Vayak-hel

[searchinmyroots]

I wanted to share something I read in reference to this weeks parsha, specifically, from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, zt"l, (from the book Exodus: The Book of Redemption).

In one of his essays related to the parsha, he talks about nation building. He reference in Exodus Chapter 1 how in the first description of the Israelites as a nation, Pharaoh calls them an "am". a people. Rabbi Soloveitchik points out am is a community of fate, not faith. For later the Torah uses the word "edah" and that am shares a past and edah shares a future.

The people who Moses leads lack the moral maturity to become a free nation. At just about every stage they complain which can be that of a slave mentality. They are not yet a people of faith, trusting in G-d. They cannot see beyond the present even though they witnessed some of G-d's greatest miracles.

Then came the revelation at Sinai and yet a mere 40 days later they made the golden calf. What more needed to happen to transform them into a cohesive group with a sense of identity and mission?

It's at this point, at the beginning of this weeks parsha that Moses commands the people to construct the Tabernacle. It's as if G-d said - If you want to create a group with a sense of collective identity, get them to build something together.

It is not what happens to us, but what we do that gives us identity and responsibility.

What transformed the Israelite's is not what G-d did for them, but what they did for G-d.

Until the building of the Tabernacle, the story of the Israelite's is a sequence of events in which G-d acted for the people. He liberated them, divided the sea for them, gave them water from a rock and food from heaven. During all that time they quarreled and complained.

Yet during the construction of the Tabernacle, there were no quarrels, no complaints. The people gave their wealth, their time and their skills. Actually, they gave so much that Moses had to issue an order that they should stop.

This is behavior we have not seen before. The Israelite's were indeed transformed - not by a miracle, but by their own efforts,

What we do changes us, not what is done for us.

[Blue Bird]

Wasn't there a miracle or two that preceded Israel's own efforts?

[searchinmyroots]

Wasn't there a miracle or two that preceded Israel's own efforts?

Not sure if I understand your question Bluebird.

Yes, there were many miracles that proceeded Israel's own efforts, that is what G-d did for them.

However, they really didn't change that much and became sort of dependent on them.

Once the Israelite's starting doing things themselves, that's when the change started happening.

A couple of other examples -

It was G-d who fought the Egyptians with His miracles.

It was the Israelite's who fought the Amalekites with G-d's help.


It is written that is was G-d who wrote the 10 Commandments (actually statements) on the 2 tablets.

It was Moses who wrote the second set as dictated by G-d.

[Blue Bird]

I think I see what's important to you here... to grow up instead of staring at miracles.

A small objection... it was G‑d who wrote on the second set of tablets.

And the Lord said to Moses: "Hew for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones. And I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke..."

[searchinmyroots]

I think I see what's important to you here... to grow up instead of staring at miracles.

A small objection... it was G‑d who wrote on the second set of tablets.

And the Lord said to Moses: "Hew for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones. And I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke..."

Well sort of!

Actually, what is important to me are these 4 lines -

It is not what happens to us, but what we do that gives us identity and responsibility.

What transformed the Israelite's is not what G-d did for them, but what they did for G-d.

The Israelite's were indeed transformed - not by a miracle, but by their own efforts,

What we do changes us, not what is done for us.



As for your objection, there seems to be several thoughts on this as Exodus 34:27 says -

"The Lord said to Moses: "Inscribe these words for yourself, for according to these words I have formed a covenant with you and with Israel."

Here is a commentary that shows this doesn't have a clear answer -

https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/who-wrote-the...mandments/

Thanks for making note of that though!

[Blue Bird]

Thank you for the link. Yes it doesn't seem so clear.

The Book of Exodus wants us to realize that human beings participated in the creation of the Torah. But it does not want us to be too sure about how far that participation extended.

When I read that, another idea came to me.

Perhaps G‑d wrote the 10 commandments on the stone tablets. All the other commandments would take up too much space on the stone, so Moses wrote them on a scroll.

[searchinmyroots]

Thank you for the link. Yes it doesn't seem so clear.

The Book of Exodus wants us to realize that human beings participated in the creation of the Torah. But it does not want us to be too sure about how far that participation extended.

When I read that, another idea came to me.

Perhaps G‑d wrote the 10 commandments on the stone tablets. All the other commandments would take up too much space on the stone, so Moses wrote them on a scroll.

Let's add your idea to the commentaries!

But, knowing the Sages of the time, they probably already thought of that!

Still, it's a great idea. 

[Blue Bird]

Thank you for the link. Yes it doesn't seem so clear.

The Book of Exodus wants us to realize that human beings participated in the creation of the Torah. But it does not want us to be too sure about how far that participation extended.

When I read that, another idea came to me.

Perhaps G‑d wrote the 10 commandments on the stone tablets. All the other commandments would take up too much space on the stone, so Moses wrote them on a scroll.

Let's add your idea to the commentaries!

But, knowing the Sages of the time, they probably already thought of that!

Still, it's a great idea. 

Thank you!

Sometimes I think it would be nice if there were film footage and interviews from that time.

[searchinmyroots]

Thank you for the link. Yes it doesn't seem so clear.

The Book of Exodus wants us to realize that human beings participated in the creation of the Torah. But it does not want us to be too sure about how far that participation extended.

When I read that, another idea came to me.

Perhaps G‑d wrote the 10 commandments on the stone tablets. All the other commandments would take up too much space on the stone, so Moses wrote them on a scroll.

Let's add your idea to the commentaries!

But, knowing the Sages of the time, they probably already thought of that!

Still, it's a great idea. 

Thank you!

Sometimes I think it would be nice if there were film footage and interviews from that time.

Well, if you ever go to a Chabad or other place where they study Talmud, you might see something similar. Basically a couple of Jews sitting opposite each other studying verses and offering their "opinions" on what is being said in the verses.

Of course thousands of years ago, the great sages had a "little" better connection and are thought to be the geniuses of the time. So yes, it would be very interesting to hear some of their debates. Some of which I'm going to guess lasted for hours and hours, even days and days.

Heck, we're still debating them!

[Chavak]

It's amazing that those same thoughts apply to today, especially in the United States.