Parshat Pekudei – March 15, 2024 / 6 Adar Bet, 5784
While living in Boston as a very young Conservatory student, part of my daily routine was crossing busy Massachusetts Avenue on the way to the CAF, or the Dining Cafe, if you will. Throughout my entire tenure in Boston, I would pass the same man every day. He was always sitting in an identical spot on the corner of the busy Boston street, He wore a few different variations of the same wool hat, one dingy coat, and tattered pants. He appeared to be homeless, as I did make some late night travels, and he was always there. He would sit in that spot, and consistently boom out the plea to passersby, “SPARE CHANGE AT ALL?” Most people would walk by without a second thought. Some would briefly stop. I will always remember one evening after a tap class…walking behind a smartly-dressed man who replied to the plea for spare change, “Yeah right. I’m not paying for your booze.” It felt harsh. It stung me. I couldn’t imagine how the man must have felt. I remember this judgment. The sharp dresser only wanted to give to a cause that he believed was appropriate. He made a character judgment. Perhaps the down-on-his-luck gentleman would have used this money for alcohol. Perhaps for some hot food. Sometimes it is hard to tell if we are giving to a Golden Calf, or to a Mishkan, a tabernacle. What to do?
We have reached the final parshah of the Book of Exodus, or Shemot. Parshah Pekudei means “Amounts of” or “Accounting of,” and it begins by documenting the amounts of gold, silver, and copper that the Israelites have donated toward the building of the Mishkan, or Tabernacle. If we recall, the people of Israel donated so much that they essentially had to be told “Dai–Enough!” We are fine! To complicate matters a bit, they also donated to a less-than-holy cause when they literally ripped the earrings out of their own ears to assist in the building of the Eigel ha-zahav, or the Golden calf.
The Talmud that some people are not as familiar with, the Talmud Yerushalmi, or Jerusalem Talmud written in Israel as opposed to Babylonia, has an interesting line that is worth bringing up. When discussing the generous giving habits of the People of Israel, the lesser-known Talmud states, “One cannot understand the nature of this people. If they are appealed to for a Calf, they give. If appealed to for the Tabernacle, they give.”
The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks commented on this interesting tidbit. Rabbi Sacks explained that the land of Israel has a fascinating geographical feature. Both the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee are in the land. Both of these seas are fed by the River Jordan, but they are different in an important way. The Dead Sea receives water from the Jordan river, but does not give any water. The Sea of Galilee both receives AND GIVES water. The Dead Sea is appropriately named according to Rabbi Sacks, because to receive without giving is not to be living. The sea of Galilee gives life, while the Dead Sea does not. While the people of Israel gave to two very different causes, one seeming to be much more appropriate than the other…they still gave. Giving is in the DNA of the people of Israel.
The word “tzedakah” means more than charity, but refers to “righteous giving.” We are expected, no matter how much or little we have, to give. Be it Shekalim (Shekels) or something else, we see so many examples of generosity as we reflect on the Book of Exodus. We begin with the Hebrews being enslaved in Egypt, and the righteous and brave midwives Shifra and Puah giving the People a chance to survive. Without their noncompliance, we might not see the survival of Moses. Moses, who becomes a shepherd in Midian overcomes his perceived flaws and gives of himself to God and his people. His brother Aaron gives up his pride, and takes a backseat to his younger brother, giving of his own voice to be the mouthpiece for Moses. Miriam, their sister, overcomes the bitterness (marah) of the constraints of Egypt and gives the people water. Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, gives his advice and wisdom to a stressed out and weary Moses.
This list is not exhaustive. Torah is so full of giving that it should come as no surprise that in our final parsha of this particular book of the Torah, we reach a milestone. The people have given enough to complete the Mishkan, to assemble the priestly vestments for Aaron and his sons, and now God dwells in the Tabernacle. We see that in the form of a cloud.
It took time, effort and giving for God’s Presence to truly be felt in this holy space. Perhaps God dwells wherever a giving and righteous spirit is present. The end of Exodus is really just the beginning of the story. What about our own lives? Where is each one of us in our story…on our journey? How much can we give along the way? When our sojourning in this land of physical formation finally ceases, what will we have offered? What gifts will we have left behind? Will we be as the Galilee, to receive and to give, or as the Dead Sea, to simply receive? When you hear in your life, “Spare change at all?,” how will you react? How will we judge?
May we all be blessed on this Holy Shabbat to give of ourselves however we can…to give until someone must say “Dai!-Enough!” May we also be blessed with the wisdom to give to the Tabernacles, the Mishkans of our lives. We will undoubtedly give to some golden calves along the way…but perhaps we can give anyway. Be as the Galilee…full of sustaining and generous life. Your beautiful intentions will always shine holy light through the dark moments. ‘Spare change at all!” can turn from a Golden Calf into a beautiful tabernacle, from a harmful vice into a meal of sustenance. Continue your beautiful giving and continue the blessing that is living! It is who we are.
Shabbat Shalom
– Rabbi Josh Gray