Parshat Vayakhel: It's All Too Much

Parshat Vayakhel: It's All Too Much

Last summer, following the evacuation of the troops from Afghanistan, my shul in Bushey found itself being featured in both the local and national headlines.

At the height of the crisis, seventeen refugee families arrived in the area having boarded a flight from Kabul to escape the Taliban. Our local councillor contacted the Rabbi and told him that there was a desperate need for items such as warm clothing, toiletries, school supplies and toys. Our community banded together to provide these and within three hours, on Sunday, 22nd August, the shul car park was packed with dozens of black rubbish bags containing donations of said items. These were handed out to thirty grateful families living in local hostels. By Thursday night, the number of recipients had risen to seventy-two.

I remember the pride I felt watching the news snippet on the BBC. It was the ultimate Kiddush Hashem - sanctification of Gd's name and I am certain that a similar project would take place should the UK accept refugees from Ukraine.

Both the Rabbi and the Shul were honoured with a "Points of Light" Award from the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson which stated, "In recognition of your exceptional service supporting Afghan refugees, you are presented with the UK's 1745th ‘Points of Light’ award on the 24th September 2021."

Towards the end of that memorable week, I looked in awe at the collection and asked the Rabbi as to how they could possibly accept any more contributions. The car park was almost unrecognisable!

He responded with a smile saying that the demand to donate had been so high, he was having to politely refuse any more donations, which brings me to this week's Parsha.

At the start of Vayakhel, Moshe assembled the people (the word for a community 'Kehillah' is derived from the same root which is 'k-h-l') and asked them to bring 'an offering to the Lord' towards the construction of the Mishkan/Tabernacle and its contents.

He requested the following:

○ gold, silver, bronze, sky-blue purple and scarlet wool

○ linen and goats' hair

○ rams' hides dyed red and fine leather

○ acacia wood

○ oil of the lamp

○ spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense

○ and finally rock crystal together with other precious stones for the ephod (apron) and breast piece.

He then asked for skilled craftsmen and women to make the items that would comprise the entire project including the tents and coverings, poles, curtain, table of shewbread, incense altar and the Menorah.

The people left Moshe's presence and returned with everything he had requested, from gold brooches and earrings to wool spun by the women's own hands as well as the finest linen available. Moshe instructed Betzalel a chief artisan from the tribe of Yehudah along with Oholiav from the tribe of Dan and the skilled craftsmen within the nation, to construct all the holy items from the donated materials.

The immense project was undertaken and we are told that:

Exodus 36:3-7

From Moshe they received all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of the Sanctuary. And the people kept bringing additional gifts every morning. So all the craftsmen engaged in the work of the Sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moshe, “The people are bringing more than is necessary for the work that Gd has commanded us to do.” Moshe ordered an announcement to be made throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make anything more as an offer for the Sanctuary!” So the people brought no more for what they had was more than enough for all the work that was to be done.

The Malbim (d.1879) adds an incisive comment on this. He says that this project was not like any other as it had been requested from the people by no less than Gd himself. He had asked for a finite amount of material that was to be used. No more, no less. One may have thought that if you added to the quantity specified, it would make the entire project even grander than it already was, which was not the point of the exercise. In fact, had more material been added, the Malbim explains that it would have rendered the entire Mishkan Pasul - invalid, which is the opposite of the word 'kosher' or 'fit for purpose.' He cites the example of the instruction to build the Menorah out of one single piece of gold and if two were used, the beautiful result would also have had such a status.

I believe that the Torah is teaching us a powerful lesson here. Sometimes, in our enthusiasm to show our dedication to a project, we can end up overdoing this.

As Oscar Wilde famously put it, "everything in moderation, including moderation."

In a few weeks’ time, we will be reading the Megillah whose descriptive language of the opulent palace in Shushan in the first chapter is not dissimilar to that used for the Mishkan:

Esther 1:6

There, swaths of fine fabric -of precious white cotton and sky-blue wool – were caught up with cords of the finest linen and purple and draped over silver bars and columns of marble; and couches of gold and silver were arranged on a terrace paved with alabaster and marble; with mother of pearl and black onyx.

The Megillah describes the feast that Achashverosh prepared for his guests:

Esther 1:3-5

in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his ministers and courtiers—the elite of Persia and Media, the nobles and the governors of the provinces in his service. For no fewer than a hundred and eighty days he displayed the wealth of his kingdom and the dazzling glory of his greatness. At the end of this period, the king gave a banquet for seven days in the courtyard of the king’s palace garden for all the people who lived in the fortress Shushan, high and low alike.

Esther 1:7-8

Royal wine was served in abundance, as befits a king, in vessels of gold, vessels unlike any other. And the rule for the drinking was, “No restrictions!” For the king had given orders to every palace steward to comply with each man’s wishes.

The gluttony and debauchery that took place led to what could have resulted in the genocide of our people. Sometimes, too much really means too much.

Judaism recognises this and places limits on excess, hence the command by Moshe to cease from bringing gifts.

I also see another way to view the beauty of our religion's sensible approach as I will shortly be concluding my year of mourning. In Parshat Chaya Sarah, we are told that when our first Matriarch died, her husband Avraham mourned over her.

In the Torah it is written that:

Genesis 23:2

Sarah died in Kiryat Arba—that is Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

בראשית כ״ג:ב׳

וַתָּ֣מׇת שָׂרָ֗ה בְּקִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃

Look carefully at the final word in the verse, Velivkota - and to weep for her and you will notice that in both the Torah and Chumash, the kaf is smaller than the other letters. Numerous commentators including the Rosh (d. 1327) explain that Avraham demonstrated his acceptance of her passing and whilst he no doubt mourned for her, he also limited the way in which he carried this out.

Judaism understands that just as there is a time to celebrate and a time to weep (as per the beautiful description in Kohelet - Ecclesiastes), everything must take place in a controlled and measured way. I could continue saying Kaddish for the entire year, but for a number of reasons, the process of mourning which began as soon as the Levaya ended must itself also finish in a set amount of time, which happens to be today.

In just over a month, on 25th Adar Sheni, my year of aveilut (mourning) will conclude and I will have the opportunity to remember my mother in a different, less public manner. This doesn't diminish her place in my heart and I am no less a son to her than I would be if I wore black for the rest of my life. Everything in moderation.

The Rabbi of Bushey Shul and similarly, the Jewish people's greatest leader understood that, in order to appreciate the gifts that people wanted to make, it was important for the overall project to curtail the contributions. This did not impact on the extraordinary achievement that took place in both the helping out of refugees and the building of the Mishkan. On the contrary, it provided a shining example of what our people can achieve when we unite as a community.

It shows that, if we can work together and put aside our differences, the Jewish people well and truly live up to Gd's requirements that we be to Him, 'mamlechet kohanim vegoy kadosh' - 'A kingdom of priests and a holy nation'. If we achieve this, we can demonstrate that we really are 'or lagoyim' - 'a light unto the nations' and one that completely deserved to be recognised as one of this countries' eminent 'Points of Light'.

Shavuah Tov.

Parshat Tetzaveh: Redirecting the Spotlight

 What do the following have in common?

·        The first seven James Bond movies (from 'Dr No' until 'Diamonds are Forever').

·        The pentalogy of Jason Bourne thrillers.

(and incidentally, did you notice how both fictional characters have the same initials – not forgetting Jack Bauer from ’24’ fame?!)

In both the early Bond and Bourne films, you associate one specific actor with each of the respective series.

In the 1960s and once more in 1983 for “Never Say Never Again’, The billboards promoted 007 by informing us that: 'Sean Connery IS James Bond'.  Poor George Lazenby probably knew that he didn't stand a chance.  He even acknowledged this with first line in 'Her Majesty's Secret Service', when he looked at the camera wistfully and said, "This never happened to the other fella!"

Did Jeremy Renner in 'The Bourne Legacy' remind us that we would rather be watching Matt Damon?  I mean no offence to Mr Renner who is a fine actor in his own right.  In his case, he was playing a fellow agent and not Bourne but, throughout the film, I wished I would have been watching Matt Damon as the titular character instead.

Looking closer to home, one would automatically assume that Moshe Rabbeinu has a constant presence in every Parsha of the Torah from Shemot onwards.  The Torah is even colloquially referred to as being 'The Five Books of Moses', presumably because, according to our Tradition, he was Gd's scribe.  Tetzave however, is the exception to the rule.

 

 

The very first verse states:

Exodus 27:20 (and you) Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for light, to kindle the lamp, every night.

שמות כ״ז:כ׳ וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה ׀ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃

This stands out immediately because we are used to the form where we read: "Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe Laymor…” – “And Gd spoke to Moshe saying..."

Yet surprisingly, Moshe's name is not mentioned.  In fact, his name is absent from the entire Parsha.  I joked with a fellow congregant this week that I would pay him a million pounds if he could spot it!

The Tur, Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Asher (1270 – c.1340) tells us that the reason for this stems from Moshe's statement to Gd which we will read in next week's Parsha (PG):

Exodus 32:32  But now, only if you would forgive their sin - but if not, blot me out of the book you have written.

שמות ל״ב:ל״ב (לב) וְעַתָּ֖ה אִם־תִּשָּׂ֣א חַטָּאתָ֑ם וְאִם־אַ֕יִן מְחֵ֣נִי נָ֔א מִֽסִּפְרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתָֽבְתָּ׃

How did we arrive at this dire situation?

Let's examine the chain of events that led us here.

Moshe has ascended Mount Sinai and is being taught the Torah by Gd both orally and through being dictated its words, letter by letter.  After forty days, the people who think that he's not returning initiate the catastrophic events which lead to the episode of the Egel Hazahav, the Golden Calf.

Gd tells Moshe that his people have created a 'molten calf' and are worshipping it.  He wants to destroy the nation but Moshe pleads and prays for their survival which results in Gd 'relenting from the evil He had spoken of doing to His people.'

Moshe descends from the mountain with Joshua who has been waiting patiently for him.  He sees the ignominious spectacle and smashes the tablets.  There ensues a violent punishment for all concerned when the Levites carry out the sentence which leaves about 'three thousand men dead'.  The following morning, Moshe returns up the mountain to ask Gd to forgive the people.  He even offers himself up as a sacrifice in their stead, hence the aforementioned verse about his being 'blotted out' from the narrative.  It is the ultimate sacrifice, on his part on behalf, of the nation he has recently led out from the bondage of Egypt.

Gd's response is to tell him that he will smite the people who had been involved in the tragedy (Rashi tells us that was referring to heavenly as opposed to earthly retribution).  Hashem tells Moshe that He will not be ‘amongst the people’ when Moshe leads them on their journey to Canaan and that effectively, they are 'on their own'.  They are a 'stiff-necked' people who, in their behaviour, could lead Gd to 'consume them' if He returns to be amongst them.

We know that the next stage was Moshe's plea on the part of the Nation (once he had descended and ascended the mountain a third time) and finally we saw Gd's eventual decision to forgive the people when Moshe came down for the last time with the second set of tablets on the 10th of Tishri – the day we now call ‘Yom Kippur’.

Almost lost in these troubling events is Moshe's suggestion that his name be permanently deleted from the Torah's hard drive.  He's not even asking to be restored from the 'recycle bin'!

Moshe's standing in Gd's eyes meant that He answered him by deleting his name from just one part of 'The Book' which happens to be this week's Parsha.  It is also a case of 'you get what you ask for' from Gd.

There is a deeper meaning to Moshe's absence from this week's Parsha.  After all, the events surrounding firstly the episode of the golden calf and then the process of building the Mishkan, took place within the first year of the Exodus.  Had things gone as planned, the people would have reached the Land of Israel only a few weeks later which would have left a shorter Torah but still the opportunity to remove Moshe's name at a later date.

Why is this week's Parsha the one that was chosen to appear to be ‘Moshe’ free?

I heard a beautiful idea which is one of the many suggestions for why Tetzaveh was chosen.  Looking at its content, one sees that the common denominator for all of its constituent parts concerns Moshe's brother Aharon, the very first Cohen.  We read about the specific garments and Holy ornaments that he, as High Priest, and his descendants, as regular priests, are commanded to don.  This is then followed by a detailed description of how they will be consecrated to the service of Gd.  In fact, the entire Parsha is dedicated to the Kehuna - the priesthood, of which Aaron is the central focus.

Sometimes, a leader needs to redirect the spotlight and shine it onto someone else.  Andy Warhol famously said, “In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 minutes.”  Parshsat Tetzaveh is Aharon’s 15 minutes (or so) of fame (from the past to the present to the future).

Moshe's greatness as man lay in his extraordinary leadership skills navigating the Israelites through the moral minefield that lay ahead of them as they journeyed out of Egypt.  He could have been jealous that Aharon had been gifted the Kehuna, the Priesthood but that wasn't a trait of his personality.  Moshe, the humblest of all men, stepped aside and allowed his older brother to shine and this week’s reading is the evidence.

James Bond and Jason Bourne are fictional characters who have entranced the entertainment world with their antics.  The characters could be bigger than the actors who have played them but, as I stated originally, this doesn't seem to be the case.  The actors and all those involved in the productions realised that sometimes, only one person can play that character in a way the public responds to.  This doesn't demeanour the acting skills of the person who provides a different interpretation.  Which is perhaps why (and for a host of reasons on behalf of the respective actors) Sean Connery came back to play the hero in 'Diamonds are Forever' and Matt Damon chose to return for a final time as Bourne.  The spotlight that shone upon them was too bright to share with someone else.

Moshe could have easily taken the same point of view and no-one would have begrudged him the privilege.  When it mattered, whether it was to fight for the survival of the Israelites and/or to share the limelight with his brother, he didn't hesitate to ask of Gd what seems to us as being the ultimate request.

That is true leadership.  

Shavuah Tov.

Parshat Terumah: Wherefore 'Ark' Thou?

 I don't remember the precise date, but it must have been in the late summer of 1981, perhaps even into the early weeks of the new school year. My parents took me to see a new film at the cinema. I recall that it was unusual for the three of us to go to the 'pictures' together as my mother had a preference for the theatre. However, the three of us saw the film at either the Golders Green ABC or the Hendon Classic, both of which are sadly long gone.

I remember the thrill I felt watching the film. It was simply fabulous! The hero, the heroine, the action and the dénouement were unforgettable. If you've ever seen "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on a giant cinema screen, you'll know exactly what I mean! Memories are made from occasions like these.

In hindsight, I expect that part of my fascination with the Mishkan, The Tabernacle and the Batei Mikdash, The Temples along with their artefacts could find its origins in this week's Parsha. I could talk about the subject until the red heifers come home (they're more biblical than cows!) but I'll focus instead on just one object - the Aron Habrit or Ark of the Covenant as many of us refer to it.

I'm going to try to answer three questions about the Ark.

Firstly, what was it?

 Secondly, what was placed inside it?

And finally, where is it now?

The first two are relatively easy to answer as they can be located in the texts. The third however, as Indiana Jones and other non-fictional individuals have discovered, is a much more difficult riddle to solve.

In tackling the first question, we read about the instructions on how to construct the Ark at the start of this week's Parsha after Gd instructs Moshe to create the Mishkan, the Tabernacle.

 

Exodus 25:8-9

They shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst. Form the Tabernacle and form all of its furnishings, following the patterns that I show you.

The next verses describe in intricate details the form and measurements of the Ark. The following is taken from the Artscroll book: "The Mishkan, the Tabernacle. Its Structure and Its Sacred Vessels" by Rabbi Avraham Biderman.

The Ark consisted of three separate rectangular boxes according to Rashi. The outer box was shaped out of pure gold. A middle box, made of acacia wood, would then fit snugly inside and into this middle box, another smaller golden box was nested so that the outer and inner boxes were gold. The exposed edge of the middle wooden box was then covered with a gold plate. Surrounding the outer rim of the largest box was a small golden diadem or crown-like gold filigree which formed the perimeter of the unit. Two large golden rings were placed on either side of the outer box to allow the insertion of two golden staves. This made the ark portable. As we know, the golden cover held the Keruvim or Cherubs whose wings rose over their  respective heads and met each other in a mirror image. It was quite a sight to see.

So far, so good. 

Question two is relatively easy to answer, although there is some disagreement amongst Chazal as to the exact contents.

What did the Ark hold?

1. 1.     The first set of luchot, namely the broken tablets. Baba Batra 14a suggests that these were stored in a second ark which travelled in front of the Israelites and was used when they went into battle in the desert.
2. 2.     The second set of luchot/tablets that Moshe brought down from Mount Sinai on the day that would henceforth be commemorated as Yom Kippur.
3. 3.     A Torah Scroll that Moshe wrote (again, there is disagreement as the same source in Bava Batra states that it was not placed inside the Ark but on a shelf alongside it.
4. 4. Finally, a jar of Manna.

Additionally, Aaron's staff and a jar of anointing oil were placed in front of the Ark. This leads us to the third question - where is the Ark now and I can tell you where it is not! 

It certainly is not stored in a wooden crate somewhere in a warehouse in the United States. Despite Steven Spielberg's imaginative rendering of its fate and its cameo appearance in the last sequel, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull in 2008. One needs to wait until next year to view Indy's latest non-Spielberg outing. It might even make a reappearance!

I also don't think it's sitting in Ethiopia either.

I remember spending the month of Tishri in Israel in 1993 reading Graham Hancock's wildly speculative account "The Sign and the Seal". It posits the theory that Menelik, the result of the union between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, took the Ark from the First Temple down to his kingdom in Ethiopia and it has been guarded by a succession of zealous monks in the highland town of Axum where it is housed in the chapel of Axum Tsion St. Mary of Zion. 

We do know that it was hidden because the Tanach tells us as much (according to some):

Chronicles II 35:3

Yoshiyahu (Josiah) instructed the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the Lord, “Place the Holy Ark in the House that Solomon son of David, king of Israel, built; as you no longer carry it on your shoulders, see now to the service of the Lord  your Gd and His people Israel

To which the Tosefta commentator in Messechet Sota  adds:

‘…when the Ark was hidden, also buried with it was the jar of manna, the anointing oil, Aaron’s staff…they were all in the Temple…and who hid them? King Josiah (who hid) everything that he saw in the Kodesh Hakodashim…he instructed the Levites [thus] and they hid it (as per the verse above)…so that it wouldn’t go up to Babylon like the other holy vessels’

For the record, Josiah's rule started nearly 300 years after Solomon, so unless Menelik had particularly hardy genes, he would have had quite a job walking off with the Ark!

There is a story related in the Talmud that its location might have been discovered by a Cohen during his duties in the Chamber of the Wood (where they prepared the wood to be used on the Altar) but when he went to notify another priest, he died. I guess it was meant to stay hidden.

In conclusion, I can only speculate that it is still somewhere on the Temple Mount waiting for the appropriate time to be discovered. I might even have been a few meters away from it relatively recently.

In the Summer of 2016, when I was studying for my Semicha, the Montefiore Endowment very generously provided us with a wonderful all-expenses paid trip to Israel. On one of our tiyulim (outings), we visited Ir David- The City of David archaeological complex just south of the Kotel. It contains the remains of the original City of David and descends into the village of Silwan at the foot of the mountain. As trainee Rabbis, we were treated to a fascinating in-depth tour of the site, which would not usually be accessible to other visitors. 

As we made our way up the hill underground, we walked parallel to Hezekiah's tunnel and passed Warren's Shaft, a vertical shaft that descends from the upper part of the hill down to a location near the Gihon spring. It is believed that this may have been the aperture through which King David was able to enter Jerusalem and defeat the Jebusites. We soon came across an opening in the tunnel floor from which was protruding a vertical ladder. We climbed down into a large, cavernous enclosure which might have been a reservoir. We looked around and our guide pointed us towards a wall on the north-eastern side. He told us that he believed that behind this wall lay a tunnel which held the Ark of the Covenant waiting to be discovered.

I don't know if he was correct and to this day, I wonder how close I may have been to the holiest object in our history. When Moshiach arrives, Please Gd very soon, we will surely find out!

Shavuah Tov.