While Standing (6 Feet Apart) On One Leg
I am going to do something each day during the duration of the pandemic. I am going to present on our FB page a very small commentary. It may come from me or someone else (if you are interested in doing one or more, let me know). It will based on a text – any Jewish text – and help us navigate our way through this virus and lockdown. In that respect, it isn’t Torah lishma – Torah for its own sake – but rather a Torah of comfort. I have no idea where this is going to go but, like most journeys, I think the scenery will be interesting along the way. Feel free to comment, as well. Here goes:
וַיַּקְהֵ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֶֽת־כָּל־עֲדַ֛ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת אֹתָֽם׃
Moses then convoked the whole Israelite community and said to them: (Ex 35:1)
This is the first line of our Torah portion for this week. The first word, ‘vayakeil’ is a command in what grammarians call the ‘causitive form.’ This simply means that the sense of the word is ’cause people to be together.’
It is ironic that in this moment of ‘social distancing’ we are commanded to ’cause to come together.’ Are we to assume that Moses was ‘causing to bring together’ a divided and disparate people? Maybe. But perhaps we can read something else into it.
The nascent Jewish people did not yet build anything constructive. The Golden Calf doesn’t count, that’s for sure! Now they had to come together to build something. As the text says a couple of verses late: ‘Take from among you gifts to the LORD; everyone whose heart so moves him shall bring them—gifts for the LORD.’ This was not an order to bring things. Moses could not force anyone to be a part of this holy task. Rather only those ‘whose heart so moves him/her.’
Moses’ invitation to ’cause people to come together’ is not so much a command to simply bring a big crowd to one spot. Rather it is, literally God saying to Moses, ‘Give these people a cause….and here is the cause. Build something constructive together and make that thing holy.’
Our Facebook page is an important tool during this moment in our personal and country’s history. Yet, as each of us brings something of ourselves and shares our thoughts, fears, and hopes in this holy cyber-space we have come together for the holiest cause of all. Not the building of a Tabernacle, but rather creating connections of respect, patience, sensitivity, honor and love among each other as our cause becomes getting through this thing together. We can do it so much effectively – and emerge on the other side much more whole – when each of us brings our holy things to the table and let others do the same.
I have no idea what lies on the other side of this virus. But I do know that, whatever it is, it can be holy if we build this home together. Let us then come together for holy cause of supporting and understanding each other. There is not reason to go through this all by yourself.
