March 17, 2012
22, Adar 5772
Vayakhel Pekudei
Shalom,
Last week we read in the weekly portion about the sin of the golden calf: "The entire people removed the gold...and brought it to Aaron."
This week's portion tell us: "Take from yourselves a portion for God... Every man whose heart inspired him came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of God...Every man and women whose heart motivated them to bring for any of the work that God has commanded to make, through Moses - the Children of Israel brought a free-willed offering to God."
What circumstances do these two events have in common? They seem to be complete opposites; one is the creation of the golden calf, an idol and a tremendous sin and the other is the building of the tabernacle, the house of God?!
The answer involves the nature of giving. The Midrash tells us that one should not attempt to understand this nation of Israelites; how could they give both to the creation of the golden calf as well as for the building of the tabernacle?! However, the idea of tzedaka, for almost any cause, is so deeply rooted in the Jewish identity that our sages say that if someone is so hard hearted and has no compassion, then his very Jewishness is in question.
This coming Sunday we are going to celebrate our annual dinner, our most important fund raiser of the year, so I will take the opportunity to dedicate today's topic to the subject of charity.
The word "tzedaka" cannot be accurately translated because it combines two concepts that in other languages are opposites: charity and justice. In Judaism, we do accept the idea of private acquisition, BUT we consider it as pledge or a deposit for the sake of others. Approval of individual wealth is conditional on using it to help others. In other judicial systems, giving to others would be considered charity, but in Judaism, giving charity is a strict legal obligation.
The pathway to godliness is defined in two words, and appears early in the Torah, from our very inception as a people. "And God said: ... Avraham is surely to become a great and mighty nation...For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the ways of God, doing tzedaka (charity) and mishpat (justice)..." Bereishit 18: 17-19.
"Mishpat" refers to a ruling of the law or judicial system; nevertheless, justice is not sufficient to create a truly just society. Along with the judicial system we must have tzedaka, fairness in the division of the wealth that God has provided. It is not difficult to imagine a society where people adhere very strictly to the law, yet at the same time, allow great gaps between rich and poor, the lucky and the unfortunate. This is not what the Torah wants. Justice must be preserved not only through the law, but also in the way God's blessings (i.e. wealth) are divided - that is tzedaka.
We are commanded to worship God with joy, using our wealth. Asceticism was never accepted in Judaism; we should enjoy this world, but without selfishness. We have to share. We, as God's partners in healing this world, have the obligation to fight poverty and help all those in need. This obligation is both moral and religious. We know that societies survive not because of their strength but because of their approach to the ones who are weak; not because of wealth but because of the ways they deal with the poor.
Giving is essential; but the manner in which it is done is equally important. The needy must not feel embarrassed and the giver must not feel superior. We give because we are part of humanity, because God wants us to respect the deposit he entrusted to us. Our sages understood that giving is essential to human dignity. We worship God not only through prayers, but also in the way we live our lives. Being good means doing good. Being good means giving to others.
There are two lakes in Israel: The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is full of life and enables life by being Israel's water source. The Dead Sea has no living creatures. Both lakes get water from the same source, the Jordan River. The difference is that water flows into one side of the Sea of Galilee and flows out, or "gives" from the other side. The Dead Sea does not give.
Receiving without giving is a form of dying. Living means giving.
I am looking forward to seeing you all in shul on Shabbat and on Sunday at our annual dinner.
Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Arik Wollheim
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