Ki Tisa

We are still reading the commands that the Most High gives Moshe concerning the arrangement of the Tent of Meeting.

We will look more closely at the verb lasét. Literally it means to lift up, to carry on oneself, to take responsibility upon oneself or to lift up onto oneself. Why in this case is it translated as to count? What is meant is that Moshe takes the sons of Israel onto his balance sheet, takes them upon himself, takes them into his accountability and naturally counts them. That is why the verb tisá is used for the meaning you count . But it also has another, no less important meaning: “When you lift up the people of Israel, you truly take them under your responsibility, you accept them in order to lift them up, in order to teach them to rise upward.” To rise, among other things, also after the many falls that there will be in history. The whole Torah, the whole teaching that was passed on by the Most High through Moshe to the people of Israel – it is a teaching about how to rise.

Every person who came during this great census of the population, every “counted” person gives a ransom to the LORD. An epidemic or pestilence, a sickness, a contagion – this is something that passes from one to another. Unity is not only supporting one another in holiness, not only being able simply to support, to encourage one another. It is also the danger of catching the other’s sicknesses, of being infected with the other’s sicknesses, the danger that the other person will pull you down. And so that this does not happen, each one has his own little thread, his own little chain, connecting him with the Most High: this is the kófer (ransom or covering, lid). Let me remind you, we have already talked about the word kapóret (lid), it is from the same root. It is a covering that is given. Like the cap on an acorn, so over us there is the covering of the Most High, over each one. And what is this covering?

In one shékel there are sixteen grams of silver (silver is the measure of counting); accordingly, the half shekel that has to be given is eight grams of silver. We have already pointed out that the word terumá means a lift to the Most High. So, the half shekel that every person had to give during the building of the Mishkan – this is like a kind of little spring, a fishing line stretched between us and the Most High.

Many pay attention to the word machatzít (half), and say that this word looks amazing: its outermost letters, mem and tav, are also the outermost letters in the word death (mavet). Placed symmetrically from the center are two other letters, yud and hei, with which the word life (chayim) begins. And in the middle of the word stands the letter tzádi (righteousness). That is, the meaning of the word can be put together like this: in the center – righteousness, closest to it – life, farthest from it – death. And this guarantee of righteousness, the little letter tzádi, which stands at the beginning of the word righteousness and which looks like a person who has stretched out his arms to the sides, this little letter tzádi in the middle of the word machatzít – it is, as it were, the center, that which connects man and God. There is a collection of midrashim called “The Letters of Rabbi Akiva,” and in one of them, quite unexpectedly, Yeshua is mentioned, and it says that Yeshua tried to join life and death into a single whole, and that is why he is like the letter tzádi, which looks like one crucified. In this connection it is fitting to recall this midrash.

When we talked about the bases of the pillars – well, it is from this very donated silver that they were made. After the building of the Tent of Meeting there was a custom among the people of Israel according to which every year, from the 1st to the 14th of Adar, each person donated a half shekel. There was a tradition (I will repeat: this is not an instruction of the Torah, it is a tradition, a custom that arose among the people of Israel) to give a ransom of a half shekel even for those children who are still in their mother’s womb, in order to join them, to symbolically attach them to the Most High. And in our time, on the eve of the Fast of Ester, on the eve of the festival of Purim, it is also customary to donate. Today in Israel such a donation amounts to 20 shekels. It is customary to donate to a place where the Torah is studied, to someone who studies the Torah, to someone who serves – not necessarily your rabbi, not necessarily your teacher, simply to some ministry, to some work of God, that is where it is customary to donate today in Israel. So much for the half shekel.

Tradition says that first the left foot and the left hand were washed, then the right foot and the right hand were washed, at the same time.

The commentators say, there is such a midrash, that the basin is the most beloved vessel, the most beloved object there is in the Temple of the Most High. Although it is merely a basin and merely copper, the commentaries tell that this basin was made from little mirrors that the women donated. A mirror at that time was an expensive object. A little mirror is what a woman looks into, where she assesses her beauty, puts on her makeup in order to please her husband, thinks about love for her husband. And this, one of their most beloved objects, the women donated for the basin. And when the kohen came and looked at his reflection, he was, as it were, joined with the reflections of dozens of women, and he himself was reflected, among other things, in the people of Israel as well. Such is this unusual quality of the basin.

Here the remedies that Moshe must take are listed. Besamím – today, in the modern language, this means perfume, but in the Hebrew of that time it meant aromatic healing substances. What does 500 units of weight (shekels) mean? In our case this is 9.6 kilograms, that is, almost 10 kilograms of pure myrrh. In two parts of 250 shekels each – that is, 4.8 kilograms for each part of fragrant cinnamon. And another 4.8 kilograms of fragrant cane.

In fact, cassia is today the most widespread counterfeit of cinnamon. If you go into a shop and ask for cinnamon, you will most likely be given cassia instead of cinnamon. Many sellers, although they do not know what cassia is, sell not cinnamon but its Chinese or Indonesian analogue, which is called cassia. It is more bitter, and there are some harmful substances in it. Both these trees (both cinnamon and cassia) are from the laurel family, they are similar to each other, but nevertheless they are not one and the same. So, of cassia one must also take almost 10 kilograms, and of olive oil a hin – that is 9 liters. Why was the cinnamon divided into two equal parts? Because one measure of cinnamon (250 shekels) served as the measure for all the other spices, for balancing the two pans of the scales when mixing the spices.

Here is a repetition of the instructions that were already given; this is not something that has to be done anew. The Most High is summing up the plan of the work that is entrusted to Moshe.

That is, it is forbidden to make oil of the same composition for some worldly purposes, for some plans of one’s own.

The word nichrát means to be cut off, karát – to cut off. But also to make a covenant – this too is lichrót, lichrót brit (to cut off, to sever a covenant). In this case a person will be destroyed, cut off from his people.

So, the Most High commands Moshe to make a special oil, the oil of anointing, which is holy to the Most High, and no one may make it for any other purpose except for anointing in the Temple. And no one may use the already prepared oil for any purpose except for anointing in the Temple.

In verse 34 we read the continuation of the instructions that the Most High gives Moshe, and this time the Most High will speak about the composition of the incense.

The first remedy that the Most High names – this is natáf; in Greek it is called stakti, so it is in the Synodal translation. Both words come from the word to drip, to ooze; notéf – this is what oozes or drips. That is, natáf – is an oozing fragrant resin, usually from trees or shrubs of the storax family. This is the first thing that must be taken.

The second thing that must be taken is shchélet or onícha, as it is sometimes translated; in the Greek language it means onyx (fingernail). Some say that this is not a plant at all, but a little lid that closes the shell of certain snails and that, when burned, gives off a smell similar to musk and ambergris. In the opinion of many teachers, including in the opinion of the Rambam, the substance was permitted for the service, like musk itself (although it sometimes comes from unclean animals). But another version, although a less popular one, says that shchélet is clove. I like clove not only because I love its smell, but also because clove is, after all, a clean plant. But this opinion is not so authoritative. One more opinion – that it is amber or even cuttlefish bone. And when there is such a spread of opinions, it is immediately clear that we understand nothing.

The next component that Moshe must take – chelbená or galbanum – a sticky aromatic gum resin produced by some species of a herbaceous plant that is called ferula. This is a flowering plant, very popular in the Mediterranean, with yellow flowers resembling the flowers of mustard.

And the last thing that must be taken – this is lvoná zaká, this is more or less clear, this is pure frankincense. All these components must be mixed in equal amounts.

The commentators say that nard, saffron, cinnamon, aromatic cinchona and costus were added to this, and more elements. In the time of the Second Temple only one family knew how to prepare this incense. All these remedies, all these elements were soaked in olive oil, in liquid components, then dried and ground. Once a year 368 portions of incense were made: one portion of incense for each day, and in addition to this 3 additional portions for the service on the Day of Cleansing.

That is, once again, it is not permitted to make any other incense by this recipe.

That is, we are strictly, most strictly forbidden to make, for ordinary purposes, what is intended for the sacred. Often we want to imitate holy things and in this way to touch holiness. The Torah teaches that holiness must evoke fear and trembling, and whoever does this, imitating or clowning around, may be punished for it by being cut off from his people.

The name Betzalel means in the shadow of God; the word tzel – is shadow, el – is God. Into the Russian language the name is translated as Veseleil, it sounds like “to make someone merry.” No, it has little to do with merriment. The name Uri means my light. So then: Betzalel, son of Uri – in the shadow of God, a son of light.

The Spirit of God – this is the desire to serve the Most High, a full motivation toward holiness. Wisdom (chochmá) – is the ability to learn and to take on knowledge. Understanding (tvuná) – is the ability to receive new information, to grasp and to discover something new. Knowledge (dá'at) – the ability to sense the Most High intuitively; dá'at means a deep inner connection. The phrase ladá'at míshehu (to know someone) can also be applied to marital intimacy. This is such a “calque” from Hebrew, when it is said: “How will this happen, if I do not know a husband?”, that is, a woman who has not known a husband can say this. The word for “bride” in the Russian language, nevesta, is the one whom they “do not know” (ne vedayut), also the un-known one. Well, this is a small lyrical digression into the subtleties of language.

So, Betzalel, ben-Urí, ven-Chúr – this is a man who possesses the Spirit of God (that is, he is ready to devote all his strength to the service), possesses wisdom, ingenuity, the ability to discover something new, and also an intuitive sensitivity to the will of the Creator. Such an unusual person he is. But besides this, he also possesses talent for various crafts.

Lachshóv machashavót – this is an expression which (if you ask a contemporary or if you speak conversational Hebrew) you will easily translate as to think thoughts; choshév – is I think. Hence also the word computer – machshév, that is, “a thinking-box”, a counting-box. But in the original, in the Torah, it means the work of a weaver.

Such a jack-of-all-trades is Betzalel. How can one call in one word a person who is a jack-of-all-trades? Regarding the earthly profession of the Mashiach, it is often said that he is a carpenter, the son of a carpenter. In fact, in the Greek language the word tékton is used, which means shipbuilder or this very jack-of-all-trades, a village bureau of good services: for one to sharpen a scythe, for another to carve something out of stone, for another even to tune a flute, if needed. A person who can do everything is called nagár (carpenter). In the Talmud there are several places where the sages, encountering some difficulty, say: “Where could we find a carpenter or a son of a carpenter who would solve our problem for us?” And so Betzalel is the prototype of this very carpenter; he received from the Most High by the Spirit the knowledge of so many different works.

of the tribe of Dan, and in the heart of every wise man I have given wisdom – and they will make everything that I have commanded you:

The LORD also called a man whose name is Oholi'av (the name means my tent – my father or my father – my hearth), son of Achisamách, which translated into Russian means my brother relied on me.

This is a very interesting phrase: and in the heart of every wise man I have given wisdom. It says that the Most High, according to a person’s talents, according to his predisposition toward one craft or another, gave him that craft. There are people who have a passion, an inclination for music, and probably it is not very good to make bricklayers out of them. There are people who love to carve wood, and it is not very good to make scuba divers out of them. The Most High says: “To each according to his wisdom I have given wisdom.” As if a person came with some vessel that is in his soul, and the Most High filled this vessel: “I have given wisdom to all who are wise of heart,” that is, gave wisdom upon wisdom.

That is, when you are doing everything connected with the Temple utensils, it may seem to you that this is such a great and important matter that one may neglect the Sabbath and may occupy oneself with this great and important matter on the Sabbath. But the Most High says: “No! Only keep My Sabbath!”

The world changes, the world is dynamic, it is constantly moving, you and I are as if in a constant dance with the Creator. How will we know that we are really dancing with Him, that we are not just moving chaotically, that this is a dance and not Brownian motion? We have a meeting place, periodically we meet at a set place – this is the Sabbath, this is what sets us apart and shows that we are moving in a certain rhythm. And however much we may merge with the chaos around us, still by the Sabbath, by how we relate to the Sabbath, by our stopping on the Sabbath, it can be seen that we have a point at which we meet with the Most High.

If someone has fallen out of the rhythm and does not move together with everyone, then he ceases to be part of the people, and his soul may be cut off from the people. The punishment karét (cutting off from the people) – this is the most terrible punishment in the Torah.

There is a command, not even a permission but a command, this is part of our dance with the Most High: for six days to do all kinds of work, to be engaged in building the Mishkan, to be engaged in the dwelling of the Most High in this world, to hand out bread to the poor and to earn money for the family – all this we must do, without fail do and do six days a week. But on the seventh day we must stop.

Of course, rested here in no way means that the Most High got tired. But it is the setting of a rhythm for the whole universe, a rhythm in which we too can move together with the Most High. I will say it again: this is our dance with the Most High. If we do not stop on the seventh day, it means we are dancing wrongly. Many like to say that we hold every day as a Sabbath day, because we have dedicated every day to the Most High. But in this way we ignore the command of the Most High to make the instruments for the Mishkan, that is, to do certain work in our world. The whole miracle, the whole charm of the dance is that, moving in different worlds, we meet at one point. If we stand in place, and someone dances past next to us, then we are like a clock that shows the exact time twice a day, that is, sometimes we fall into step with the dancer, but this is not life with the Most High. He wants both the Sabbath and the vessels for the Mishkan, not just one thing. And therefore the Sabbath is a sign, it is an indication that we are moving together with the Creator, starting from the first pas that the Most High set in this universe.

You and I have been reading the instructions that the Most High gives concerning the building of the Mishkan, the consecration of the kohanim, and everything connected with the Mishkan. We will continue reading from verse 18 of chapter 31.

The word lúach (plural luchót) is usually translated with the word tablet, and this word is little familiar to a Russian person outside this very context of the tablets of the covenant. In the Hebrew language the word lúach – is simply a plaque, some kind of board. A school blackboard is called lúach, a calendar is called board of the year (lúach shaná), that is, some kind of board, something for an inscription, for a table – all this is lúach.

It would seem that any person who has had even a little contact with Jewish communities, who is even a little familiar with Judaism, knows what the two tablets of the covenant look like, on each of which five commandments are written, and that is how we are all used to seeing it. This tradition of depicting the tablets took root in the early Middle Ages. In the Talmud there is a dispute about what these tablets looked like, and besides the opinion that each tablet had five commandments, there is also the opinion of the sages who say that each tablet had ten commandments, that is, the commandments existed, as it were, in two copies. The point is that in those times there was such a tradition when concluding treaties: if some lord concluded a treaty with a vassal, the senior with the junior, then the junior was obliged to keep the treaties with him in an ark of testimonies or in some other holy place, in his holy temple, that is, the treaty was kept with him. If we accept this analogy, then we can imagine that on each of the tablets the ten commandments of testimony were written. Testimony of what? Testimony of the treaty between the people of Israel and the Most High. And then these are two identical tablets with ten commandments on each. There is also a dispute about whether the inscription was only on one side of the tablets or on both, as can be understood from the further text of the Torah. There is also a dispute about which letters the text on the tablets was written in: in the letters of the square alphabet familiar to us, which is used today, or in the letters of the ancient alphabet, which today we call Paleo-Hebrew. There are many disputes on this matter. And as an argument that ends this dispute, one can cite the opinion of Ibn Ezra, who said: “Since we have no tradition, we can only guess.” And everyone is free to guess for himself. I am simply telling about this so that you realize that this familiar depiction with five commandments each, it is not at all necessarily authentic.

With this verse chapter 31 ends, and we move on to chapter 32, to a very sad, nothing else can be said, page of Jewish history.

From the root kuf-hei-lamed of the word vayikahél (crowded) come the words kehila (community) or congregation (this is what the gathering of Messianic believers in Israel is called today), the word kahal (crowd), and also the name of the book Kohelet (the one who gathers crowds).

This is a terrible and astonishing verse of the Torah. It is astonishing how people who came out of Egypt, who saw the Most High literally with their own eyes, stood on Mount Sinai, received the commandment do not make yourself another god, you shall have no other gods, after a certain, not all that long delay, suddenly rush to Aharon and ask him for help, ask him to make them gods who brought them out of Egypt, who will go before them. What is going on here at all? Why does Aharon not kill them on the spot with his staff? For as many years as commentary on the Torah has existed, for that many years various commentators have been trying to give an answer to this question. Some say: let us begin with the fact that Aharon – is not that Aharon at all, this is some metal caster Aharon; aren’t there plenty of Don Pedros in Brazil, aren’t there plenty of Aharons in Israel? The people came to Aharon, but not to that one, not to Moshe’s brother, God forbid (how can one think such a thing about him!), but to some metal caster Aharon, a professional, and came to him with this kind of special order and technical specification. Unfortunately, this theory does not stand up to any criticism, because further on we will read the conversation of Moshe and his brother Aharon.

Another commentator says that all this was started by the érev rav (literally: great mixture), foreigners who had latched on to the Jews; it was they who wanted to make a god who brought them out of the land of Egypt. Aharon was afraid of them, because before this, as the midrash says, they had come to Chur, Chur refused to make them a god, they killed Chur, and Aharon was afraid that he would be killed too. Unfortunately, this too does not stand up to any criticism. We know of people who stood on a lower level of holiness than Aharon – simple people, simple believers, who did not communicate with the Most High as closely as Aharon, but gave their lives so as not to worship idols. It is hard to imagine that Aharon, simply out of fear of death, decided to make an idol.

There are commentators who say that in fact it was not quite an idol – what the Israelites planned to make. Part of the people came and said: “We remember that Moshe possessed certain Divine qualities, we believed in Moshe and in the Most High, believed in God and in Moshe, His servant.” In our book Shemot, in verse 31 of chapter 14, this is written. The people have a certain faith in Moshe. This is, of course, not faith in the existence of Moshe as such, it is faith in certain abilities of Moshe, in the fact that he is able to be a connecting link between the people and the Most High. And here, perhaps, the people wanted to say: “Make us the same kind of connecting link. We do not know whether the man will fall now that Moshe has disappeared. We do not know where we will get water. We are in the desert, we have nowhere to go back to, we have nowhere to turn, we do not even know where to go. We need some kind of bridge, we need some kind of GPS, we need someone who would connect us with God, and we need something that would connect us with God.” These commentators try to explain that in fact it is originally not quite an idol that is being spoken of, but a special means of communication with the Most High. This too is, so to speak, forbidden to make, but the prohibition is less strict.

Of course, people understand that even if you make an idol with enormous ears, this golden Cheburashka will not be able to hear the voice of the Most High, will not be able to speak with the voice of the Most High. But there are certain beliefs: the people did, after all, come out of Egypt, the people remember what there was in Egypt (we will come back to this), and therefore they are looking for some means of communication with the Most High, with the God of Israel, not with some other god, not with some substitute for Him. And Aharon understands that this must not be done, but, on the other hand, he is trying to stall for time. Again, this is what the commentators say about it. One could simply go and accuse Aharon of human weakness. But we will not read in this chapter an accusation against Aharon. Later, in the book Devarim, we will see that he will be accused, but here we do not hear from the Most High an accusation against Aharon, and this makes us think. And therefore one can suppose that Aharon is trying to stall for time.

The commentators say (with enormous love for women) that Aharon was counting on the fact that the women, first of all, might not want to give their earrings for such a cause. It is possible that not every man would dare to come and say: “Rivka, remember, I gave you earrings for our wedding anniversary? Won’t you give them to me? We here have planned to make a god instead of Moshe, we have planned to make a golden GPS.” Not everyone would dare, because not everyone would be sure that after this he would stay healthy or married or keep peace in the family. One could count on some wives bringing their husbands to their senses, that has happened, cases are known. One could count on the wives simply giving nothing and saying: “You have so many ideas, and we don’t have that many earrings to give earrings for all your ideas.” Aharon, as the commentators say, again tries to stall for time and turns to the women. And it is very pleasant to think that the women did not give their earrings. I very much love the righteousness of sisters and women, but one can understand here that all the people willingly took off their earrings and gave them to Aharon, and faster than he expected; that is how one can understand verse 3. One can understand that the women too, not yet freed from the slave mentality, not acquainted with feminist teachings, simply submissively took off their earrings and gave them too. And besides, there was enough gold in the earrings taken off by the menfolk. One way or another, the gold was found very quickly. Stalling for time did not work.

This is probably the most correct way to translate it: the word élle in the plural means these; elohécha yisraél – your gods, Israel. What people were thinking when they said this is hard to imagine. And one would like to think that they really believed that this was some kind of mediation, some means of communication with the Most High, that it was precisely this faith that Aharon supported, when we read further:

Aharon says: “Well, one does not start a celebration with God when night is coming on, the morning is wiser than the evening, let us celebrate tomorrow.” Aharon is again stalling for time, so as to build an altar, so as to say: “Now let us prepare an altar.” That is, Aharon, one can understand it this way, one can read it this way, is trying to stall for time. One can say that Aharon clings to the feeling that this young bull will be only a part of the altar, as the keruvim will be part of the ark, and that it will after all be an instrument of connection with the God of Israel, and not simply an idol. It is hard to imagine what is really going on, what catastrophe is taking place at this moment in Aharon’s heart, and to feel what he is going through. Aharon is trying in some way to preserve the faith of the people of Israel, that is how one would like to understand it. Although there are interpreters who say that Aharon here was simply, banally frightened and is doing everything he is told. There is a basis for this too, we will come back to this, but one very much does not want to speak badly about Aharon.

So, it is evident that Aharon’s actions are described slowly, unhurriedly, measuredly, while what the people do is described quickly, and it seems that they want to move at different speeds.

Let me remind you that the burnt offering burns up entirely, while the peace offering is eaten in half or in part by the one who brings it. That is, with a peace offering one can begin to feast; with a burnt offering one cannot feast, nothing remains of it.

From the root tzav-chet-kuf comes the verb litzchók (to laugh), and the word tzchók (laughter). But I have already said that the word tzchók can be understood as the word combination tze (the imperative of the verb latzét, to go out) and chok (law), that is tze chok – go out beyond the bounds of the law. This can be interesting and beautiful, when something is funny, when something breaks the usual course of things, when something miraculous happens, this too can be funny, but only if the laughter comes from the Most High. In this case the person himself breaks the prohibitions – and off went riotous merriment, off went plain indecency. The commentators say: “Right there they had orgies, and right there they started fistfights.” In short, the people began to revel.

And again: why did this happen? The commentators try to explain that the people of Israel were very heterogeneous. There were people who wanted to make a means of communication with the Most High, but there were also others who remembered: “Here he is, here is the old, familiar idol! At last we can, the old way, the old-fashioned way, celebrate the Old New Year with the old new idol and hold orgies like normal people, instead of standing in the prayer of sacrifices.” That is, perhaps the idea belonged to some people, but other people began to revel, but a bad example is contagious and the whole people was infected by it, although later we read that the evildoers were only a few thousand people in all, that is, a small part of the people of Israel.

This whole story is told very laconically and has very many tempting points in the direction of justifying the people of Israel. One always wants to say something good about Israel, and therefore it is hard, hard to stay objective when we read this. But I try to translate the text as it is written.

So, in the camp of Israel a great spree began – the Day of the Golden Calf. In verse 7 we read what is happening at this time on the mountain. Moshe has already received the tablets and, it seems, should be saying goodbye.

Again, this is an occasion to speak about what? The first option: “You are answerable for it (the people), you took responsibility for it, I entrusted it to you.” The second option: “Those have gone putrid whom you, out of kindness of heart, allowed to join the people of Israel; those whom I called – they are the true descendants of Israel, they have not gone putrid, but these here – they have become spoiled.” The word shichét means became depraved, this verb is also used in relation to Sedom and in relation to the generation before the Flood. That is, the people that you brought up from Egypt became depraved, lost all moral norms. I am inclined to think that this is not about the strangers, and one should not divide the people so strongly into these layers; it is about the people for whom Moshe is answerable (according to the agreement just received), for it was just said: “…when you take the sons of Israel under your responsibility,” that is, this is part of the agreement.

The Most High recounts to Moshe what is happening below.

That is how it is usually translated into Russian – stiff-necked; the Russian word vyya means neck. But in Hebrew it is not quite the neck; the word óref – is the back of the head, it is the lower part of the neck. Thus keshe-óref – is one for whom it is hard to turn around, one whose back of the head conducts blood poorly: a people that thinks poorly and turns its head poorly. And since the word teshuvá (repentance) in Hebrew means turning back, then keshe-óref – is a people with a hard back of the head, a people heavy at turning back, it is a people that repents with difficulty.

And here the Most High, as they say, makes Moshe an offer that cannot be refused. Usually that is how it goes with the offers the Most High makes, but this is a special case.

The expression hanícha li could be translated as let me, but since we are speaking about the Most High, it is more correct to translate leave Me, that is, go away.

What the LORD proposes to Moshe – is not only an offer, but also a test, a leadership test: the leader for the people or the people for the leader.

And in verse 11 we read Moshe's astonishing reaction:

Here the word vaychál is translated as and began to entreat, to implore, but in a word-for-word, more exact translation, in combination with et-pené – began to change the expression of the face, to make the expression of the Most High's face kinder. Moshe began trying to change the expression of the Most High's face.

The word lamá, which is sometimes translated as why or for what reason in Hebrew has the meaning what for, to what end, for what purpose, that is, not why, but what for. Why – here it is clear why: because the people of Israel sinned. But what for – that is what Moshe is asking. Well, and what will the results of this be? Moshe dares, Moshe ventures to argue with the Most High Himself: “What for should You now be angry at the people whom You brought out of Egypt with a strong hand?”

What in Moshe's prayer served as the cause why the Most High renounced his plan regarding the people of Israel? It is the same component in prayer that we often meet in Tehillim too, with David. What, in essence, can a person give the Most High, other than to glorify Him on earth, to be a vessel, an instrument of His glorification on earth? David says: “If I perish, if something happens to me, if I am disgraced, who will glorify You? Who will glorify You in sheól?” And here Moshe turns to the Creator and says: “For Your glorification, for Your glory, let the Egyptians not say: He brought them out for evil. For Your glory, for Your Name, do this, renounce your plan regarding the people of Israel!”

Here is an astonishing record: mizé umizé (on this side and on this side) hem ketuvím (they are written). One can understand it like this: either the writing is on two sides of each tablet, or on the first tablet the beginning is written and on the other the continuation, or somehow else. We have no clear understanding of these verses, there really are many commentaries on this matter, and one can drown in these commentaries.

The phrase charút al-haluchót can also be understood as freedom on the tablets. The essence of the covenant with the Most High – is liberation from slavery in general, not only from Egyptian slavery, but also from the slavery of any other powers. This interpretation of charút specifically in the meaning freedom is relevant as a midrash, but the plain meaning is engraved.

Moshe comes down from the mountain and reaches the place where Yehoshua ben Nun is waiting for him.

Why then does Yehoshua speak of the voices of war, of the voices of battle? Because during a war there is the voice of attack, the voice of victory, when people go at the enemy with the cry “Hurrah!”; or when, during a retreat, they encourage one another and groans are heard; or the voice when the spoils are divided, when a city is plundered and all kinds of debauchery go on, the kind that happens in war.

Seeing everything that is happening, Moshe smashes the tablets, about which it had just been said that they were written by the Most High with His own hand, carved by the Most High, made by the Most High. And, naturally, the question arises: how did Moshe so easily dare to destroy these tablets?

If we look at this whole passage, the impression may arise that the people of Israel look like a bride who played the harlot under the chupa, played the harlot under the wedding canopy. There is nothing worse. And Moshe, seeing this, destroyed the marriage contract, tore up the contract according to which the bride is considered betrothed to the groom and, consequently, can be condemned. Other commentators say that the tablets were quite heavy, that it was by his faith that Moshe carried them. If you imagine these huge stone tablets, or even small stone tablets, they must weigh quite a lot. And at that moment they simply broke out of Moshe’s hands: the miracle that had held them stopped holding them, and they fell. One can, of course, combine both of these understandings and bring many other understandings. I think that (apart from all mysticism and all kinds of mystical interpretations) one can say the following: Moshe is a man of blood and flesh, and despite the fact that he is the most modest and the humblest of men, disappointment, hurt and anger are natural to him too, and one can see here a manifestation of Moshe’s humanity. Then one can say that this entire passage in general, this whole story of the golden calf, is a story of non-standard, unexpected actions, when people act in a way that no one expects of them. That is how Moshe reacted, that is what happened when Moshe saw what was going on: he broke the tablets beneath the mountain.

This resembles the procedure that will later be described concerning a woman who has played the harlot: in those who really danced and who really had idolatrous intentions, certain signs will show up.

This resembles (it is almost a quotation) what Avimelech once said to Avraham: “What have I done to you, that you brought such a disaster upon us?”

How would Moshe know this? Well, yes, there were some quarrels, there were some disputes while Moshe was leading the people out, but little time has passed so far, the main conflicts have not happened yet. What is being spoken of here? Perhaps of what Yechezkel speaks of in chapter 20, verses 6–10: “I am the LORD your God! On that day I lifted up My hand (with an oath) to bring them out of the land of Mitzrayim, into the land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, it is the beauty of all lands. And I said to them: let each one cast away the abominations (that are before) his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Mitzrayim: I am the LORD, your God. But they rebelled against Me and did not want to listen to Me; no one cast away the abominations that were before their eyes, and they did not abandon the idols of Mitzrayim. And I thought to pour out My wrath upon them, to exhaust them with My fury over them in the land of Mitzrayim. But I acted (so) for the sake of My Name, so that (it) would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they (were), before whose eyes I revealed Myself to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitzrayim. And I brought them out of the land of Mitzrayim, and brought them into the desert.” If you read these verses from chapter 20 of Yechezkel, you can see that the people rebelled and showed unbelief and a desire to worship other gods even before they came out of Egypt. And perhaps this is exactly what Aharon is saying: “But you know them, I could not argue with them.” And this is an argument for those who believe that Aharon was simply frightened, in a human way. And if this is so, then again we come back to the thought that in our chapter all the characters behave humanly, perhaps too unexpectedly humanly, Aharon included. And even people who abide in holiness, who are preparing for consecration as kohanim, are only human, and nothing human is alien to them. But, I repeat, this is only one of the possible understandings, and one should not hurry to condemn Aharon. And further on Aharon recounts how it happened.

This is what Aharon told. If in the original description one could see some tactical moves by Aharon, and we said that perhaps Aharon is stalling for time and coming up with all sorts of tricks, then in the retelling (when Aharon retells the course of events to Moshe) no tricks are mentioned. Most likely because it turned out the way it turned out, and Aharon does not want to justify himself in any way and simply tells: “This is what I did, I am not proud of myself, but this is how I acted.” And this example of how Moshe and Aharon communicate can be an example of communication for us too. When we communicate with someone who repents, apologizes and asks forgiveness, it is not at all necessary to squeeze details out of the person and ask: well, why did you do it, why did you do it exactly this way? And not to ask a thousand “whys” about each of his actions, but to sense the person’s state. From the way Aharon retells the events, it is evident that he is deeply distressed by what happened, and therefore the mercy toward him lies in the fact that he is not required to retell all the details thoroughly.

Aharon allowed the people to become corrupt for evil, through Aharon they became corrupt and fell. But one can say that Aharon simply presented the people in a bad light here, retelling the events to Moshe.

What does this call of Moshe mean? Even those who arranged the games around the golden calf were surely not against God: they were in the desert, they saw the mercy of the Creator, and one cannot call them enemies of God. But here Moshe calls those who are ready to be an instrument of Divine judgment, who choose the side of God and not the side of family. A very serious and harsh choice, one that is not made every day. And one must remember that Moshe himself, a few verses later, will say to the Most High an astonishing phrase about his own choice. But now he is speaking about how the people must act. Who chooses the side of his brother, of his friend, of his sister, of his wife, and who chooses the side of the Most High – one has to decide. This is what Moshe is calling for.

Here Moshe makes the decision himself, endowed with authority by the LORD. Apparently, as we already said earlier, after the people of Israel drank the water with the calf ground to dust, some signs appeared by which one could see who was guilty.

That is, we see: despite the fact that there were dances and there were some orgies around the calf, three thousand people from the people perished, perhaps the main ringleaders and entertainers.

These are words that are very hard for us to listen to and take in today. It is hard for me to listen to and take in, I will speak for myself. If a person is able, regardless of kinship, of closeness, of love, to condemn and even to punish his brother for idolatry, then through this he will receive a blessing. To us today, of course, this seems very cruel, but here there is a fairly unambiguous command: the LORD commands us to love Him, to love the LORD more than brothers. “Whoever does not hate his father and his mother is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37) – this is, in essence, the very same principle.

The word bear here, as in many other places, is used in the meaning forgive, take upon oneself.

Astonishing in their boldness, in the greatness of love for the people, in their daring are the words of Moshe: “If You forgive them, then forgive, if You do not forgive them, then erase me too from the book that You have written. I do not want to be saved without my people!” And these are words spoken by the very same Moshe who recently said: “Whoever is for the LORD – stand next to me!” Moshe, who calls on people to stand for the LORD, is himself ready to stand for the people. An astonishing quality of a leader who did not say: “Me, me, produce a people from me, I will be, I will become!” Moshe is ready for eternal perdition, just so that the people would not be condemned. It seems to me these are very majestic words of a leader, a pastor, a minister who intercedes for his people. The greatest degree of love and a great lesson for all of us.

There will be more said about the angel in the next chapter.

The people made the calf that Aharon made – this is an astonishing phrase, and it can be understood in many different ways. Most likely – for having forced Aharon to make the calf, it was not Aharon who was struck, but the people who were struck by the epidemic. There are situations (this is very often held), when a person does something deserving of death, but he was not warned about it in advance, and there is no court that can sentence him. And then he is put to death before his time, put to death by the hands of heaven, he shortens his own life. And this is that case, when the Most High brought a pestilence, brought an epidemic on the people of Israel and destroyed those who were deserving of death.

Here one can recall what the weekly portion Ki Tisa began with: with the half shekel that each one brings as his atonement. We said that this is a kind of helmet or spacesuit that protects a person from being thrown into sin through the fault of others, from others pulling him somewhere, the wrong way. And here we see an example of such a situation, when others pull a person into sin, tempt a person to commit a sin through the golden calf. This is a spiritual epidemic, idolatry, which perhaps swallowed up, infected someone. The reaction of the Most High, the answer of the Most High was the pestilence, the epidemic that He sent upon the people of Israel, and those who die from this pestilence will not die by chance, they will not be random victims.

With this ends this astonishing, tragic passage about the golden calf. Much more can be said, and much can be argued with, this topic is still open for debate. I am only, as usual, adding firewood to the fire of your thinking.

We have already read the terrible story of Israel’s fall into sin, of how the people of Israel made a calf without waiting for Moshe’s return, and for this a punishment followed. We stopped at a certain lull, when it is unclear how Jewish history will develop further and how the relationship between Israel and the Most High will develop further. And we begin reading from verse 1 of chapter 33.

Although here again the Most High says: “…you brought out,” He does not say, as before: “…your people (amchá)”, He says: “…you and the people (ata veha'am)”, and this is already some progress in the relationship.

Who has gone missing from this list? These are the girgashim: they will not need to be driven out, they left by themselves. The Most High says: “Arise, go up, there will no longer be a pillar that you need to move after, as it was when I accompanied you, when I was ready to go among you. You arise and go up, because I will send an angel before you.” We have already spoken about the angel, the Most High had already given Moshe a promise about the angel, but here something else is being spoken of. When we spoke about the angel in the previous chapters, the Most High did not refuse to go Himself with the people of Israel, the angel was the Angel of the Face of the Most High, who represented the Most High. Here the Most High says: “I will send an Angel instead of Myself, but I Myself will not go with you.” And further the Most High explains why:

I have already spoken about this expression, I will repeat it once more: a land flowing with milk and honey – this is a land that is waiting to be cultivated. Honey oozes from unharvested dates; what is meant here is not bee honey (as almost everywhere in the Tanach), what is meant is date honey, that is, that special syrup that oozes from dates. A land in which unmilked animals walk around, in which the fruit is not harvested – a land that is waiting for someone who will cultivate it.

We have spoken about the expression stiff-necked – this is one for whom it is hard to turn, for whom it is hard to obey, a stubborn people.

The words achelchá (destroy you) and kilayón (destruction) come from the word kol (all): “Lest I ‘all’ you on the road, completely exterminate you on the road.” This resembles the verb le'echól (to eat, to dine), but it is a completely different word.

4 And the people heard this bad news, and they mourned, and they did not put, each one, his ornament on himself.

It sounds very strange: what, one would think, does ornament have to do with this? Usually the word adí, which is used here, is translated as ornament (edyo – his ornament). This word has the same root cell (ayin-dalet) as the words ed (witness) and edut (testimony). One can understand this text in different ways, but most likely what is meant here is the garments on which was the blood of the covenant, those garments in which the people of Israel stood before the Most High at Sinai, garments that became a kind of uniform of the people. Just as a kohen has his own priestly garments, so the people too have their own “wedding” garments, garments of testimony. And here one can say that the people took them off, stopped putting them on.

What does this mean? The first part of the punishment – remove: “You can no longer wear this garment” or, so to speak, “put your ID on the table.” And then – we will see: “I know what I will do with you, for now I am concealing this punishment from you.”

Let us pay attention to the word vayitnatzelú.  Here we encounter a different verb – lehitnatzel, which in modern Hebrew means to justify oneself, to apologize. Well, in what way apologize? To apologize by justifying oneself: “Sorry I’m late, there were traffic jams; sorry I didn’t come, the electrons were being blown off the wires, and the tram couldn’t run.” To justify oneself – this is to take the guilt off oneself. Lehitnatzel – this is also to take off oneself: to take responsibility off oneself, to refuse to take part in some situation. Here the people of Israel changed into civilian clothes, took off the uniforms they had received on Mount Chorev, and that is how this can, probably, be understood.

So that the Divine presence, the Shechina, would not leave the people of Israel (as long as the Most High does not want to dwell in its midst), Moshe pulled the Tent out beyond the camp – to where the Most High, as it were, agrees to be present. And everyone who seeks answers from the Most High to his questions, wants the resolution of his disputes, possibly legal disputes, comes to the Tent.

What is happening here? There is a tradition in Judaism that divides nature into four categories: domém (stones, the inanimate), tzoméach (plants), chai (the animal world) and a special category medabér (the speaking one), that is, man, a speaking being, his distinction is conversation. Despite the fact that the relationship with the Most High is spoiled, the people sinned and the Most High refused to be in the midst of the people, Moshe, using man’s ability to speak, to resolve certain questions by conversation, goes to speak with the Most High. Even when the relationship is hopelessly spoiled (or it seems that it is hopelessly spoiled), Moshe goes into the Tent to speak with the Most High, and the people look after him with hope: what will the Most High answer, will Moshe manage to entreat the Most High to return into the midst of the people?

Of course, here the Torah describes what was visible to the people: the people saw that the pillar of smoke, as it were, speaks with Moshe. In reality, from Moshe’s side, it looked completely different, and the Torah is just about to tell us about it.

The Most High responds to this cry of the people of Israel, to the desire of the people of Israel, to the striving of the people of Israel for repentance, for closeness, responds by speaking with Moshe face to face. The people see a pillar of smoke, that is how it looks to the people, but in fact the Most High comes not with some kind of effects, not with some kind of trappings behind which He hides: He speaks with Moshe face to face.

So what was happening in the tent?

That is: “You did not tell me whom You will send with me. You told me that You chose me personally, not just anybody, not someone who happened to come to hand by chance. You chose me by my name, I was destined for this service.”

In other words: “Tell me what You are going to do, tell me on what basis You decide to be or not to be with the people, tell me Your laws, give me Your teaching.”

What does Moshe’s prayer consist of, Moshe’s appeal to the Most High? He says: “Whatever we may be, whatever we do, whatever happens to us, we are Yours. Just such as we are, sometimes making mischief, sometimes sinning, stiff-necked (am-keshé-óref), but – Yours. And where would we be without You, and where would I be without You? After all, this is my life’s calling, not only am I destined for this, but my life too is destined for this. What kind of life do I have without this calling?” This is what Moshe speaks about to the Most High. And the Most High answers.

Face (paním) consists, as it were, of features, and it can be translated as: “My features will go before you, I will send My presence, all My qualities will accompany you.” It is in a majestic form that the Most High speaks this way about Himself.

But there is also a more beautiful, more interesting understanding. The Most High says: “I will go ahead of you and will walk facing you, you will constantly see My face, and My gaze will constantly be on you. As I speak with you face to face (what we spoke about), so I will also lead the people with My face turned toward it.” This too is a possible understanding, and it is very interesting.

That is: “I will be distinguished from all the peoples of the earth and the people, Your people, will be distinguished from all the peoples of the earth precisely by the fact that You will be present in it. And so we will know that we have found favor in Your eyes. And if not by favor, then do not bring us up, better destroy us.” Either closeness with You, or destruction – that is how Moshe puts the question before the Most High. This is the essence of repentance.

What is the example in this for us, what conclusion can we draw from it? In any situation – both in the relationship with the Most High and in relationships with people – one must speak. Man is a speaking being, one can speak, try to speak to the very last, try to mend relations, turn to the other, ask for mercy, ask for forgiveness. Well and, since the speaking man is also the listening man, there must constantly sound “as we also forgive our debtors.” In response to this cry of Israel, in response to the eyes turned toward Him, to the fact that the whole people, each in his tent, each in his place, bowed down to Him, in response to this unanimous repentance the Most High revoked His sentence. We again see that the Most High can revoke a sentence. And He says: “I will go among you.”

We left Moshe and the Most High in the middle of their amazing conversation. We stopped at the point where Moshe asked the Most High that the people of Israel would differ, would stand out from other nations in that with it, with the people of Israel, there would be the presence of the Most High. And in verse 17 we read:

The Most High here gives Moshe a promise, in accordance with Moshe's request, that the presence of the Most High will constantly be among the people of Israel. And the people of Israel will be set apart, will differ from other nations in that it is the people of the one God. And the Most High gives this promise not for the merit of the people of Israel, but because, as He himself says, it is precisely Moshe who found favor in His eyes. From this we can conclude that sometimes the prayer of a righteous man for the people or for us is very important and very strong: the prayer of a righteous man can do much. What should a person do, feel, when the Most High answers his prayer? Well, of course, first of all feel gratitude to the Most High. But what does Moshe do, feeling, understanding that now the Most High is well disposed toward him, hears his prayer, shows him favor? Moshe asks for one more thing:

That is: “I want to know You more closely.” But it also means: “I want to understand how exactly You want to be glorified.” There are different gods in whom different nations believe. They do not exist, but the nations believe in them. Sometimes the nations of the world distort the image of the one God. For example, Muslims proclaim: “Allahu akbar” – “Allah is the biggest, the strongest, Allah is stronger than all.” Their god is glorified through strength, and that is why this people is so inclined to cruelty: “If I am stronger than you, it means I am also more divine than you. If I can come into your house and kill your children, it means my god is stronger than your god.” This is the glorification of god, that is how it is accepted, that is how it has developed in Islam. Although the Koran attributes other qualities to him (to god) as well: he is gracious, and he is merciful, and much else besides, but he is glorified, his glory lies in this, that he is the strongest, the biggest, the toughest.

And so Moshe, as it were, asks: “How do You want to be glorified? Do You want to be the most beautiful, the strongest, the most aesthetic, to love adornments and every possible kind of beauty, to love expensive things, to be glorified through expensive temples? Perhaps You want to be glorified through bloodshed? Show me Your glory, show me how to glorify You. I, gazing at You, seeing that light which surrounds You (we are now speaking in images, because the Most High has no contours that could be surrounded by light), want to understand, show me what You are glorified by, what You are glorious for, what You are like!” This is a very bold request. But Moshe says: “Since we have decided that You live with us, since we have made such an agreement for a long time, show me what You are like.” And the Most High answers him:

The word a'avír (I will carry across) – a future-tense form of the verb la'avór, leha'avir – has the same root (ayin-bet-resh) as the word la'avór (to pass), and the word ivrí (Hebrew, Jewish). Tuv – is good, kol – is all, kol-tuví – all my good.

We have spoken a lot about the meaning of the Name. The Name is precisely about how a person or God reveals his essence outward. “I will proclaim, I will tell you what kind of (speaking in quotation marks) ‘reputation’ I have, by what I want to be glorified.”

And further on the Most High says: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy…” What is this conversation about? About the fact that the Most High will allow Moshe, out of mercy, and further on will allow those who turn out to be worthy, or those whom the Most High chooses, to see this glory, to contemplate His glory and (as we will see further on, the Most High will explain this) to remain alive, because this is not something that goes without saying.

An amazing phrase. Amazing because it is hard for us to imagine that the Most High has some kind of anatomy, that He has a face or a back. And although the Tanach is full of such images, we understand that He has no body as such. When we spoke about the word paním (face), we mentioned that it is defined by its features, they reveal, fully reveal the inner content. The lamp of the body – the eyes, the lamp of the Most High, that which fully reveals the light of the Most High, – is the face. But perfect revelation, in which there is absolute holiness and absolute light, cannot exist in this world. The very word world (olám) – our world, any world – shares a root with the word leha'alím (to hide). The world is concealment. Therefore, where the full revelation of the Creator takes place, the world will not be able to hold out. Therefore the Most High says: “You cannot see My light directly and remain alive.”

Mount Chorev is meant.

Again a very interesting phrase. Once again there is a difficulty with perceiving that the Most High has an anatomy. Now we find out that there is a palm with which He will cover Moshe. This is, of course, an image, but the question is: an image of what? Long before any commentaries on the Torah arose, a translation of the Torah into the Aramaic language appeared. Usually the reading in the synagogue went like this: they read a verse from the Torah in Hebrew, then they read its translation into the Aramaic language, so that all the people, including women, children and barely literate men, would understand the content, then they read the verse in Hebrew again. The Aramaic text was not simply a translation, it was also a commentary, which explained unclear passages. The ancient translation attributed to Yonatan ben Uzi'el (2nd century CE) says at this place that the Most High will cover Moshe with His Word, that very Word which was later destined to become flesh. The Word which in the Targums (in the Aramaic translations) is often called memrá. Why is it important to mention this? Very many scholars, researchers of the early Aramaic literature of the Second Temple period, say that the word memrá, or logos, or utterance is that very Word, of which Yochanan says in his Gospel that it was precisely this that was in the beginning – that very Word which became flesh (as I already said). And then it turns out that, according to the Targum, according to ancient tradition, the face of the Most High is revealed as if through colored glass. Or that His face is hidden, as behind colored glass, behind the face of Mashiach, behind that very memrá with which the Most High covered Moshe while passing before him. This is a parallel between the words memrá and the logos of Yochanan (between memrá and Mashiach), but the parallel is rather controversial, and there are many objections against it, one cannot speak about it all that unambiguously. With some reservation, even with a big reservation, I still want to mention this parallel.

And then the Most High says:

With this we finish chapter 33, and we will continue reading chapter 34. It begins with another command that the Most High gives Moshe.

That is, even if a person did not go up with Moshe, but decided to graze some rams there, to do his morning exercises there, this too must not be done. Moshe received a command: if the first tablets were made of stone not made by hands, the Most High in person made them, then the second tablets will have a somewhat different nature. Since Moshe took upon himself responsibility for the people and the Most High entrusted the people to Moshe, Moshe to some extent performs a function that the Most High performed before, and prepares the stones for the tablets. He must go up with these stones, with these slabs, onto the mountain. These slabs will be like blank sheets, on which the Most High will write the very same words (but in reality, not the very same), the very same commandments that were on the first tablets.

We have already spoken about the fact that, even if we start from the very minimal size, these tablets must have been quite heavy. And if earlier we could say that when Moshe was coming down from the mountain, these tablets were held up by the power of the letters, in some miraculous way, and he could carry them, now Moshe carries these tablets, first, up and not down, and second, he carries them himself.

Since here we cannot really understand who proclaimed the Name of the LORD, there is a dispute. Of course, the difference in readings remains among the commentators of the Torah as well. Some say that it was Moshe who proclaimed the Name of the LORD, others say no: as the Most High promised to reveal his Name to Moshe, so He also reveals the Name.

And that Name which we will read now, or those qualities that we will now read about, they are called in the Jewish tradition the Thirteen Measures of Mercy. It is held that the Torah here lists thirteen positive, merciful qualities of the Most High, that is, tradition says that there are thirteen of them. But different commentators tried in different ways to divide this passage into thirteen parts. Some divided verses, others joined verses, joined and divided phrases. That is, everyone agrees with the tradition that there are thirteen of them, but the list of these thirteen qualities exists in four or five different versions. This often happens in Judaism, when there is some specific traditional number that is passed down by tradition. Exactly the same can be said with regard to the 613 commandments. It is customary to hold that there are 613 commandments in the Torah, and therefore various teachers, from Saadya Gaon and Rambam, in the Ⅹ, Ⅻ, ⅩⅠⅠⅠ, ⅩⅤ and ⅩⅠⅩ centuries, compiled lists of these 613 commandments. And these lists are different. Where did the number 613 come from?

In the ⅠⅠⅠ century there lived a man whose name was Rabbi Simlai. He was a very charismatic preacher who knew many traditions, many amazing stories, and he very much loved to debate with the opponents of Judaism of that time, Christians, Jews who believed in Yeshua, some of whom had already then given up keeping the law and the commandments. And Rabbi Simlai compared the commandments of the Torah to a medicine, to a life-giving balm for the human body. The medicine of that time, and Eastern medicine (this can be seen in the Tibetan book Gyushi, and in the Indian Ayurveda, and in Arabic medicine) counted 613 different parts in a person: 365 sinews and 248 organs. This was the generally accepted notion in medicine. Rabbi Simlai said: “613 commandments of the Torah, each of the commandments nourishes a separate organ. Therefore without the Torah, without keeping the commandments, there is no life for a person.” So from his midrash arose the idea that there are precisely 613 commandments of the Torah, and people tried to compile different lists of these commandments. In fact, the Torah says: “Innumerable is Your commandment.” There is no list, there is no specific number of commandments in the Torah, this number is symbolic. The lists, accordingly, are also symbolic, which by no means means that these lists or these numbers should be neglected. Numbers are convenient for memorizing, for systematizing, for understanding. This was a historical digression to broaden our horizons about the Jewish systematization of the Torah.

But let us return to our text and to the thirteen measures of mercy. Here too there was a tradition that there are thirteen facets of the mercy of the Most High, and therefore this passage was divided in different ways into thirteen different little pieces. So, we read from verse 6:

Again, there is a dispute about who exactly proclaimed. I think that the Most High in person proclaimed.

The LORD, the LORD. Why is the word LORD repeated twice? The commentators say that the LORD is not only the Ruling Master, not only the King. The meaning of the Name of the Most High יהוה (yud-hei-vav-hei), one of its meanings, is the One Who Constantly Gives Life. The Most High gives life to the sinner, even when He knows in advance that this person will sin. And gives him life after the sin, gives him the possibility to be pardoned. It is precisely this before and after, precisely the fact that He gives life before the fall and gives life after the fall (despite the fact that He knows about the fall) – it is precisely this that is expressed in the twofold repetition of the name Adonai, Adonai.

El – God, but God in a very personal sense: not Elohim, who is the Judge of all living, but El – God the Keeper, the Mighty One, Who is near us, the Mighty One, Who uses His might for protection.

The next word is rachúm. The word rachúm is connected with the word lerachém, which is usually translated as to have mercy, to be merciful. Of the same root as this is the word réchem – uterus, the womb of a woman. There is a bird called rachám, which raises other birds' chicks: if it comes across chicks somewhere in an abandoned nest, it always raises them. In Aramaic the word rachám means love. In Hebrew one can say that this is unconditional mercy, determined by nothing, when a person (or God) wants to be merciful simply because he does not want to be strict. It is as if we see that a person deserves punishment, deserves for us to punish him, but we do not feel like punishing him, we feel sorry for him. We understand what he may feel, and therefore we give up the punishment. This is rachamím, and God is called rachúm. This word has one more meaning. As we have already said, it is connected with the word réchem (uterus). When a child is born to us, we love him simply because he is our child: not for any qualities, not for traits of character, not for any achievements. He is dear and beloved to us simply by the fact that he is ours, that he is our flesh of our flesh, our own blood, however one wants to express it. And the Most High loves the world with exactly the same love. And this too is how one can understand the word rachúm.

The next word is chanún (showing mercy). The word chanún is connected with giving something for free, gratis, and again it is not connected with any conditions, simply giving gifts. If we use the same example with the birth of a child as for the previous word, we can say this: when a child grows and matures, becomes an adult, we already want something from him, we want some achievements from him, we want obedience from him, sometimes we show strictness toward him, demands appear. And although the love for him is still unconditional, the goodwill is no longer so unconditional. In this sense the word chanún (showing mercy) means giving and loving, despite the fact that some expectations, some criteria that were set in advance, are not fulfilled. Despite the fact that we are not such as He wants to see us, not such as He conceived us in the kingdomiThe Russian literally says "as He conceived us in the kingdom". What "in the kingdom" means here is not clear, so it is translated word for word., He is nevertheless merciful to us and for free, gratis, gives us our life, grants us His support, His love.

The next expression is érech apáyim. Literally this is translated as with long nostrils, long-nosed. It means one who breathes deeply. If a person gets angry, he is often told: “Before raising your hand, before opening your mouth, take a deep breath or three deep breaths.” The Most High constantly breathes deeply. In relation to God this expression is translated as Long-suffering: the One Who is able to restrain his anger, the One Who has a long breath.

Ráv-chésed ve'emét – the One Who has much mercy and true. Again, we are using Russian words, and so I am now choosing words, how to distinguish the word rachamím (mercy) from the word chésed (mercy). Perhaps the word chésed can be translated here as grace: the One Who has much grace. What is grace? Grace is when the Most High gives us tools to be good, helps us in fulfilling His commandments. That is, the Most High gives us inner cheat sheets, cheat sheets of the soul, so that we can make right decisions, so that we can become better. When we do good, a wind by the name of chésed (grace) blows into our sails. When we try to do “un-good,” a headwind blows and there is resistance. This is a special mercy (and again a confusion with words) which the Most High has shown us. In this case it is said that He is ráv-chésed – He has much grace. With a strong hand, with a strong wind in the sails, He supports those who do good. But He is also emét (true). When we do something, when He passes judgment on us, His judgment is truth, it is a truthful judgment.

Usually it is said that this is not one but two thousand generations. Why two? Because when the plural is used, thousands, it means that for at least two thousand generations the Most High keeps mercy. That is, the Most High gave us some instruments (as I said), so that we would have grace, so that we could keep His commandments, and, even if we do not make use of this, if we refuse for some reason, forget about them, about these instruments, the Most High still leaves them with us. The Most High waits for us (or our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on, a thousand generations later) to make use of this. The Most High searches out a justification for us – where we really did make use of this, where it worked – and leaves His grace with us. He keeps, preserves in His treasury the grace given to us, even when we neglect it. Therefore, guarded by Him, it remains with us in thousands of generations.

Another quality of the Most High is nosé (Forgiving) or, as we said, Lifting upon himself. What exactly does the Most High forgive? Avón is deliberate sin. This is when I understand that, for example, one must not eat bacon, but I love it very much, and I say: “Well, LORD, forgive me, huh?” or I don’t say that, but say: “Ah, all right, I’ll eat it.” A spirit of foolishness entered into me, and I decided, God forbid, to treat myself. I understand that it is not allowed, it even makes me bitter, but I do it. I give this as an example, in reality I abstain from unclean food, but as a human being, probably, in some other situations I give in to weakness. This is a human quality, and sometimes out of foolishness, sometimes out of little faith, sometimes out of faintheartedness I sin, and I sin deliberately; knowing that it is a sin, I still do so, and this is called avón.

The next word from the short list of what the Most High forgives is the word pésha (deliberate sin, sin committed out of spite). This is when I know that the Most High does not want this, and only for that reason I do it. You know, this happens often. It seems to us: well, who would do such a thing, who would go and commit such a thing? I can tell you that very many believing people, sincerely believing people commit such things. When, for example, you come somewhere and say that you don’t eat this and this, because God forbids it, but they try to slip you precisely that, to feed you precisely that. And often brothers and sisters tell about it, boast afterwards: “There, we fed you this, the non-kosher stuff!” This is the simplest example of what pésha is. But there are also other things that people do who have fallen away from faith, who are embittered against the Most High. Pésha is what is done in order to anger the Most High.

The third thing the Most High forgives, as it is written, is chatta'á (unintentional sin). The word chatta'á is a miss, when you wanted to hit the target but missed, it did not work out.

And these thirteen principles (but not the whole verse) conclude with the word venakké (and cleansing, freeing) from this. But if we read the whole verse, then it must be read like this: venakké lo yenakké – but with cleansing will not cleanse. It seems there is an obvious contradiction here: so is it forgiving, or taking into account after all? And then one can recall what was already said (20:5): “… those who hate Me,” this is the key concept: to those who hate the Most High, the Most High recalls his ancestors who hated Him. Hatred is not necessarily hatred in the sense in which we speak of it today. Hatred – this is the Hebrew word soné (verb lisnó), it means neglecting, putting in second place, pushing into the background. That is, one who hates the Most High is one who neglects the Most High. If He is not at the head of the corner for us, then it may turn out that the Most High will not forgive, will not bear our transgressions.

So, the Most High passed before Moshe and proclaimed His qualities. And by this He answered Moshe’s question of what He is glorified by: He is glorified by the fact that He can have mercy. The Creator of the world, the One in Whose power absolutely everything is, the One stronger than Whom there is no one, the Protecting, Merciful, Loving, Long-suffering God – it is precisely by these qualities of His that He is glorified. This is that goodness, this is what He wanted to show Moshe, this is His Glory. Unlike all the other gods, only He is the Loving, Merciful God. The peoples of the world invented various gods, but few invented gods who love people. The true God, the genuine Sovereign of heaven and earth, the Creator of all living things loves his creation, has mercy, and wants to be glorified precisely by this.

In verse 9 we read what Moshe says:

That is: “We will be Your portion in this world, the place where You will live, we will be Your dwelling.

We continue reading from verse 10 of chapter 34. The Most High says to Moshe:

Let us pay attention to the word berít (covenant). If in the Russian language it is connected with the words to command something, to bequeath something, then in Hebrew, if one engages in etymology (the science of the origin of words), there are two suppositions as to where this word could have come from. The first, from the root bet-reish-hei, which means to choose, to select, to choose out of all. And the second, from a similar root bet-reish-hei, but it means to eat bread, the word bar is grain or bread. And one can say that if one reads korét berít literally, then this is not to conclude (from key) a covenant, but to cut off, to break a covenantiThe Russian verb here is the one used for breaking bread, not for breaking a promise. So "to break a covenant" means to break it like bread, which leads to the breaking of bread mentioned next.. And the whole expression korét berít can be translated as: I perform the breaking of bread with you as a sign of concluding the Covenant.

The Most High says: “I am making a Covenant with you before all the people, and the people will see amazing wonders, an amazing manifestation of My power in their midst, so that they know that I am among them.”

And in verse 11 the Most High continues and speaks a command. One can say that from here on the conditions of the Covenant begin to be set out.

One could say: “We are moving to a new land, let’s not fight, let’s try to settle in here peacefully as neighbors, let’s come to an agreement.” And the Most High says: “Beware! Do not make agreements with them, no alliances.”

Note that the word tichrotún (cut them down) is the same verb as korét (I conclude a covenant), it is the very same verb lichrót.

What does a jealous God mean? We know that there is no other God in the world. How can one be jealous of someone who does not exist? But God is jealous over the fact that we neglect Him when, God forbid, we get carried away by idols. It is impossible to get carried away by an idol, to go after another god, without first leaving the God of Israel. And the Most High is zealous about this. The Most High is above all Gods, and, if we leave Him, He is zealous about being left.

A simple everyday situation is described: a neighbor invited us over, and he had slaughtered a lamb to Ba'al, Ashera or Marduk, and cooked up delicious food, and invited us, purely as a neighbor. And we, after all, concluded a covenant of good-neighborly relations with him, and it is very awkward to refuse, and we may agree.

Another quite everyday situation, when husband and wife belong to different religions. If the wife's faith differs from the husband's faith, there is a great danger that the husband, seduced by the beauty, the affection, the smile or the dance of his wife, will also go after her gods. One can catch not only a love for the cooking of a foreign country, for its language, but also for its religion, for the worship of other gods. And after all, entering into marriage – this too is a form of covenant, a covenant is made between husband and wife. Therefore one should not make a covenant with other nations.

After the people of Israel made the golden calf, and we said (32:1) that this was not necessarily done as another God, but was done, possibly, as a little bridge, as a connecting link with God, a sort of oracle, GPS – you can call it whatever you like. But the Most High now tells Moshe unambiguously: “This is not allowed!”

On the one hand, the donkey is an unclean animal. On the other hand, we have already said about the donkey that it has certain merits among the people of Israel. That is why this animal, although unclean, inedible, is nevertheless respected. And its firstborn must be redeemed with a sheep, that is, it is not given to the kohen, instead of it a sheep or the price of a sheep is given. And you cannot use an unredeemed donkey, and you will have to break its head. You don't want to pay the ransom – then don't use it yourself either.

And do not come to Me with empty hands – literally this translates as and they will not see My face when they are empty. What is meant here are the 3 days of worship: for the LORD said, as we remember, that the whole male population must come before His face three times a year.

Even during farm work, when it is your busiest season, and when you urgently need to sow, or else the time will be missed, and when you need to harvest, or else the time will pass, stop all the same, when you are gathering your fruits. What is permitted? It is permitted to reap the sheaf that is gathered in the days of the ómer, between Pesach and Shavuot.

What is the Most High talking about here? He says: “You will have a very rich land, but no one will covet your borders, no one will covet your land, no one will attack you in the days when you go up to Jerusalem.” It would seem that this rich land will especially need guarding, good things need constant watching. But the Most High says that the whole land can be left empty, and even if all the men go to Jerusalem, there will be a special protection, there will be no need to take care of the security of the land, and the border guards can be withdrawn.

This concerns the sacrifice of Pesach, and we have already explained this verse (12:15), because here the commandment of the Most High is repeated: chamétz (leaven) must be removed from the house before the sacrifice of Pesach is offered. And we have already said, have even said more than once, that the sacrifice must be eaten before morning.

This expression – do not cook a kid in the milk of its mother – is understood by very many in different ways. In modern tradition a custom has developed, a law has developed, which commands separating dairy and meat food, even dairy and meat dishes. And most people even take a break after eating meat food before eating dairy after that, in order to refrain from mixing meat and dairy. That is how the modern law interprets it, how the modern tradition interprets it. And I myself, personally, try to keep the law the way it has been established. But if we are talking about understanding the meaning of the Torah, then one can also understand it this way: that one must not cook a specific kid precisely in the milk of its specific mother, that this is a special outrage or, as many believe, some special sacrifice that was offered by the nations of Canaan (although we have no information at all about this). And there is also another version, an agricultural one, according to which a kid could be made to feed on its mother's milk for a long time, so that its meat would be more tender. And here the Torah forbids this kind of experiment on nature. In exactly the same way people sometimes treat a goose. It is fed in a special way and its movement is specially restricted so that its liver grows. Or, for example, they castrate a rooster so that there will be a special capon, so that the meat will be of special quality. That is how one can interpret this prohibition. But, I repeat, the modern law interprets this, and it can be understood that way too, as the separation of meat and dairy food.

We often see that when a person is just beginning to read the Tanach, he says: “Why did you interpret it the wrong way, this isn't quite what is written here, is it?” And I can say that there is, for example, an explanation that the word gedí can be understood not only as a specific kid, but generally as a young one. And chalév immó can also be understood as milk that is cooked next to this kid. That is, it really can be interpreted in different ways without doing violence to the text. But who are we to argue with established customs? Although, I will repeat once again, there are other understandings too.

An important detail that is fairly easy to miss is the fact that Moshe too is a party to this covenant. The Most High did not make the covenant with Israel, Moshe included, but this covenant – it is with Moshe and with Israel. Moshe stands apart here, and in the following chapters we will understand why this is so.

And in verse 28 we read that the words of the Most High to Moshe came to an end:

From this a very interesting conclusion is drawn. As the Roman proverb says: “In Rome, behave like a Roman.” A Talmudic proverb says something very similar: “In a city, behave like a city dweller.” In every city, behave in accordance with the laws of that city. When a person comes to some city in which certain customs are interpreted in a special way, he is obliged to take upon himself the interpretation of the customs of the city in which he is a guest. When the angels were with Avraham, on earth, there, where people eat and drink, they both ate and drank, although this is not natural to them. When Moshe is a guest in heaven, goes up into the heavenly, he does not need food and drink. And in exactly the same way the Mashiach during his fast in the wilderness is able, while being on earth, to abide in heaven, therefore he can in exactly the same way go 40 days without water and without drink. And this fast is needed as a testimony to Moshe's ability to be heavenly and earthly at the same time. And this makes him greater than Moshe, because he went up the mountain, into the heavenly, for such a fast, whereas the Mashiach for this went off into the wilderness and remained on earth.

And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Decalogue. From this (also astonishing) phrase many conclude that the Decalogue – that is what the Most High said before this, those very commandments with the firstborn and the renunciation of covenants. And one could indeed think so if we read only this chapter: the Most High gave Moshe certain commandments, and then the Torah says that He wrote them down and calls this the Decalogue; that means it is what is found in this same chapter 34. And one can understand the people who build such theories. But I always say with regard to new theories, with regard to those who want to look at the Torah from a new angle, to see something new in it: if you have found arguments “for,” or when you have found all the arguments “for,” however many of them there may be, look at the arguments “against” too. In this case we see a very serious argument “against” in the fact that in the book of Devarim the commandments that were on the second tablets are written down, and this is not what is written here, in chapter 34 of the book of Shemot. Therefore – yes, it looks very much, at first glance, as if here there is one more version of the ten commandments, but in other sources, in another place of the Torah, the commandments on the tablets are listed for us once again, therefore one should not read into the text what is not there.

Moshe's face is shining. Moshe, as a person who received a special mission, also received some Divine gift with regard to the people, one could say he was “infected” with Divine light, received a little Divine light.

Probably everyone knows that the word karán (was shining) can also be translated as the word kéren (was horned). From this comrade Michelangelo made Moshe horned in the marble sculpture of the same name. This coincidence arose because the word kéren in Hebrew denotes at the same time both a little ray, as in a little ray of the sun, and a horn, as in the horn of an animal. Karán (was radiant or was shining) can thus be read in the meaning was horned, if one starts from the word kéren (horn). That is where the confusion comes from.

Light did not always attract, and, seeing a high level of holiness, people sometimes trembled, were afraid to come near to Moshe.

In order that they would risk coming up to him, would dare to come up to him, Moshe himself calls them.

When Moshe was passing on the Torah, his face was uncovered. But when the people began to study, to understand, to take in the Torah, when the words ended and a person went off to rethink, to learn the Torah – Moshe covered his face.

How did things go after this? When the people heard the Torah, when Moshe came out of the tent, he covered his face. When the people hear the Torah, the veil lies on the face (perhaps on Moshe's face). Today the Torah is read in synagogues on Monday, Thursday and the Sabbath in the assembly of the people, and in memory of this and according to the traditions of reading, as is customary, during the reading in the synagogue the reader covers his face. When prayer begins, when people turn to the LORD, the veil is removed. When Moshe proclaimed the Torah, the veil lay on his face. What is the essence here, what is the special point here? Why does the Torah speak about this specifically? Just as the people “got scared” to come near to the mountain and sent Moshe, in exactly the same way the people “got scared” to take in the Divine light directly. And, understanding this fear, out of compassion for the people Moshe covered himself with the veil. And now, during the reading of the Torah, this veil is on the people of Israel.

This is what we have already spoken about.

In the weekly portion Ki Tisa we read about an astonishing tragedy. The people of Israel miscalculated and decided that if Moshe had not returned at the appointed time, then he had perhaps disappeared somewhere altogether. The people turned to Aharon with a request to make a golden calf – a kind of navigator that would lead the people through the wilderness. The golden calf was made, and one of the greatest national sins in Jewish history was committed.

In fact, Moshe, of course, had not gone anywhere. The Most High says to Moshe: “Go down now from the mountain, for the people that you brought out of Egypt has become corrupt.” Moshe comes down from the mountain, and his meeting turns from a festive one into a very tragic one: Moshe breaks the tablets, and a lot more happens. After all this the Most High commands Moshe to make new tablets, and besides this says (33:3): “Go into the land flowing with milk and honey; but I Myself will not appear in your midst, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way.” Further we read: “When the people heard this evil tidings, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the LORD had said to Moshe: ‘Say to the sons of Israel: “You – a stiff-necked people; were I to go for one moment in your midst, I would destroy you.”’”

The Most High punishes not for the sin itself of the golden calf, but for the root of the sin, for what gave birth to this sin – for stiff-neckedness. The concept stiff-necked (keshe-óref – with a hard neck) means hard to turn or stubborn, obstinate. A people that, despite having seen all the miracles and all the signs, stubbornly returns to serving idols.

Moshe, at the command of the Most High, makes other tablets, goes up to the Most High and prays to the Most High for forgiveness, and this is what he says (34:9): “And he said: If I have found favor in Your eyes, Sovereign, then let the Sovereign go among us, for this people is stiff-necked. And You will forgive our iniquity and our sin and make us Your inheritance.” One might have expected that Moshe would say: “Forgive us, we will try not to be stiff-necked anymore, we will be flexible, we will be obedient, we will not persist in our sin, we will not do it anymore.” But Moshe says something completely different, Moshe says: “Precisely because this people is stiff-necked, forgive it.”

This stubbornness will allow the people to hold out during all kinds of persecutions. Persians, Medes, Arameans, Assyrians: anyone and everyone will come and try to lead the Jews away from the true path, anyone and everyone will try to assimilate the Jews, anyone and everyone will try to destroy the people. There will be a time when the majority of the people will worship other gods, but thanks to this very stiff-neckedness, thanks to this stubbornness, this obstinacy, there will always remain people who will serve and worship the Most High. This stiff-neckedness also has a positive side (as is sometimes said: if only your strength were put to peaceful purposes), it can be used for the service of the Creator.

And the Most High forgives according to this word, the Most High forgives the people according to this word of Moshe. And indeed, Jewish stubbornness has in many ways served to preserve Jewishness. This can help us too: when we sometimes see in our children certain traits (maybe some excessive energy, maybe something else) that annoy us, that seem negative to us, we can think about how to apply them to the Torah, how to apply this energy to the Torah, how to apply to the Torah this or that quality of our children, following the example of how Moshe spoke with the Most High.

At the center of the portion Ki Tisa is the story of the people's sin through the golden calf. Chapter 32 describes what happens in the camp of Israel in Moshe's absence. Israel celebrates the making of the calf. Of course, only a small number of people from Israel take part in this. Nevertheless the noise and joy of this celebration reach Mount Sinai. And the Most High says to Moshe (32:7): “Go, get down from the mountain, for your people has become corrupt.” And then Moshe begins to plead with the Most High and to ask Him not to be angry with the people, and Moshe begins his prayer to the Most High (32:11) with the words: “Why should Your anger burn against Your people?” Moshe begins this prayer, it would seem, even with a kind of reproach. It is astonishing: how can one begin a prayer this way in such a situation? The people of Israel had made themselves, in essence, an idol. And how can one ask “why” in this case? The anger of the Most High was kindled because of idolatry. Nevertheless this is exactly how Moshe begins his prayer. And many commentators have tried to understand why he does this. We can see two main reasons that they name.

In this same prayer Moshe says that the Most High brought the people out of Egypt with great power. In essence, Israel was a crowd of slaves. These were people who had seen nothing but straw and clay. And the Most High brought them out of the land of Egypt with power. And Moshe, according to one of the opinions, says: “It was You who brought the people of slaves out of Egypt. How can You now be angry with this people?” How can one be angry with people who were slaves all their lives? They were formed as slaves, they were entirely and completely under the influence of Egypt. And if in Egypt they worshipped a calf, then it is no wonder that this people decided to worship a calf. So why be angry with this people now?

Another opinion says that Moshe is reminding of the promises of the Most High. The Most High promised that He would bring the people out of Egypt. And if Israel ends up destroyed in the desert, then the nations of the world may say: “Their God did not have the strength to bring the people to Canaan.”

These are the two main explanations of why Moshe begins to speak this way. But, in essence, it comes down to one thing: “Be reconciled with the people – they are Your children.” Moshe understands that the people have sinned. When he approaches the camp, we will see his feelings. He himself smashes the tablets in anger. But when he speaks with the Most High, he asks the Most High not to pour out anger on the people, he looks for ways to intercede for his people. One of the very greatest teachers in history, the first leader of the Jewish people, he is in no hurry to judge, his first impulse is to justify the people. And he stands before the Most High for them rather audaciously.

For us, today's believers, this is an important lesson. When we see that a sin is being committed, we must try, like Moshe, to ask God for mercy, and not for anger. Unfortunately, very often we strive to condemn sinners and call down the anger of the Most High on those who sin. But Moshe does not act this way, and in this lies an example of true teaching. To say to the Most High: “If You do not forgive this people, then blot me out of Your Book that You have written” – this sounds like audacity. And nevertheless it was precisely a person with such qualities that the Most High chose to lead the people out.

In the same way, many centuries later, the apostle Paul will write that he would be ready to be cut off from Christ for the sake of his people. And it was precisely Paul whom the Most High chose to carry the good news.

Thus, if we want to stand before God for our people, then we must stand boldly, literally lay down our soul for them – for the sake of God's mercy, and not for the sake of the pouring out of His anger, we must try to justify sinners in our prayers. This is exactly the teaching that the Most High wants from us.

This week we are studying the weekly portion Ki Tisa, and together with it a prophetic passage from the first book of Melachim is read. Usually verses 1 through 39 of chapter 18 are read, the Yemenite communities read verses 1 through 40, and we will take a third path and read the whole of chapter 18, verses 1 through 46. Before we begin reading the chapter itself, some historical introduction is necessary in order to introduce the main characters. Of course, there is no need to introduce the prophet Eliyahu, everyone knows him. King Achav is known for being the greatest villain of all the kings who ruled in Israel. He made the worship of Ba'al the official religion, he brought in his wife Izevel, a princess of Tzidon. Let us little by little begin to recall how it was.

King Achav began his reign when his city, his capital, was almost under siege. He began by ruling a very small territory, ruled for 22 years and died in battle beyond the Jordan, in Gilad, that is, he considerably expanded the territory of his kingdom. The so-called monolith from Kurkh has survived, which tells that Shalmaneser III, the king of Assyria, went on a military campaign into our parts, and in the battle of Qarqar he was defeated by a coalition of 12 armies created by Achav. Achav was the one who managed to conclude a triple alliance between Israel, Judea and Tzidon and, as a consequence of this, took as his wife the daughter of the king of Tzidon, Etba'al, a woman by the name of Izevel. Izevel Etba'alovna was a princess of Tzidon, raised in the best traditions of Tzidon – faithful, devoted to Ba'al, a missionary both of Ba'al and of the monarchic traditions of Tzidon. The king of Israel did not behave the way the pagan kings did, and Izevel disliked this very much. She destroyed all worship of the LORD, the God of Israel, and killed the prophets. Everywhere the altars to the LORD were torn down and the cult of Ba'al was imposed. The prophet Eliyahu himself was forced to go into hiding, seeing everything that was happening. Before doing so, he said to Achav: “From this moment on there will be no rain. Throughout the whole country, throughout the whole kingdom of Israel – drought.” The drought goes on year after year, and this, of course, leads to the people becoming poor, beginning to starve and finding themselves on the brink of destruction. And it is at this historical moment that the events take place which we begin to read about from verse 1 of chapter 18.

In the third year of the drought the Most High turns to Eliyahu. The commentators argue about why it is precisely now that the Most High speaks about ending the drought. Perhaps because in the third year, finding themselves on the brink of destruction, the people begin to repent. Or perhaps because otherwise the people will simply perish, and it is impossible to go on tormenting the people with drought any longer. There are no such technologies, modern ones, to drill a well, to desalinate the sea, it is impossible. The people really have nothing left not only to eat, but also to drink, and this, of course, puts the people on the brink of destruction. Eliyahu knows that Achav, and to a greater degree Izevel, are seeking his death. But, since the Most High has said it, Eliyahu goes and carries it out.

Why does the Tanach tell us this? One can understand it this way: that in Shomron, that is, in the kingdom of Israel, there is a severe famine because the kingdom of Israel had fallen away more, while in Judea there is no such famine, perhaps this is a hint at that. Or perhaps the point is that Shomron is the capital region, it is, so to speak, Moscow and the Moscow region, and there is already a severe famine there, that is, the famine has reached even there. Eliyahu goes to meet Achav, and at this time something interesting is happening in Achav's palace.

It is very important to picture this. There is the most villainous king in all of history, a king who directs or, at any rate, actively assists the persecution of the prophets, imposes a foreign religion, a foreign ideology, and destroys faith in the God of Israel. As his first deputy, or prime minister, at his court serves a man by the name of Ovadyahu, a man who fears the LORD. Is this right, is it right to end up in such a situation? Is it right for a believing person to join the government, to take part in governing a villainous state? The Jewish commentators say that the woman from among the disciples of the prophet (2 Melachim 4:1–7), whose vessels in the house were all miraculously filled with oil through the prophet Elisha, is the widow of this very Ovadyahu, and this is how he is repaid for his good deeds; that is, the commentators view this favorably. Indeed, if you believe in the Most High and find yourself where you can have influence, where you can do something, then do it, even though it will look as if you support this regime and take part in strengthening it.

Further on, the Tanach tells us how Ovadyahu's righteousness was expressed in practice:

Maybe he divided them so that if one cave were suddenly discovered, the other could be saved – just as Yaakov divided his family into two camps. In general, Ovadyahu is engaged in dangerous counterrevolutionary work at the court of Izevel, at the court of Achav, and is hindering the religious revolution that is supposed to bring the land of Israel to the worship of Ba'al. So, Achav called Ovadyahu to him, and here is what he says to him:

Just imagine all the horror, all the tragedy of the situation, when the king and his prime minister themselves begin to comb the country and search for something for their livestock. What a depth of despair these people must be in!

After Eliyahu had been hiding for three years (and we know that Eliyahu has abundant growth on his face as it is, he has a big beard), he probably looked completely different, but Ovadyahu recognizes him. And the question he asks here is not just a question like: “Excuse me, I am not mistaken, is it really you?” It is a respectful form of address.

Go, go, tell Achav that you have found me. But Ovadyahu is in no hurry to run to Achav.

lahamiténi

9. And he said: “In what have I sinned, that you are sending your servant, handing him over into the hand of Achav, so that he will kill me?

I will now say: “Here is Eliyahu, then we will come with him, and you will not be here, and he will simply kill me.”

Ovadyahu says to the prophet Eliyahu: “You have long been on our federal and international wanted list, and the king is ready to pay dearly for you, you are wanted dead or alive, but, it seems, preferably dead.”

That is: I have been a God-fearing man from my youth, why are you punishing me like this, why are you setting me up like this?

Why is this phrase repeated twice? Possibly for two reasons: first, you will then suddenly be carried off, they will not find you, and the Lord will kill me in his rage; second, the Lord will say: “Ah, you met with Eliyahu, so you had ties with them, I was informed, it was reported to me, I always suspected.” And for this too they may kill me. Ovadyahu is really afraid, and he has something to be afraid of.

This is a form of oath. After Eliyahu has sworn that he will not vanish anywhere, that he will not disappear, after this Ovadyahu can go and speak with Achav.

Ochér Yisraél – this is a classic label for someone we do not like, someone who, as it seems to us, harms Israel and tries to destroy it. “You, who brings trouble on Israel” – this is the accusation Achav immediately throws at the prophet Eliyahu. For what? For having brought on the drought, so that Israel, accordingly, may perish.

We see that Izevel has a serious missionary propaganda machine, she has 850 prophets: 450 prophets of Ba'al and 400 prophets of Ashera. And all of this works toward converting Israel to the new faith – they are kept well fed, they eat at Izevel's table, she feeds them; the prophets are her propagandists. What can we see here? First, here Eliyahu no longer says to Achav: “Do not kill me.” He says two things to him: “It is you who brought trouble on Israel” and “Now gather all Israel and all the prophets,” as if Achav had already asked him: “And what should I do now to be saved?”, as if such a question had perhaps already begun to arise in Achav's heart. Why, actually, should Achav listen to him, since he is on the side of Ba'al, and Eliyahu is a counterrevolutionary? Apparently something has already happened in Achav's heart, and therefore Eliyahu says: “Gather all Israel and all the prophets on Mount Carmel.” Eliyahu does not speak here about the rain either, that is, he appeals directly to Achav's heart.

Why Mount Carmel in particular? First, Mount Carmel is a mountain, and we will see an analogy to the standing at Mount Sinai. After all, here again is a situation where the whole people has gathered, and the Most High appeared before the whole people. On the other hand (a simpler understanding), Mount Carmel is the border of the kingdom of Israel, beyond it Tzidon begins, further on there is the border with Tzidon. It is a kind of border meeting: if anything happens, the prophets of Ba'al and Ashera will know where to run. This is how parley meetings are usually arranged. For unfriendly parties, back in the day, in the negotiations with Egypt, the negotiations were held at the 101st kilometer, as it were one kilometer meter from the border. And Achav submits to the prophet Eliyahu, although, apparently, this is not simple and requires well-organized logistics to gather the whole people.

Usually the phrase ad-matáy attém posechím al-sheté hasse'ippím is translated as how long are you limping on both knees, or how long are you jumping from branch to branch, how long will you not make up your mind.

It is impossible to worship both Ba'al and the LORD at the same time. And the people are silent. Why are the people silent? Possibly because the people really have not made up their minds. Surely even 600 years after the giving of the Torah faith in God was alive, surely there remained people who believe in the God of Israel. But only the prophets are here, not only Eliyahu, here there is also Achav with his army, and it is not so easy to be the first to come out openly with counterrevolutionary ideas.

 He knows, of course, that there are another 100 hidden prophets (at least, Ovadyahu told him so), but there is no need to give away your safe houses. Therefore Eliyahu says: “I am the only prophet.”

Somehow another 400 prophets of Ashera did not come. Maybe they are being kept in reserve and were not sent on such a job, but Eliyahu paints a picture of an unequal contest, 1 against 450.

Here it is already logical to reason: whoever was able to bring down fire, that one is the true god. Here, of course, it is very interesting to know whether Eliyahu is acting according to instructions received from the Most High, that is, whether the Most High told him to do exactly this, or whether this is his own decision on the spot, a decision he made in a particular situation. I am inclined to think the second: the prophet has the authority to decide, and the Most High graciously acts in cooperation with the prophet.

Eliyahu began, let us even put it this way, to encourage them sarcastically. You know how sometimes at children's holiday matinees they ask the children to call the Snow Maiden: “We can't hear you, shout louder!” And the prophets, as if taking this as encouragement, really did begin to shout louder.

They had such a custom. And today too in many eastern cults there is such a custom: when calling on their gods, to beat themselves until they bleed.

In those times altars were built on the high places. Apparently, during the persecutions the altar had been destroyed, and Eliyahu repairs it.

Eliyahu makes a certain symbol of the unity of Israel.

That is, if one were to turn this trench into a field, then something on the order of a ten-liter jar of wheat grains could be sown into this trench, no easy work. Unfortunately, I do not know enough about agriculture to understand what this means, what area this is.

Here large jugs are thirty-liter jugs. That is, Eliyahu did not simply set up the altar without fire so that no one would accuse him of some kind of cheating, of some secret machinations and Jewish tricks. He said: “Pour water over everything.” Now it cannot even be set on fire just like that.

Concerning these last words of Eliyahu's prayer there are disputes about how to translate them. In most Russian-language translations it is written like this: “And You will turn their hearts to Yourself.” But here it is more correct to translate like this: “And You turned their hearts back,” as also regarding Pharaoh: “You hardened their hearts. Because of all these events – because of the famine, because the cult of Ba'al was imposed so cruelly – You hardened their hearts, and that is exactly why it was hard for them to return. Let them know that this was a test from You.”

With these words in our time the prayer of Yom Kippur concludes, these are words of repentance. Here too the haftara to the weekly portion, which is read in the synagogue, ends. But we will continue further.

Notice, Achav hears this and he is silent. No one is afraid of anyone anymore.

Apparently they were running away, because they had to be caught. 450 prophets of Ba'al were killed. Again, Achav is present at all of this, before his eyes the whole propaganda machine of his kingdom is being destroyed. It would be enough, to put it in modern language, to fire a warning shot into the air, and no one would rush anywhere. Achav is silent, inside Achav something is happening at this moment. Achav also talks with his wife about all these events afterward, and as for his wife, we know who she is.

Now Eliyahu turns to Achav and suggests to him that, against the background of all these events, he hold a feast. Not just sit down for a bite, but precisely hold a festivity, because soon there will be rain, and this is more important, should be more important, than 450 killed prophets of Ba'al. God is (among other things) responsible also for rain, because rain is the source of life, because here it is revealed who the true God is and that He shows mercy to Israel. This is worth a feast. And, apparently, at this moment teshuva (repentance) takes place in Achav's heart, even if for a short time, as we will learn later, but it does take place.

Eliyahu waits, Eliyahu has lived through, probably, a very hard, difficult day. He dropped his head onto his knees and waits.

After some time, each time Eliyahu asked: “Well, look, isn't there something there?” And he answered: “No, there is nothing.”

The roads in those times were not paved, after all; if it turns to mud and Achav's chariot gets stuck in the mud, then… that will be unpleasant for Achav.

That is, Achav set off for the winter capital, to the city of Yizre'el. Maybe this is a hint that the events take place in winter, this is the end of winter, and Achav lives in the winter palace. Or maybe this is a special miracle, and everything happened in summer, but Yizre'el is much closer to Mount Carmel (to modern Haifa) than Shomron, which takes longer to reach.

Other materials: weekly portions of the Torah, what anointing is, Shelach – prayer and trust.