Parashas Ki Tisa
Exodus 30:11 – 34:35
Please Pray this
Prayer
First before reading.
In the name of Yahushua
Our
Messiyah
I pray
for the Spirit of Understanding
The
Spirit of Knowledge and
The
Spirit of Wisdom
As I read through this Parashas
The sages teaches that when
anyone read this Torah Portion, we awaken for the individual and the world the
specific Light inherent in its passage. Most Torah Portion contain uplifting
events, but on the Sabbathh of Ki Tisa, after the instruction on how to
construct the Tabernacle, we read about the destruction caused by the sin of
the Golden calf.
The obvious question is what
is the spiritual significance or objective of Ki Tisa? What type of energy are
we awaken on this Sabbath.?
In this Torah Portion is the
21st in the Cycle, Ki Tisa means when you take, we are told
in this Portion of Ki Tisa on how to complete our spiritual objective, and
after that we are shown the consequence of sinning.
When believers fall
spiritually, it is due to the lack of acknowledge, that the error of their ways
surface. However, there is always hope. If a believer falls, and never
acknowledge their mistake, there is no opportunity to experience the Laver in
the Tabernacle.
On the Sabbath of Ki Tisa, we
are awaken to the understanding that there was no negativity in the sin of the
Golden Calf. If we view sin for what it is, it is to show us what our faults
are and what we need to fix in order to take advantage of the Tabernacle.
Just like there is nothing
called darkness, it cannot be measured, darkness exist because there is only a
lack or absent of Light.
At the moment we achieve
perfection, or the complete light, we will be able to look back on all our
failure during our spiritual journey, and realize that they were not that bad
after all, that all the mistake we have made, were the tools essential for our
perfection. When we are building a house we need scaffolding, when the house is
finish we get rid of the scaffolding.
This Torah Portion teaches us
that it is forbidden to count the Hebrew people in the ordinary manner, and
when it is necessary to conduct a census in the Wilderness, the people rich or
poor alike, were called upon to contribute half a shekel each, for the
construction of and upkeep of the Tabernacle.
The status of Yisrael is
elevated by its contribution to charity, and this is why they were counted by
having the entire nation join in contributing to a sacred cause. The literal
meaning of the commandment in verse 12 indicates this concept.
When you elevate the heads of
the Children of Yisrael, implying that the function of these contributions was
not only to facilitate a census and to provide for the Tabernacle, but also to
raise the spiritual profile of the contributors.
The equal participation of all
the people symbolizes that all Hebrews must share in achieving the national
goals, that everyone should pass through the census by giving up his selfish,
personal interests for the sake of the nation. One who does so gains infinite
benefit, because the mission of Yisrael is dependent on the unity of the whole
community.
This Torah Portion also speaks
in terms of atonement that is achieved by the participation in this half shekel
assessment. There is great power in the unity of a nation or people as they
strive towards a common goal. When anyone joins in a constructive cause, the
spiritual merits of all the individuals become the merit of the whole, as it
were, so that not only their funds, but also their personal attainment come
together to assist one another.
A solitary human being can
seldom survived Divine scrutiny; what person is free of sins and shortcomings?
But when a nation become one, it ascends to higher plane of spirituality,
because all its individual members merge their spiritual virtues with one
another. As a result, the national collective is judge far more
compassionately. This is why it is so important to pray with a quorum, rather
than individually.
The word terumoh, or portion,
is mention three times in the next five verses, this describe three separate
gifts of silver. Two of which were required gifts of half a Shekel each, and
the third was a voluntary contribution of any amount of silver. The two
compulsory gifts were an annual contribution to cover the cost of all communal Temple offering, and a
one-time contribution of silver for the sockets upon which the walls of the
Tabernacle rested. The voluntary gift was apart of the general contributions
for the construction of the Tabernacle and its utensils.
The compulsory gifts are
further illustrations of the theme discussed above: Everyone, whatever his
social or economic status, had to be an equal partner in the Tabernacle that
existed to bring together EL YAHVEH and His people, and in the offering that
represented the nation in achieving that paramount goal.
The annual half shekel gift
paid for the communal offering were collected during the month of Adar the
twelve month, so that the funds would be ready in time for the month of Nissan,
New year. Consequently, this chapter was read in synagogues the Sabbath before
Rosh Chodesh Adar, a practice that is still followed in commemoration of the
Commandment to participate in the offering.
Exo
30:11 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying, -
Exo 30:12 “When you take the census of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to register them,
then each one shall give an atonement for his life to יהוה , when you register them, so that there is no plague
among them when you register them. – When counting them” This phrase is repeated twice in this verse, to
teach that this manner of counting was decreed not only for Moses’ census, but
that it is forbidden for all time to make a head count of the Hebrew people.
King David erred in this
regard, thinking that this passage applied only to Moses. David violates this
prohibition by ordering a regular head-count, a sin for which the nation was
struck by a plague and for which He repented when he realize his error.
Another example of David’s sin
is that it is inconceivable that so great a scholar could have error in the
interpretation of Scripture.
Even though David did used
coins or some other means to avoid a direct count, but he was still punish,
because he did not have a compelling reason to conduct a census.
Exo 30:13 “Everyone among those who are
registered is to give this: half a sheqel according to the sheqel of the
set-apart place, twenty gĕrahs being a sheqel. The half-sheqel is the
contribution to יהוה . – The half shekel was a
specific weight of silver that Torah institute as the standard coinage. The
verse goes on to specify that a full shekel consisted of twenty gerah.
As long as we are in the flesh
we are only at half our potential, for we are both Spirit and flesh. The half
shekel is for the atoning of our flesh, which needs constant restriction.
Exo 30:14 “Everyone passing over to be
registered, from twenty years old and above, gives a contribution to יהוה . – Twenty is the
number of redemption; everyone over the age of redemption is required to pay
this half shekel. Under the age of twenty they would be covered under the
parent’s atonement.
Exo 30:15 “The rich does not give more and the
poor does not give less than half a sheqel, when you give a contribution to יהוה , to make atonement for yourselves. – Regardless of one financial position the price is the same. ½ sheckel
weight of silver is about $11.00 canadian. A sheckel is $ 0.25 and ½ shekel is
about $ 0.13 Canadian. The paying of this 1/2 sheckel every year symbolizes the reduction of out selfish ego every year.
