March 13- 17: Parashat Ki Tisa; Exodus
By Ester Naiditch
AJA Jewish Life
OVERVIEW
This week’s parsha Ki Tisa tells the story of one of the most infamous betrayal of god performed by the Jews in the desert, and of Moses brave argument for the Jews sake.
After much preparation Moses goes up to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah from God. After forty days the Jews start to get weary. They become unsure of Moses’ so called god, and decide to create a god they can see. The men of the Jewish nation create a golden calf out of their wives jewelry, though the women are reluctant to give up their belongings for the sake of idol worship. Moses comes down with two tablets with the ten commandments miraculously carved on both sides. In anger Moses destroys the tablets as he sees the golden calf being worshiped. G-d wishes to kill of the Jewish nation and start anew. However, Moses defends the Jews and begs for G-d to forgive them. G-d is merciless towards the most part of the Jews, but kills the main minds behind the golden calf. He also reveals the “13 attributes of mercy” to Moses.
Moses composes new tablets and goes down to the Jews and teaches them the laws that have been passed down throughout generations.
Moses’ argument on behalf of the Jews
Moses composes a passionate argument for the Jews sake, that has a big effect on their fate. He refuses to allow G-d to forget the Jewish nation, and in the end G-d indeed doesn’t forget. At one point G-d suggests that he might send an angel to follow the Jews through the desert towards Israel, but Moses begs G-d to follow them. Moses also says this courageous line; “If
You do not forgive them, blot me out from the book that You have written.” G-d indeed does forgive the Jews, but keeps in mind what exactly was said and done. Though the Jews are forgiven, G-d says that for their sin the journey through the desert will be troublesome. It is not stated anywhere but he also does blot Moses out from the Torah.
In the Parsha, Tetzaveh Moses’ name isn’t mentioned. This is the only occurrence in the whole book of Exodus. An explanation for this absence is what Moses said in his argument for the Jews after the golden calf. He specifically told G-d he wishes for his name to be blotted out if the Jews were killed. The Jews weren’t killed, but the words of a Tadzhik (righteous man) such as Moses are not forgotten. To take this in account some say that his name was excused from Tetzaveh.
This episode can teach a lesson about how words are more than spoken things, and we must watch our own.