Parashat Teruma | Tales of Hubris and Pride, Then and Now
- ziva139
- 4 בפבר׳ 2022
- זמן קריאה 5 דקות
“Tell the sons of Israel to take a contribution for Me; from everyone whose heart moves him you shall take My contribution.[1]” It is Shabbat Trauma – Shabbat of contribution – the goal is to build the Mishkan, an institution common to all of the Israelites wherever they are. The passages we read then describe in great detail the fabric and content of that tabernacle. From huge curtains to clasps that hold them together, various boards and all kinds of apparatuses, an Ark of the Covenant, and of course the golden lampstand, the Menorah.
With that said, what really draws attention are the verbs used in addressing Moses, as he is charged to tell the sons of Israel. It is demand of him, “ You shall overlay it with pure gold[2]” (you in the singular), “You shall also make a table of acacia wood[3]” (again, you in the singular), “you shall make a lampstand of pure gold[4]” (once again, you in the singular), and it culminates with, “you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and violet, purple, and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim[5]”. Moses gets all of these demand on a personal basis, and there are quite a few of them. There are not so many examples like, “ Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them[6]” or, “Now they shall construct an ark of acacia wood.[7]”
It is of course clear from the continuation of the text that Moses does not construct the tabernacle by himself. He is the project manager, so to speak, and manages those who are experts in the various specialties needed in order to construct such a find structure. It is therefore that we must ask ourselves the question why it is the Moses gets these demands on a personal basis? Why does he not get an instruction on how to build teams of builders and architects? How to manage them and whom to select? Maybe this is an opportunity for us to learn something about management, something about that which is called a vision, and that which are the missions and objectives that need to be attained. The vision is all about having a holy and inspiring structure, it is described in words not in drawings. It is a concept awaiting reduction into practice. An idea that is feasible but nevertheless a challenge. The people, we must remember, are in the middle of the great wilderness.
It is Moses‘ task to take that vision, understand what it takes to turn it into a concrete plan with a well understood mission, and many time dependent objectives. Within that it is necessary to make concrete the vision, bring it down to earth. It is necessary, because if this vision can materialize in the middle of nowhere, it will build confidence in the people of their ability to reach the vision of entering the Promised Land, settling there, making it a home for the People. The mission is complicated, the wilderness has to be crossed, and there are countless natural challenges that must be overcome, for example, ample supply of food and water.
The book of Proverb is traditionally thought of as being written by the wisest of man, King Solomon. It is from there that we learn that “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained[8]”. This means that when a vision is missing it is quite difficult for a people to stick together. For that to happen it is necessary that we connect people together, find that which makes them stick together rather than causing separation. A few sentences later we continue to learn that, “A person’s pride will bring him low, / But a humble spirit will obtain honor.[9]” This kind of pride, an oppressive pride, we have witnessed this week from the ugly words of Irit Linur in a broadcast on Galei Zahal, the IDF’s broadcasting station, where she used harsh, insulting and slanderous language to address the Reform Movement, saying for example “You lost! This is a democracy. You were not accepted here. Go! Go! Go!” The co-host, Kobi Arieli, added to the flames, “The Movement tried to enter the country. Invested in it. It really, really did not succeed because it has no chance.[10]”
Their oppressive pride more than anything spoke about themselves, it will bring them low. We will continue humbly on our way, patiently, and respectfully. While insisting on the fulfilment of every aspect of our civil rights. Among others, a petition was quickly circulated and sent to the Minister of Defense. It was signed by a long list of officers (reserve) ranking from Major General to Lieutenant. It calls for the minister not to stand idle when something as ugly as this occurs. We have had enough of these kinds of uncontrolled venomous and foul language used in this public broadcast station discourse. Enough is enough. This cannot happen in a military where we fight side-by-side regardless of our opinions and disagreements. Even when this happens the discourse must be one of respect and acceptance.
We shall continue to take the passage of the righteous, despite the actions of the likes of Linur and Arieli. We shall remember what King Solomon said about such persons, “An unjust person is an abomination to the righteous, / And one who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.[11]” In their convoluted world they despise the righteous, and the only way that they can do it is by lying, fibbing, speaking rudely, and without heart. These are not our ways. We absolutely recognize that they do not need to agree with us. They are absolutely in their full rights to voice their opinions, trying to wisely persuade that they are right. They will meet an iron wall if they continue to try to let go of our rights, so that they end up with more rights than we have. They and us will have equal rights and equal obligations, and they should understand that sooner rather than later. By making a contribution to the Reform Movement we will build a stronger and better Mishkan to address their attempt and answer them in the one way that they will understand.
Shabbat Shalom and wishes for Good Health.
Reuven Marko, 4 February 2022, 4 Adar A, 5782
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