bds@homxa.UUCP (B.STERMAN) (02/24/85)
This past week we read parashat Terumah. There is an interesting medrash there that is relevant to the current time of year (Purim) and to the current tone of the net postings. If I may. " Another view, 'Take for me a portion', this is what is said 'choose a name rather than riches'. Choose the name of Moshe rather than the riches of Korach...,choose the name Pinchas rather than the riches of Zimri..., choose the name Mordechai rather than the name Haman " There are a number of difficulties arising from this Medrash. Why of all the stories in Tanach, are these three chosen? What do they have in common, and what is the medrash trying to tell us about them? Also, the Medrash is usually troubled by some literary obscurity in the text, so what does this all have to do with 'viyikchu li terumeh'? In each of these cases, Moshe vs Korach, Pinchas vs Zimri, and Mordechai vs Haman, the hero is placed in a dubious moral situation where an objective viewer might justifiably side against the hero. Korach's objection to the political structure of the desert society was perhaps a valid one. His call for social reform "madua titnaseu al kehal hashem", was not entirely irrational. In fact, when Korach pointed out that Moshe, who assumed office without election, might have been motivated by personal ambition rather than concern for the community, Moshe could only respond in one way. "vayipol moshe al panav". 'God, you know my motives and that is all that matters.' Pinchas as well, committed a heinous offense. How dare he take the law into his own hands and execute his personal brand of justice? The Medrash explains that the Sanhedrin wanted to kill him for his deeds. "vayaamod pinchas vayephallel". In such a situation Pinchas' only recourse was to turn to God for strength in the knowledge that at least his acts were ultimately justified. God's judgement alone is important. The story of Mordechai also reflects this type of moral dialectic. His stubborn determination in refusing to honor the king's official resulted in the threatened extinction of the Persian Jewish community. Were I to find myself in a similar predicament, my response would probably be to bow down and accept the responsibility for my actions, and commit a personal crime against God, that the rest of the nation might survive. This is perhaps the reason why I am not the hero in any Meggilah. Mordechai understood the need to uphold a higher standard of morality and be consistent despite the ramifications. Nonetheless, between the time of Haman's decree to slaughter the Jews and its eventual revocation, Mordechai's conscience must have been brutally pained. "umordechai yada et kol asher naasah vayilbash sak vaefer". His solace, if any came, from his belief that God knew and understood. Judaism feels that a name is more significant than does Shakespeare. The name reflects one's essence, one's core. A change of name in the bible signifies that the individual's fundamental personality is altered. God's name is holy because it somehow expresses what God is, and so He is referred to simply as 'The Name'. Psychologically, a person responds on a different level to his name than he does to anything else. Say fire to someone asleep and they will barely role over, but whisper their name and they will probably respond. Wealth, on the other hand, is an external, and heavily bound up in the way others perceive you. It is an artificial determinant of value. The Medrash is trying to explain that it is more important to be true to what you are than to let temporal variables influence your priorities. The stories of Moshe, Mordechai, and Pinchas are all examples of people who were able to see beyond the transient, and act on principles that came from deep inside. The villains, despite their claims of lofty motives, prove upon closer examination to be nothing more than self serving rationalizers devoted to their own interests. Unfortunately, sometimes only God sees the difference. There is one word in the text "veyikchu li teruma" that is awkward. 'Take for me a portion'. The word "li" is superfluous. From the context we realize that the donations are for the sanctuary which is ultimately for God. The Medrash is sensitive to this and is therefore moved to explain that when one gives, God is not concerned with how much or what he gives. All that is important is that it be given One of the most important things in Judaism is the notion of 'ahavat yisroel'. This time of year especially, unity is crucial. It is impossible to approach pesach and the season where thoughts turn to hopes of redemption, if we are busy infighting. The past few weeks, reading the net has been like watching the Democratic convention. The point I would like to make is that none of us know what the point is. Maybe the determination of one's religious worth should be left up to God. We all have our own ideas, and that's good, but too many times we engage in personal condemnation based on those views. It appears to me, that if the readers and writers of the net are not homogeneous in there opinions, they are, at least, sincere. So let's keep that in mind. Chag sameach - a very happy purim to all. Baruch ihnp4!homxa!bds