The Cure Precedes the Illness

Rabbi Melanie Aron

February 8, 2003

Many of the traditional Biblical commentators believed that the Torah portions in the second half of the book of Exodus were out of chronological order. They noted that the portion Ki Tissa, which we will read two weeks from now, tells about Moses coming down from Mt Sinai, while this weeks Torah portion Terumah and next weeks Torah portion Tetzaveh deal with the building of the tabernacle which didn't happen until after Moses was already back from Mt. Sinai. Why this disorder?

For the rabbis the answer was: So that the cure would precede the illness, so that the medicine would come before the malady.

What was the illness and what was the cure?

Parashat Ki Tissa tells us that the Israelites grew impatient while Moses was up on Mt Sinai for 40 days. They became frightened and agitated. Without Moses there to talk about God, they did not feel the presence of this invisible and difficult to understand Deity. They were in the desert, a place that was foreign to them, and they didn't know their way to the promised land. They panicked and urged Aaron to create a god that they could see and touch, a god that would provide security for them in the absence of their leader Moses. The worship of the Golden Calf was the symbol of the illness that the Mishkan, the tabernacle was supposed to cure.

Allowing the Israelites to build a tangible representation of God's presence in their community was to give them confidence and security. Though there was no statue representing God, still it was a place where it was easier to sense God's presence and to feel sure that God was with the people. The eternal light and the ark of the covenant reminded people of God's care. The bringing of animal sacrifices was, in ancient time, a familiar and reassuring ritual that gave the Israelites a way to approach their God. If an Israelite was feeling lost and alone in the great desert, if they were wondering if they would ever get to Canaan, they could go to the tabernacle, and physically enter a space that speak of God's presence.

Though the building of the Tabernacle didn't actually take place until after the incident of the Golden Calf, many commentators believed it was placed where it currently is in the Torah, so that the reader, when they got to the story of the people's great sin, would know that a remedy for the problem the Golden Calf represented was already in the works.

When you are on a sports team, much of the drill that you do in practice, is so that in times of stress, you will be able to do the right thing without having to think about it too much. In a sense that is a way of doing what the rabbis suggested, providing the cure before the illness. Before you panic in the field during the big game, you practice over and over the steps that you will need to take to make the right split second decision under pressure.

As teachers we also try and provide that kind of preventative knowledge. We try and prepare our students so that when they encounter a new problem, they will have the tools to solve it.

Much of what we do in Jewish education is also meant to follow the rabbi's advice. It is rare for a person to go through life without any struggles or setbacks. Sometimes these can be so difficult that they cause a crisis of faith, of confidence in the goodness of the world, or in God's care and presence. Jewish education, learning the stories of other people's experiences, hearing the wisdom of past generations, having the chance to talk about our thoughts and feelings as we go through the ups and downs of life, helps us to be strengthened so that in real times of need we have somewhere to turn. Learning synagogue skills could also be viewed as that kind of preventative medicine. After all a service that you are familiar with, have grown up with, understand and have experienced many times, has more potential to offer you comfort and strength in a time of loss or crisis.

Gabe, we hope that we, your family and teachers, have given you a good foundation. We pray that you will continue to build on it. As you were so well prepared for this day and able to handle all the challenges of leading this service and reading from the Torah, so may you continue to be well prepared and able to handle, anything life throws your way.