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From the Rabbi:
This week is one of the rare occasions on which we read from three Sifrei Torah on Shabbat. We'll read Parashat Terumah first, then the reading for Rosh Chodesh and lastly Parshat Shekalim, one of four special maftir readings in the month of Adar.
Each of these readings overtly shares a recognizable theme: giving to God. However, despite being related to one another, the three kinds of giving, the reasons for them and the intended results are remarkably different, and together they form a cycle which parallels the moon's waxing and waning.
First we read about the donations of materials for the construction of the Mishkan. While there are thirteen different materials listed, the key element of this giving is the individual's personal and unique desire to contribute. (Exodus 25:2) “Take for me an offering from each person - whatever their heart desires to give - you shall receive my donations”. The origin point of this giving is the generosity within our hearts. What do you feel moved to give? There's no set amount, no assignment of responsibility for who gives what, nor even an obligation upon the individual to give at all. Akin to the waxing moon, this is entirely a free will offering.
The Mishkan and Temple exist largely to facilitate our giving to Hashem, not unlike the Moon reflecting back at the Sun. When King David made asimilar collection of materials for Solomon to build the Temple he said, (I Chr. 29:14) "Who am I and who are my people, that we should be empowered to make such a freewill offering; for all is from You, and from Your hand we give to You."
It's no wonder then that the Mishkan itself is made of our free will offerings and is called in Halachic literature "בית הבחירה The House of Free Will". Furthermore, Rebbi Nachman teaches (Likutey Moharan I, 282) that the Mishkan is made of all the ‘good points’ of the Jewish people. All the parts of us that want to give. These, he says, are our Godly parts. The very manifestation of God within us. For this reason the mitzvah of the Temple is phrased (25:8) “Let them make me a Temple and I will dwell within them”. Not “I will dwell in IT”. “I will dwell within THEM!”
The second kind of Giving (we'll read it third) parallels the waning moon. This is also a giving of self, but in a remarkably different way. It's a commitment to participation and perseverance. The giving of the ritual half-shekel was our way of buying-in to the communal sacrifices that would be brought in The Temple to atone for our inevitable failings. It also served as the national Census. In stark contrast to the Free Will offering, this one is compulsory and uniform. Each adult male MUST give it, and each person gives exactly the same donation. This makes it a statement not of my individuality but of my commitment to participation in the community and my recognition of the responsibility to give that comes of being part of the corporate whole.
The third Giving (which we'll read second) is part of the very sacrifices which will be purchased by the communal funds of everyone's half Shekels: the Mussaf offerings for Rosh Chodesh. The menu of two bulls, one ram, seven lams and one goat is perfectly normal; it's identical to the Mussaf on a Yom Tov like Pesach or Shavuot. There is however something absolutely unique about the Rosh Chodesh Mussaf, the goat has a totally different meaning.
The Mussaf goat is a sin offering, a recognition that we as a people aren't living up to our fullest potential. Like the moon, we sometimes fail to reflect all the light shined at us, so on the Festivals which follow the Lunar calendar we bring a sin-offering goat.
There are however also dark times at which we don't reflect Godliness at all - a moon which is entirely invisible. This happens monthly at Rosh Chodesh, and appropriately, the commandment of the Rosh Chodesh Mussaf goat reflects that dark reality.
On Rosh Chodesh it says, (Num. 28:15)" שעיר עזים אחד לחטאת להי One male goat as a sin offering on behalf of God". Rashi quotes the Talmud's explanation as follows: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Bring an atonement offering for My sake, because I diminished the Moon". These moments of total darkness aren't our personal failings, it's Hashem stacking the deck against us. In such a dark world what does He expect of us?! So on Rosh Chodesh God not only forgives us, He asks us to atone for Him!
We'll ponder this mystery together before Mincha, but for now suffice to say it's a remarkably different kind of giving. It is for-giving. Accepting Hashem's apology for the fact that we sometimes experience ourselves as totally bereft of good points and don't experience Him as dwelling within us at all.
This unique giving - forgiving - restores us from our darkest state to a place of giving to Hashem, and thereby sets us up right back where we started: readiness to give from a heart full of generosity and able to contribute our good points to making the world a Sanctuary so He can dwell within us.
So... For our triple header Shabbat I give you a triple blessing: Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov and may you give generously ;-)
Rabbi Shlomo
Purim is coming!! March 13 &14. Being a Friday, expect a Purim experience that will flow into Shabbat. Stay tuned for megillah reading times, KOT Mishloach-Manot and Purim Seudah information.
Classes This Week
- Shabbat 5:15 PM before Mincha
- Sunday at 7:00 PM - KOT Beit Midrash
- Tuesday at 12:30 PM - Parsha Conversations at Cheryl's office
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