Weekly Parsha

Mazal Tov to Liora Rachel Tank for her birthday on Oct 11, 2022 (18 of Tishrei)

Refuah Sheimah: Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue praying for: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Parashat Ki Tisa

Exodus 33:12-34:26

Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot

Parshat Ki Tisa (כִּי תִשָּׂא‎ — Hebrew for "“When You Elevate/Take", the sixth and seventh words, and first distinctive words in the parasha) is the 21st weekly Torah portion(Parasha) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the ninth in the Book of Exodus. The parashah tells of building the Tabernacle, the incident of the Golden calf, the request of Moses for G-d to reveal G-d's Attributes, and how Moses became radiant.

Moshe pleads to the Almighty to "make known to me Your ways." The Almighty commands Moshe to carve two stone tablets to replace the Tablets that Moshe destroyed bearing the 10 Commandments. Moshe carves them and ascends Mt. Sinai. The Almighty descends in a cloud and reveals to Moshe the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy which are constantly repeated in the Yom Kippur prayers. Moshe asks the Almighty to "forgive our transgressions and make us Your Heritage".

The Almighty responds that He shall seal a covenant with us. The Almighty then warns the Jewish people against idol worship (idolatry is believing that anything other than the Almighty has power). The reading ends with the Almighty commanding us to keep the Festivals -- Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot.

G-d reveals to Moshe The Thirteen Divine Attributes of Mercy:

"Lord, Lord, God, Compassionate and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in Kindness and Truth; Preserve of Kindness of thousands of generations, Forgiver of Iniquity, Willful Sin and Error" (Exodus 34:6-7).

The Talmud states, "Whenever Israel sins, let them perform before Me this order, and I shall forgive them" (Rosh Hashana 17b). Yet, the Talmud sharply criticizes anyone who says that G-d will overlook people's sins (Bava Kamma 50a). The commentaries explain that "forgiveness" is not the same as "overlooking." Forgiveness must be earned, and a person is forgiven only when he deserves to be forgiven.

Our ethical works state that G-d conducts the world according to firm principles of justice. One of these principles is that it is just to act toward a person as that person acts towards others. The Baal Shem Tov said that this is the mean of the verse, "G-d is your shadow" (Psalms, 121:5). Just as one's shadow mimics one's every move, so does G-d act correspondingly to how a person acts. If a person is magnanimous and readily forgives personal offenses, then it is just that G-d forgive that person's misdeeds.

The Talmud states that Jerusalem was destroyed because people exercised the letter of the law (Bava Metzia 30b). If they exercised the letter of the law, why were they punished? It is because they refused to be magnanimous and yield, insisting on getting everything that the law entitled them to receive. In judging their sins, G-d, too, exercised the letter of the law and refused to yield.

We may think that when we forgive an offense, we are being charitable to the offender. The fact is that we are the beneficiaries of kindnesses we do to others.

Is being kind and forgiving to others self-serving? Perhaps, but this is a kind of selfishness that is "kosher."

Remember that Happiness is joy digesting.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

Rabbi Ovadiah Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is pleased to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Chabad Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is Jewish Chaplain actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank s the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation headquarters in New York and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.

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