Israel, will you marry ME?
As I read this week’s Parasha, Ki Tissa, a hidden theme jumped off the pages at me, reflected in some of the following: “The House for God and its Furnishings complete; “the Ornamented Garments for the Cohanim to wear at an elaborate Ceremony”; “the Utensils for them to wash their hands and feet before entering the House”; “each person present was anointed for their specific role”; “the Innermost Chamber would store the Ark containing the Pact (the Ketubah) for the treasured people, the Place for intimate conversation in a face-to-face relationship.” The Marriage Contract is ratified, vows of loyalty are made with the oath: “All that you say, we will do.” In other words, we said, “I do!” The picture of the Bride (Israel) and the Groom (our Creator) at a great Wedding unfolds. Sadly, adultery/idolatry enters the picture, causing another Rupture, as in the Garden; suffering and death ensue once again, and ultimately, the Husband forgives and has compassion on His bride. Now let’s examine the details.
Ex. 30: 11-17 begins with men 20 years and up being counted. This illustrates that they were no longer mere property, as they had been in Egypt; now they belong to the Creator. Their value was not measured by status, for rich or poor alike had to bring the same half-shekel. There are many commentaries about this, so, in keeping with the Marriage theme, was this perhaps a figurative dowry for the new nation?
Ex. 30:18-21 continues the theme: the excitement of bathing, washed and clean in anticipation of being presented to their Husband, ready for the most important day of their lives.
Ex 30:22 – 25: anointing the House in which the Ark would dwell – the Tent of Meeting, which would house the Ketubah – the Ten Commandments – a gift from God to His people, preparing to sign and finalize it before the Ceremony.
Ex. 31:3: The people, Israel, God’s bride, now called out by name and first represented here by Betzalel, are each filled with “ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃ ruach elohim (God’s Breath) b’chochmah (of wisdom), t’vunah (understanding), da’at (knowledge) u’v’chol m’lacha (all manner of work).” They would receive gifts from their Husband… wise-heartedness – skills of every kind – guidance in making everything He commanded – the furnishings – garments for their service – holy oil and incense for anointing their new Home.
Ex. 31:13: God begins with the Shabbat, which, in Jewish mysticism, is likened to a bride and expressed in our liturgy in “Lecha Dodi”, symbolizing a sacred, joyful union between the Divine Presence (Shechinah) and His people.
The Shabbat is a SIGN that יהוה (Yud Heh Vav Heh) set us apart from the other nations for a purpose, and anyone who breaks the Shabbat would surely be put to death. The Hebrew expression “mot yumat” (מוֹת יוּמַת) is a legal term for definitive, court‑imposed capital punishment, not simply “oh, he will die someday.” Working on Shabbat was a sign that we didn’t trust our new Husband, who had promised to provide for us and protect us. It is also seen in other prohibitions, as in Leviticus 20:10, in which a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, “מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת הַנֹּאֵ֖ף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת, mot yumat ha’nofef v’ha’noefet – the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” Although this may come across as cruel, we must understand that this was the early formation of God’s new nation, when strong warnings were crucial to help them understand the devastating consequences of idolatry; He wanted to turn us away from the death-cult practices of their gods toward His life-giving Words.
In Ex. 31:18, God presents His Words – His Ketubah – to Moses, to bring to his nation. The Tablets were inscribed by God’s own finger, front and back, as a Promise to protect His Chosen Bride and to cover us (kaper), front and back. The Chuppah, from the same root, would cover a couple as they make their vows. Once married, there would be no adultery, i.e., Israel, the Bride, would not run after other gods. What occurred next was the greatest rupture of trust – the sin of the golden calf, Israel’s return to idolatry.
Aaron represents all who, naïvely or not, cannot acknowledge their wrongdoings but instead blame others. This takes us right back to the Garden, where the first husband, Adam, blamed his wife, Eve, who blamed the serpent, and ultimately both blamed God. When faced with his shame, Aaron did what most of us do: try to cover it up. But only God can provide the ultimate covering (kaper) – He covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness as He has been covering mankind ever since. That takes us back to the half-shekel at the beginning of this parashah…it’s called “kofer nefesh” כֹּ֧פֶר נַפְשׁ֛וֹ, the covering for our soul. God is asking us to respond to the same question He asked Adam, “Where are you?” When we can admit to God where we are in our lives, our restoration begins.
Moses saw what the people had done and that his brother, Aaron, the man who had been with him every step of the way, had been manipulated by the people. In a rage, he ordered the Levites to go throughout the camp and slay their brothers, their best friends and their closest neighbors. That was “mot yimat”. Three thousand died at the hands of the Levites that day, and even more when the plague broke out. That is the high cost of idolatry/adultery, to this day.
God threatened to annihilate the people – that’s how serious this was – but Moses begged God to blot hisname from God’s book instead of them. But God responded, “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot from my book.” These are powerful words that mean… no one can pay for our sins! God is telling us that we are each responsible for our actions, and if God, who is merciful and compassionate, was ready to annihilate us, why would it surprise us when humans want to? God created this earth and everything in it as a gift for His Bride, but today, the earth is sick and slowly dying as wars are ravaging the earth. Our health is rapidly deteriorating; younger and younger, we are dying from “designed” diseases and suffering from confusion about what is true; even the animal kingdom is in distress. Those of us who “know” God are pleading with Him to restore the vows of His ancient Marriage to His people.
Next, God told Moses that He would go no further with them. The Ten Commandments– the Ketubah – the Pact between God and His bride – was shattered when Moses broke the Tablets. He was divorcing the people who had become faithless. The people were told to strip themselves of their ornaments to reflect the desecration of the beautiful jewels on the Garments of Aaron, like those on a magnificent wedding dress. The elaborate Wedding was forgotten because they had placed a “golden face” upon God’s Face, despite His warning in the First Commandment to “have no other gods,” but in Hebrew it says… לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָאֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל-פָּנָי Lo yihyeh lecha elohim acharim al-panai…You shall not place any other gods upon My face. God listened to the pleas of His servant Moses to save his people, and a pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting, where He spoke with Moses “face to face”. Moses did not desire to cover the Face of the Creator with his; he was willing “to listen” to Him.
How many of us are truly willing to listen to the voice of GOD? Listening is very different than telling. The people didn’t want to listen to God speaking His Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. They preferred to hear them from the lips of Moses, like those of us today, who prefer to hear the Torah interpreted by a human instead of going directly to the words written down by Moses, our great teacher. Are we willing to turn our faces toward Him and trust Him no matter what?
When Moses left the Tent of Meeting, a simple sentence follows: “…but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a na’ar, a lad, did not leave the Tent.” It’s interesting that the next words from Moses are “…you have not let me know whom you will send with me.” How often are the young, quiet, yet faithful, overlooked? Joshua was like the best man at the wedding, but Moses did not see him….he only had eyes for the bride, the people of Israel.
Now, another Ketubah would have to be written, but the only thing that changed was the Tablets. And Moses would have to work to carve the second set of stones and carry them up the mountain, just as Adam, after breaking faith with God, would have to struggle to work the land. The pictures in the Torah are breathtakingly beautiful and keep reappearing in never-ending cycles until humanity will one day get the picture! God would write His same Commandments on these new stones. The words didn’t change; only the vehicle that held them. When he came down from the Mountain a second time, Moses didn’t know that his face was shining, causing the people to be afraid of approaching him. Those who are willing to “listen” to the light will reflect it.
You and I stand at another crossroads in history, with the Western World being a Modern-day Rome. If we, the Bride, were to fully turn to our Husband, YHVH, throw away all our idolatry/adultery, and trust Him instead of other nations or man-made systems, no one and nothing could harm us. We have trusted what we can see with the naked eye long enough, but our Creator is invisible, and He is waiting for His bride to do teshuva. He doesn’t force us and is a very patient and loving Husband.
The Good News is that there is HOPE as we read in Isaiah 54: 4 – 8: 4” Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: nor confused; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall no longer remember the reproach of your widowhood. 5 For your Maker is your husband; Adonai Tzevaot is His name; and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, but a wife of youth, can she be rejected? declares your God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great compassion will I gather you. 8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, declares GOD your Redeemer.”
Ki Tissa is a wonderful picture of the wedding between God and His people. Are we ready to be faithful and to trust God, our Husband?
Shabbat Shalom
Peggy Pardo