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WHEN SECOND TIER MUST STILL BE FIRST RATE

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 1:52:00 PM

This week’s question comes from Mr. Richard Pollock (Media Producer)

QUESTION: Hashem ordered that we not honor any earthly idols. Even Mt. Sinai is not considered a sacred place on earth. So why are the designs of the Tabernacle, its contents and the Kohanim dress so elaborate?

ANSWER: In our Yom Kippur services there is a complete section which details the service of the High Priest on the day of Yom Kippur (it is called The Avodah). This section is a synopsis of all that is written in the Torah on the charge of the High Priest regarding his service on the holiest day of the year. One of the most meaningful descriptions we read of is the sequence of garments he wore as he performed the service of this day. During the parts of the service which he performed before the eyes of the people he was to wear all his elaborate garments, especially the four which exhibited gold and precious gems. On the other hand when he entered into the Holy of Holies (something he was allowed to do only on Yom Kippur) the Torah instructs him to strip away all his ornate garments and to stand before G-d in his basic pure white garments, the same dress worn by all the other priest. The symbolism of this is plain to understand. When the Kohain Gadol stood before the people he was representing G-d before the nation, he thus was commanded to make an impression upon them of distinction and of a higher Archie. Naturally one of the best ways to do this would be to confront them wearing beautiful garments complimented with gold and precious gems. But when the Kohain Gadol stood facing G-d alone as he stood one to one with Hashem in the Holy of Holies, he presented himself unenhanced, his true and essential self.

So too it must be with each of us. When in public at a moment when we are exhibiting our feelings of G-d, we are asked to be graphic and elaborate. This helps the world understand just how precious and important G-d is to us, perhaps they too might become inspired. For Hashem’s honor we choose the best of all that we posses, to make it abundantly clear just how much we love Hashem (of course we must be sincere). But when we face G-d alone, one to one as for example during the Amidah, we are instructed to show humility, stand at attention our voice almost at a whisper as we portray ourselves with modesty and delineate in our prayer our dependence on the one above.

Was it always meant to be this way? In the beginning once Adam and Eve chose to fancy something other than G-d Himself their destiny was changed from a life in Gan Eden to one where they and all of mankind would dwell on earth. Same was true of our forbearers once they sinned with the Golden Calf. Our Sages report that before the Golden Calf incident there was no need for a Jew to pray in a dedicated and elaborate house of worship (in fact private prayer at home would have been preferred). However once man attributed value and elite status to objects and temporal ideas strange to G-d in Heaven they created a dichotomy between G-d and G-d’s creations. At that point they changed forever the entire nature of our service to Hashem. To rectify matters our services now are performed in public (with a Minyan) in a ornate Shul. One reason for this is so that we may demonstrate that we believe all of G-d’s creation is but a product of the divine and we do not consider anything to have independent value. We do this by exhibiting that all items to which mankind has assessed the greatest value, precisely those items we dedicate to service of Hashem. However, when we stand alone before G-d Himself we demonstrate this same point but in reverse form. We remove ourselves of anything ornate to show how well perceive that everything in the world has no value in the face of G-d Himself; the only true value anything has is that it is part of G-d’s creation and exist only because of him.

PERHAPS A LESSON WHICH CAN BE LEARNED:

WHY SETTLE FOR SECOND TIER QUALITY AND PAY A FIRST RATE PRICE?

We sometimes unwittingly choose a second tier relationship with G-d.

When in life we confer crucial importance to secondary matters (e.g. gold and diamonds) we in the same time are bringing down the level of our relationship with G-d. We all exist on whatever level we choose to function at. If we choose to function on a lower level by design (intentionally), perhaps because we seek a less demanding religious experience, we should realize that we will still be asked by G-d to offer Him the very best of the things we most treasure at that level. I would then ask you: Why not share a relationship with G-d on the most profound level, since even on a second tier relationship G-d will still request that you offer Him the best of of whatever you consider your most valuable?

We encorage you to post your thoughts and comments to enrich the conversation.
To pose a question please contact Richard at rpollock@starpower.net

WILL THE REAL MESSIAH PLEASE STAND UP!

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:19:00 PM

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This week’s question comes from Mr. Richard Pollock (Media Producer)

QUESTION: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were prophets touched by Hashem. But Moses is the only one who plays a much more public role, leading the Jewish people to freedom and giving them the words of G-d by giving them the Torah. He is the first to enable Hashem to reveal himself to an entire people -- an accomplishment that no other human being has achieved. Why isn’t he treated as the equivalent of a Messiah?

ANSWER:

Actually Moshe and the Messiah are indeed closely related. Both the Midrash and the Zohar state that “ Moses was the first and he will be the last redeemer”. However this is understood to mean that Moses's righteoudness and accomplishments set forth the possibility of an ultimate final redemption through the Messiah. But not that he himself will rise once again to be the Messiah (since the Messiah will be from the House of David and Moses was a Levite). The Midrash relates a fascinating discussion, an objection as it were, by Moses to Hashem at the burning bush. It explains what Moses meant when he asked G-d at the burning bush to choose someone other than himself to lead the redemption from Egypt. As the greatest profit of all time Moshe knew that after reaching the land of Israel the bright future would be darkened by thousands of years of struggle and a return to a state of exile before a final redemption would take place under the leadership of the Messiah. He therefore pleaded with G-d to alter destiny and choose to bring the Messiah right then. Why not make the liberation from Egypt the final redemption, have the liberated Jewish slaves enter the promised land and live there in bliss forever? Why not choose a person other than Moses who was qualified to be the Messiah (by lineage and character) let him confront Pharaoh and bring on the perfect world, the era of Moshiach? In short, why not avert all the terrible exiles that ultimately came to pass?

To this G-d responded that you Moses are needed, all that would follow is necessary before there could be the era of Messiah. Just as there needed to be the Patriarch and Matriarch before we would be ready for a Moses who would deliver the Torah. The founders , the first leaders of the Jewish nation, are considered in a class of their own. The Patriarch and Matriarchs, Joseph, Moshe and Aharon, each formed a unique pillar on which stands the Jewish Nation. We are taught by our Sages that each of these early founders provided our people with a distinct ability by which to serve Hashem, be it the attribute of self-sacrifice or Torah wisdom, etc. The Messiah will serve to gather all the lessons learnt and all the service performed during our difficult wandering years in exile to bring on a era of perfect harmony. He will reign over a time that could only have come to pass through a so called 'spiritual maturity', when G-dliness is recognized even in the mundane. A time when the holy will no longer discriminate, it wont reject out of hand that which is imperfect. Rather a time will come when we will have accrued an appreciation after many years of exile to embrace and nurture the underlying G-dliness and goodness that exist in almost all. Such behavior and refinement will be instituted in the new era by the Messiah, however the original idea and behavior of such a perspective was first taught by Moses. Hashem explained to Moshe that it would take much work and many hard lessons before his dream world would be realized and implemented by society. Bringing the Messiah prompty at the time of the Exodus would have set up a world in which those who wished to be holy would reject anything which appeared to be mundane, Much of the world would thus have bee excluded from participation.

PERHAPS A LESSON WHICH CAN BE LEARNED:

The Messianic era will happen as a result of many years and lessons learnt by an age old tradition and in merit of many mentors who have lead us in the path of our Patriarch and Matriarch, Moses and Aharon. It will be the opposite of a new covenant or any deviation of our age old testament and mitzvot. It will be due those that have sacrificed for Torah and Mitzvot and due to their credit that the Final Redemption will arrive.

May we merit the coming of Moshiach Now!

We encorage you to post your thoughts and comments to enrich the conversation.
To pose a question please contact Richard at rpollock@starpower.net

COMMENT ON PIRKEI AVOT

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 6:00:00 AM

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