March 1-2, 2013
In this week’s portion, Ki
Tissa, we find specific instructions on how
to take a census of the nation, we learn that Aaron and his sons (the priests)
are required to wash their hands and feet before making offerings on the altar,
we come upon the episode of the golden
calf, God wanting to destroy the Israelites as a result and Moses speaking
up on their behalf, Moses smashing the
first set of tablets (supposedly
carved by God), 3,000 Israelites slaughtered by the Levite tribe at Moses’s
instruction as punishment, Moses seeing God’s backside,
and Moses going back up the mountain and returning 40 days and nights later with
the second set of tablets. Action
packed!
The prevalent theme running through this portion is the need
to “stand up.”
As it relates to the census, the Israelites had to “stand
up” in order to be counted as part of the nation. Are you ready/willing to stand up and
acknowledge that you ally yourself with the Jewish people?
Aaron and his sons took on leadership roles as it related to
the service of the Divine without being asked if they were willing or
wanting. Are you ready to stand up when
called upon to serve others in ways you may not have been planning on?
Moses stands up to God when God expresses a desire to kill
all of the Israelites due to their creating and worshipping the golden calf. Moses says to God: “If you’re going to take
them all out, you need to take me out too.” Are you ready to stand up and put
yourself on the line for the wellbeing of others?
With Passover only a couple weeks away, what can we do as
individuals and as a community to stand up for those who are still enslaved
around the world, as our ancestors were in Egypt?
There’s no room for passivity. Stand up and make something happen. Report back.
No comments:
Post a Comment