perfumer.” The Lord instructs Moses to take the holy oil and anoint the Tent of Meeting and the Ark of Testimony, the table, the menorah, the altar of incense, the copper washstand and its base. The Lord tells Moses that he “shall sanctify them so they become a holy of holies; whatever touches them shall become holy.” He likewise instructs Moses to make a holy incense for similar purposes. Likewise in Chapter 31, The Lord tells Moses that a healthy relationship with him is contingent on the sacred being taken seriously. He tells Moses, “And you speak to the children of Israel and say: ‘Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy” and to “keep the Sabbath, for it is a sacred thing for you. Those who desecrate it shall be put to death, for whoever performs work on it, the soul will be cut off from the midst of its people.” Chapter 32 finds the Lord learning that those he painstakingly preserved, and created a sacred relationship with, have grown impatient and moved on to praise a gilded calf. The Lord is understandably upset. Afterall, he did just deliver them from the bondage of Egypt. A little patience, respect, and gratitude would be nice. God proclaims them to be “stiff necked people” and states my “anger will be kindled against them so that I will annihilate them…” Moses is able to persuade the Lord to forego annihilation, but when Moses sees the afront himself he calls on the sons of Levi to put to the sword 3,000 men. The relationship at this point is officially on the rocks. Chapter 33 reveals the Lord setting boundaries. He continues the relationship, but at a distance he feels is appropriate given the circumstances. He tells Moses he will send an angel in his place because he “will not go up in your midst since you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way.” The people mourned, no longer being in the favor of the Lord. Luckily, Moses once again convinces the Lord that the people can be worthy of his favor. The Lord is careful to remind Moses that favor is his alone to give when he states, “I will favor when I wish to favor, and I will have compassion when I wish to have compassion.” So, the Lord continues the relationship, but under the condition that not Moses, nor any other person will see his face, telling Moses, “You will not be able to see My face, for man shall not see Me and live” and that “you will see My back but My face shall not be seen.” In Chapter 34, seemingly ready to move forward, The Lord lays out a foundation for the relationship’s new chapter. He forms a covenant with the people, agreeing to drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, and the rest. In exchange, they cannot do him like they did before. There will be no other gods! There will be rules for sacrifice, tithing, ceremonies and festivals, and for the Sabbath. So, Moses descends Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, the Covenant. You have to wonder if the people doubted the benefits bestowed by the Lord would outweigh the rules imposed, and harsh consequences for not strictly adhering to them. If they doubted the relationship was worth it? If they did, that doubt seems to pass when they see the effect being close to God has on Moses. “All of the children of Israel saw Moses and behold! The skin of his face had become radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.” As Moses continues to teach the Lord’s Covenant he continues to glow. “When Moses would come before the Lord to speak with Him, he would leave and speak to the children of Israel what he would be commanded. Then the children of Israel would see Moses’ face, that the skin of Moses’ face had become radiant.” The Rules of Relationships God wants to be close to us, to have a relationship. He also wants us to be close to one another. But in order to unify as a people and maintain God’s favor in the presence of an ever-changing and challenging world, we have to uphold a sacred set of principles. This is the covenant. God goes to great lengths to establish what is sacred, what is holy. Each time we do not uphold the sacred, we violate the covenant, and in turn strain our relationship with God and with each other. In contrast, the more we maintain the covenant, the closer to we get to God and the more radiant we become. It is plain enough that keeping our sacred promises with God strengthens our relationship with Him and with others in the congregation. But there are fundamental lessons here that apply to relationships in general. We should recognize that keeping promises builds trust and strengthens relationships, and appreciate the satisfaction and peace enjoyed when both parties uphold their end of an agreement. We also see how breaking promises, disloyalty, impatience, and disregard of what we should hold sacred makes it difficult to trust one another and creates distance between people who should be close. Our Relationship to Rules God presents us with a set of seemingly non-negotiable rules to be followed to be in his favor. Although they may be burdensome at times, or seem demanding and with harsh consequences, they have the qualities that make rules just; They are plainly stated and applied to all people equally, rich and poor. They are enforced by a ruler that is “slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth.” As rule makers, we must make our rules with the best and highest intentions, and establish rewards and punishments that apply equally to all. As rule enforcers, from time to time it may be necessary to sprinkle in a plague or two to get our point across and to maintain discipline. But we should be mindful not let our anger get the best of us, causing us to bring harm to those we should protect. As rule followers, if the wisdom and intent of a rule is just, we must come to grips with the fact that breaking that rule has consequences which may result in us literally being separated from our families and communities. We should strive to find comfort, not burden in adherence to rules that bring coherence, understanding, peace and prosperity to all who follow. Kevin Lockhart |
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