Fiery Connections

Long before Powerpoint presentations, like 3000+ years before, G-d had a projection screen for Moses.  On a number of occasions, the Midrash tells us that Hashem showed Moshe certain things that he was having a difficulty understanding.

One of them has to do with the Half Shekel introduced at the beginning of this week’s portion; a Mitzvah that was to serve as an atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf.

The Torah says “Zeh yitnu” this shall you give.  The Midrash tells us that G-d took a coin of fire from underneath His heavenly throne and showed it to Moshe and said Zeh Yitnu – this shall you give.

The Talmud tells us that what seemingly was difficult for Moshe to understand was how the coin, an act of Tzedakah could atone for the sin of the Golden Calf. 

It wasn’t the power of the act of charity that confounded Moses, because our Sages themselves teach us that Tzedakah carries that kind of power.  It was specifically the atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf.

You see, we know that we are multi layered beings.  And sometimes we can act inconsistent with our inner core.  But our core remains intact.  

Do you ever look in the mirror and say, I really messed up, I’m no longer worthy, I ought to be canceled? No. Why, because we always know that our core remains pure.

But when the Jewish People sinned with the Golden Calf, they did disconnect their core.  There is nothing like being unfaithful to G-d.  Their act of worshiping another god was an act of infidelity from the very core.  This Moses couldn’t understand how we could recover our core through the act of giving the Half Shekel.

And this is what the Midrash teaches us in telling us about the fiery coin.

You see, of the four elements fire is the one that is most difficult to define.  It has no boundaries and no way to really measure it.  The Jewish People have a core that transcends even the part of our conscious identity that inhabits our body, and that is the essence of the soul that is underneath Hashem’s throne.
That part of us never is disconnected. If we recognize that, then no matter how far we have gone away or strayed, we are still in our essence connected and we can call on that.

This is an empowering thought for how we ought to value ourselves and equally important how we value others.  On the outside or even on the part of the inside that meets the eye, we may seem disconnected and G-d forbid even cut off, but if we dig deeper, all the way to G-d’s heavenly throne, we will find that we remain loved, embraced and whole with Hashem!

Have a great Shabbos!

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