JHI Dvar Torah on Parshat Ki Tissa

PARSHAT KI TISISA – DEFINING TRAGEDY

When Moshe descended from Mount Sinai - with the two tablets of the testimony in Moshe’s hand as he descended from the Mountain - Moshe did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant when He had spoken to him.

Aaron and all the children of Israel saw, and behold! - the skin of Moshe’s face had become radiant; and they feared to approach him (Parshat Ki Tisisa, Chapter 34, sentences 29 & 30).


Shortly before the Torah was first given, a revelation of the Almighty Himself appeared above the Mountain of Sinai. As the Jews at that time were so spiritually exalted, they were able to countenance the great sight without incident. Moshe (Moses) then ascended to the heavens for 40 days and 40 nights to be taught the Torah and to receive the First Tablets. When descending, he came upon the Jews committing the terrible sin of worshipping the Golden Calf, and Moshe broke the First Tablets. Moshe then ascended to the Heavens for a second 40 day/40 night period to pray for the Jews. This was followed by a third 40 day/night period during which time Moshe received the Second Tablets.

When Moshe descended from his third stay in the Heavens, the Divine Presence emanated most intensely from his face. Upon beholding this sight, the Jewish people were afraid to even come close to Moshe. The Commentary of Rashi explains that this demonstrates the devastating force of sin. Before the Jewish people sinned, they were sufficiently spiritual to behold the awesome sight of the Divine Presence Itself at Sinai. After the Golden Calf, even the holiness that radiated from Moshe’s face (which was far less intense than what hovered above Sinai) could not be countenanced due to their diminished spiritual state.

Rashi wrote that what happened in the aftermath of the Golden Calf demonstrates the profound devastation caused by sin. The proof cited is that the Jewish people could no longer tolerate the holiness emanating from Moshe's face, whereas before the sin they were able to participate in a much higher level of spirituality. Why was this deemed such a prima-facie example of the “power of sin?”

A conventional explanation of Rashi would be that the essence of the tragedy lies in its far reaching ramifications of diminished spirituality. People with decreased spirituality are initially affected on the personal level. Torah studies and mitzvah performance might suffer. This diminished observance and fervor will then affect others with whom these individuals come in contact. Those others who were themselves weakened will then go on to exert a negative influence on others. Ultimately, the decline of spirituality will beget widespread consequences that can endure for generations. One might assume that this unfolding scenario is at the heart of what is referred to in Rashi as the devastation of sin.

A closer examination of Rashi indicates that the catastrophe referred to is not this destructive chain of events. It is accepted that the texts of the Torah are written in the most explicit and direct manner possible. As such, if the real tragedy of diminished spirituality is the sequence of events that will surely follow, Rashi would have said so more specifically – such as: “A transgression creates a ripple effect that contaminates family, friends, society in general, and it may continue for generations.” Rashi mentions nothing of this, but discusses only the diminished ability of those particlar Jews who could not tolerate the holiness emanating from Moshe. Their spiritual decline, in and of itself, was deemed the ultimate tragedy.

It should be noted that the sin of the Golden Calf caused other serious consequences. The Talmud (Eruvin 54a) writes that were the tablets not smashed (1) the Torah would never have been forgotten by the Jews, and (2) no other nation or language would have ever had dominion over the Jewish Nation. This means that all of the slaughter and torture and death of untold of millions of Jews at the hands of other nations since the time of the Golden Calf would have never occurred. One can hardly imagine more misfortune arising out of a single sin!

Why then did Rashi focus on the tragedy of the personal loss of holiness when so much long-term tragedy of global consequence arose from the Golden Calf? Seemingly, the spiritual loss of that generation was of far less significance than thousands of years of suffering and death. Being less able to tolerate Moshe's countenance did not even cause anyone physical harm. Furthermore, it was only a catastrophe for that generation alone.

Rashi is thus conveying an idea of enormous significance. At the very heart of the purpose of the entire universe is the imperative that people live their lives in a manner that makes them more God-like and thus closer to The Almighty.

It therefore follows that a person who brings himself closer to Hashem is thus providing a raison d’être for the entire universe. On the other hand, the converse is also true. A diminishment of human spirituality is a cataclysmic event that rivals all other tragedies. The justification for the entire universe has been compromised. This remains “The tragedy of tragedies” even if there were no other pragmatic consequences.

It is of course true that that saving a life is great mitzvah and murder is one the Torah’s three cardinal sins. Nevertheless, the world was not created so that people could to save lives. It was, however created so that people would be able, through their own free will, to draw themselves closer to G-d.

The secular world gauges the importance of human actions by the extent of their impact upon others. Jews as well also often apply this barometer to assessments of mitzvah-related activity. People assume that the pursuit of a given Mitzvah is deemed highly worthwhile and meritorious if other people are thereby positively affected and pragmatic changes are wrought. But a mitzvah performed privately that had no pragmatic consequences is of far lesser import.

Based on the above Rashi it is probably true to say that a superficially performed mitzvah (commandment of the Torah) that affects hundreds of people superficially is less significant in Heaven than a one-time occurrence of a single person reciting the blessing over a sip of water with enormous fervor. Reciting a bracha (blessing) in this manner might be deemed in Heaven as an event of earth-shattering import and significance

This casts an entirely different light on the global importance of daily and oft-repeated actions. Almost any everyday mitzvah can be qualitatively upgraded and imbued with a more intense dedication to serve Hashem. This applies to both those Mitzvot that are between man and G-d and those between man and man.
_____________________

Newspapers give greater prominence to stories that are more ‘important.’ A very significant development might be front page news. An even more important event might become that day’s lead story and given especially bold headlines. A story of lesser consequence, though, might appear on the back pages. Most events go unreported, for they are deemed not worthy of being included with, “All of the news that is fit to print.”

Based on the above Rashi, it would appear that in the “Newspaper of Heaven,” the fact that a person suffered a spiritual decline is considered a tragedy worthy of extensive coverage. On the other hand, if a person performed a single mitzvah with a more profound closeness to Hashem, that might be headline news. A deep and long-term difference in one’s spirituality may become an even bolder headline overshadowing all of the other events that took place on that day. This means that while still alive, every person has the opportunity to become extremely newsworthy in the “World of Truth” (as the Heavens are sometimes referred to).

Rabbi Yosroel Salanter is reported to have once said: “Nothing makes a louder noise in the universe than the fact that a person improved his character traits.”


Please consider sponsoring this weekly email Dvar Torah. It is a meaningful way to note an occasion such as a graduation, birthday, anniversary, yahrzeit, etc.The “cost” is $120, though amounts greater than $120 will of course be gladly accepted. The sponsorship will be noted in the Dvar. Thank you in advance!