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This Shabbat before is called Shabbat Zachor rwkz
(Remember) with the special reading in D'varim
25: 1-19. At Purim we celebrate the liberation of the
Jews from Haman's plan to exterminate the all Jews in
the Persian Empire. The rabbis wisely have chosen the
passage by which we remember this event. In D'varim 25:17
- 19 we are told to remember that the Amalekites attacked
the Israelites as they were passing through on the way
to Canaan. G-d gave clear instructions on what to do with
the Amalekites when Israel had established itself in Canaan.
When the time came, G-d again instructed King Shaul to
attack and completely eliminate all the Amalekites- the
king, women, children even their cattle. King Shaul thought
that he could act more humanely than G-d and did not obey
but kept the best of everything. Years later Haman, a
descendant of King Agag whom Shaul spared, carried the
seed of hatred that would lead to his desire to eradicate
all the Jews. Purim is a time of happiness, enjoyment
and remembrance of the saving of Israel from extermination.
But in the middle of the fun, it is wise to remember that
the problem began through man's disobedience to G-d's
instructions.
Tetzaveh
hwut (You
are to order) Sh'mot 27:20 - 28:12
Today's
parasha uses many terms that do not seem to make much
sense for us in today's world. Yet we can look at this
portion as an allegory to extract the message waiting
for us.
When Moses received the instructions for the priestly
garments, he was told to choose gifted people with "wisdom
of the heart"(chachmei lev - bl
ymkx) and fill them with my spirit of wisdom (ruach
chachma hmkx
xwr Sh'mot 28:3) for skilled workmanship to make
everything needed for the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In the
western world, the word "heart" is considered
the seat of the emotions, often synonymous with sentimentality
even spiritual sentimentality. The Hebraic understanding
of the term means "the seat of knowledge". This
word for "knowledge" in the Hebrew, "yodeah"
edwy
is a very intimate term and used in the relationship between
husband and wife.
When we are to love our G-d with all our heart, He wants
to have an intimate relationship with us not one that
is based on feelings. In the relationship between a husband
and wife, when you truly love you are more worried about
the other person's well being than your own. True love
gives rather than takes. We have the perfect example where
G-d gave us Messiah Yeshua unconditionally.
Too often the husband looses the opportunity to truly
love. He seems to be more preoccupied with what he will
receive from his wife. He is willing to love as long as
he is getting something back from this relationship, in
other words, a conditional love. But conditional love
doesn't exist for G-d. He loves. That is it! Women, on
the other hand, have the capacity to love. Observe the
love of a mother to her young child. She loves that child
without expecting to get anything back from the child.
She gives of herself and is willing to go to any length
for the good of the child. On the other hand in the marriage
relationship, she may act out of duty to the marriage
or even out of duty to love her husband. G-d doesn't love
out of duty or conditionally.
The oil in the lighting of the Mishkan was to be pure
oil made from pounded olives. There were to be no contaminants
in the oil. We can relate ourselves to this pure oil.
In the religious world we have made hypocrisy a virtue
by making it right to fake and instead make a show of
how pure we are. The phrase, "what you see is what
you get", is misunderstood and misapplied. We have
to "present the correct testimony for those on the
outside". That is more important. We should not hurt
others by what or how we say it. Yeshua said that our
yes must be yes and our no, no and we need to learn to
be open, direct and transparent telling the truth to each
other while being kind. He admonished the Pharisees calling
them white washed tombs because they emphasized a façade
of cleanness and holiness. But inside they were rotten,
"full of dead men's bones". Their spirituality
was one of observance not of purity in following Torah.
On the other hand, this doesn't mean that we can be rude,
offensive or demeaning of others, sticking up for our
right to be ourselves". In fact there is the complimentary
principle that our rights end where other's rights begin.
We don't have the right to offend, hurt or pull others
down. This can be a problem particularly with Jews. We,
as a people, are very out spoken, using this principle
of transparency and personal right as we want. But when
we act like this we are guilty of Hilul ha Shem, detesting
the image of G-d in others. True there is a cultural component
to the way we treat others and the way that others perceive
our behavior. We can find the way to treat each other
honestly without demeaning or offending.
Each element of the Mishkan was made for a specific purpose,
sanctified to be part of the temple, each with an important
role. The Mishkan was not complete until each part was
in its place fulfilling its role. Conversely if new or
different objects were added to the temple again it would
be incomplete. The Mishkan was to be constructed just
as G-d had instructed.
In the same way, G-d has put us in His Sanctuary, sanctified
as holy vessels, each one to fulfill a holy purpose. Each
of us has an important role and a necessary task. Our
problem is that we would rather look at the importance
of the position instead of the task we have been given.
As we enter into the temple we must look around at the
different vessels and ask ourselves, "what role do
I play in the Temple of G-d?' " Is this who or what
I am?" Recall what Rabbi Shaul wrote in 1 Corinthians
12. All are members of one body, and all have a function
in that body. When we come to the community there is a
place and a task for each of us to fulfill for the community.
Each place is necessary. No one is more important than
another. Was Moses more important than Aaron? No, all
are the same before G-d. It is easy to see and desire
the visible roles, the ones that are in front of the congregation.
And we may think that that is our role. But there are
many more in the congregation who sit and listen and participate
in the worship. These persons are just as important for
the community, perhaps even more important.
We may feel that sitting is just sitting and that it is
just the same if we are present or absent in the community.
Just as the Temple was only complete when all of the parts
were in its place, so our absence leaves a hole in the
community, an emptiness that only we can fill. Yet we
are not willing to commit. We say that G-d hasn't shown
me what is my part. But serving G-d is not a temporary
or a part time affair. We can't just switch it on or off
at our convenience. All parts are integral to the whole.
Each person participates in the leadership of the community.
There are three qualities that all leaders must retain
as they fill their function- honesty, directness and approachability.
Honesty is quite simply telling the truth. Though is sound
simple there really is an art to being honest. To be able
to tell people the truth in such a way that it is accepted
and understood is difficult. Some times we tell the truth
so brutally that we have not served the truth. Yet there
are those who couch it is such diplomatic language that
no one captures what really is being said.
This brings us to directness. Perhaps because we fear
offending, or because we don't want to compromise someone
or a situation, we tell the truth in a round about fashion.
But that has no value if the communication hasn't been
understood and dealt with. We must say what is. Don't
hide it behind a package of words. Get it out into the
open. Indirectness leads to misunderstanding, which will
lead to conflict.
The third is approachability, being open to what others
have to say. It is most important for to be able to talk
with and listen to each other. If we aren't open to what
other people need to say to us, it can lead to the repression
of feelings that will continue to grow inside until the
situation explodes and leads to conflict under all that
pressure.
If we have something to say to another person, deal with
the problem quickly. There is a way of dealing with these
situations. First pray about it. Think of what must be
said and pray. Approach the other person directly and
speak openly and honestly. If you don't feel it is possible,
ask someone else, not involved in the situation, to accompany
you. Be specific about what was said or happened and when
it happened. Be willing to listen and ask for forgiveness
also.
We need to have one face, the same to all both in the
community as well as out of the community. We must treat
all in the same way. Men, treat the women with integrity
and respect. The same is true for the women. Men have
a double responsibility in this because they must not
only treat the women justly but they must also provide
cover for the women. Men are to protect them and act on
their behalf and the behalf of the children. This is the
responsibility of being part of the community; because
when one member does wrong all do wrong. When one part
suffers, all suffer, and when one dos what is good, all
do what is good.
It is my prayer that we all become the holy vessels that
G-d has called us to be.
May
G-d add blessings to His Word!
Rabbi
Percy Johnson
Netanel
ben Yochanan
[nxy
[b lantn
©
2008 Use by Permission
Kehilat
She’ar Yashuv
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