1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) to tell the Jewish people that they should atone for sinning horribly with the golden calf (see Chapter 32, Verses 1 through 6 which deals with the sin). Hashem tells the Jewish people that they can atone by giving a Ma’cha’tzis Hashekel (a half of a coin called a “shekel”) to the Mishkan (the Tabernacle).
The sage Rebbi Meir tells us that when Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that the Jews can atone by giving a half of a shekel Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand. To help Moshe Rabbeinu understand, Hashem took out a coin of fire from under His throne of honor (His Kisay Hakovod) and showed it to Moshe Rabbeinu. (See Jerusalemite Talmud, Tractate Shekalim, Chapter 1, Halachah 4).
The Weekly Sedra – Parshas Ki Sisa
The Rebbe says:
1. In this week’s Torah portion Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) to tell the Jewish people that they should atone for sinning horribly with the golden calf (see Chapter 32, Verses 1 through 6 which deals with the sin). Hashem tells the Jewish people that they can atone by giving a Ma’cha’tzis Hashekel (a half of a coin called a “shekel”) to the Mishkan (the Tabernacle).
The sage Rebbi Meir tells us that when Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that the Jews can atone by giving a half of a shekel Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand. To help Moshe Rabbeinu understand, Hashem took out a coin of fire from under His throne of honor (His Kisay Hakovod) and showed it to Moshe Rabbeinu. (See Jerusalemite Talmud, Tractate Shekalim, Chapter 1, Halachah 4).
Our Sages explain what exactly Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t understand: Moshe Rabbeinu understood what a half-a-shekel coin was, and he understood that the Jews must give it. Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand how it was possible for the Jewish people to atone for such a grievous sin as the golden calf. And specifically how could the Jewish people atone by giving a half-a-shekel? Therefore Hashem answered Moshe Rabbeinu by taking out a coin of fire from under His throne of honor (His Kisay Hakovod). (See Tractate Chulin, Page 42, Side 1, Tosafos).
2. The Rebbe now inquires as to how Hashem answered Moshe Rabbeinu:
Question: How did Hashem answer Moshe Rabbeinu’s confusion? Moshe Rabbeinu asked “How is it possible for a half-a-shekel coin to atone for the Jewish people’s horrible sin?” and Hashem answers by showing him a fiery coin from under His throne!?
3. The Rebbe now begins to explain by examining Hashem’s answer:
If we look closely at the answer that Hashem gave to Moshe Rabbeinu we will see that the answer is made up of three things: 1) There is a coin. 2) There is fire. 3) There is His throne of honor.
Let’s explain each one:
1) The coin: The difference between coins (money) and objects that are worth money is that coins are equal by everybody and objects are valued differently by every person. One person wants the object very much and is willing to pay a lot for it. Another person doesn’t want the object so much and will pay less. And then there are people who don’t want the object at all and will not pay anything for it. However to every single person a dollar is a dollar. (See Tractate Bava Metzia, Page 44, Side 2).
2) The fire: There are four elements with which the world is made up of. There is fire, water, earth and air. The element of fire has a unique quality which is not found in the other 3 elements; fire travels upward. In fact the nature of Fire to travel upward is so strong that we must find ways to keep the fire down here (you need oil to keep the wick burning).
3) The throne of honor: Hashem’s throne in Hebrew is called the “Kisay Hakovod – the throne of honor”. Therefore we actually have two things here: 1) The throne and 2) honor.
The Hebrew word for throne is “Kisay”. The word “Kisay – throne” comes from the word “Kisoy – covering”. When you put the words “Kisay – literally meaning throne but comes from the word covering” and “Kovod – honor” together, it means that the covering adds honor in Hashem. Just like we see with regards to a king of flesh and blood, when he is sitting on his throne we accord him his due honor.
Question: How does this make sense? How does a covering add honor in Hashem? We see clearly that if a king (of flesh and blood) hides himself he doesn’t get his due honor, only if he reveals himself to the public do the people have a chance to honor him!?
Answer: The Magid of Mezritch answers this question. [For information on who the Magid of Mezritch was go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magid_of_mezritch]. The Magid explains that if Hashem would let all of His light shine freely, creations would not be able to recognize it at all. Since the total shine of Hashem’s light is so great and lofty, creations would not even realize it is there. However when Hashem conceals the part of the light which is higher then the capacity of creations, what’s left is the light which creations can recognize and get affected from. Therefore really Hashem’s covering is the only way he can get honor from creations because the only way creations can feel Hashem’s light at all is if Hashem lowers the intensity of the pure shining light which creations are not capable of feeling. Now the description of Hashem’s throne as “Kisay – the covering” “Hakovod – of honor” makes perfect sense.
The outcome of the above explanation is that Hashem’s “throne of honor” is the place (in the order of events in the creation of the world) where Hashem begins to reveal Himself to creations in a way that creations can recognize Him at all.
4. After the Rebbe has examined and explained the external details of Hashem’s answer, The Rebbe now goes on to explain the internal meaning of the details in Hashem’s answer:
When Hashem reveals Himself in a way that creations can recognize Him from His throne of honor, creations are affected in two ways: 1) The amazing light from Hashem causes creations/people to have an intense longing to leave this physical world and ascend up to Hashem to be unified with Him (called “Ratzoy”). 2) The knowledge that Hashem wants a dwelling place specifically down here in this physical world causes creations/people to have a feeling of being settled and content with staying here in the world which seemingly separates them from Hashem (called “Shoov”).
These two feelings that creations have when Hashem reveals Himself from His throne of honor are represented in the coin and the fire:
The fire represents the feeling of intense longing to go up and be unified with Hashem (Ratzoy). Fire represents the intense longing to go up to Hashem because as we said before the unique nature of fire is to fiercely ascend upwards.
The coin represents the feeling of complacency in being down here in the world which seemingly separates the Jew from his Creator (Shoov). The reason why the coin represents the feeling of being content with staying down here in the physical world is because as we said before coins are equal by everybody. Meaning:
The feeling of intense longing to ascend and be unified with Hashem is different by everybody. Since the longing to ascend is based on a person’s intellect and emotions, and every person has a different amount of intellect and emotions, his longing for Hashem is different.
However the feeling of being content with staying down here in the physical world is equal by everybody. Since the only reason a person is content with staying in this world which seemingly separates him from his Creator is because this is what Hashem wants, and the ability to accept the will of Hashem without understanding it or feeling that it is right is equal by everybody, therefore the feeling of complacency by everybody is equal. And this is why the coin represents the feeling of being content with staying down here in this world.
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5. The Rebbe now finishes off the explanation as to what exactly Hashem’s answer to Moshe Rabbeinu was:
The nature of people is that when we do something that we want to do we have an excitement while doing it. However when we do something only because we are told to do it we do not have excitement while doing it.
Hashem wants us to have an excitement even while we are fulfilling His commandments which we do only because He told us so. And this is represented in Hashem showing a coin of fire: The coin represents things we do only because we are told to do so. The fire represents the excitement we must have while doing them.
Question: How is it possible for someone to have excitement while doing things only because he is told to do them??
Answer: It is true that creations on their own do not have the capability to have excitement while doing things only because they are commanded to do. However with the strength from Hashem we are able to combine these two opposites. And this is represented in (the coin of fire coming from under) the throne of honor: As we said before the throne of honor is the place where Hashem reveals Himself to us in a way which we can handle His light. And from here we have the strength to be able to combine two opposite things- to have excitement while we do things only because we are commanded to do so.
Now we know that the Souls of Israel are carved out from under Hashem’s throne of honor. The source of our Souls is the throne of honor. Therefore when Hashem says that we take the strength to be able to combine two opposite things from His throne of honor, Hashem specifically means that we have the strength from the core (Etzem) of our Soul.
The bottom line: Moshe Rabbeinu’s question was “How is it possible for a half-a-shekel coin to atone for the Jewish people’s horrible sin?”. Hashem answers by showing him a fiery coin from under His throne. Hashem was telling Moshe Rabbeinu “When the Jewish people serve Me by combining opposites, with having excitement while they do My will, because they tapped into the core (Etzem) of their Soul, they will be forgiven”.
The sins that the Jewish people do (Heaven Forbid) only blemish external levels in their connection to Hashem. However the core of a Jew’s soul is always connected to Hashem with a complete unity. Even while a Jew sins (Heaven Forbid) he really totally believes in Hashem.
So Hashem was answering Moshe Rabbeinu that when the Jews sinned with the golden calf it never affected the core connection between Hashem and the Jews. At the core (Etzem) of the Jewish people’s connection with Hashem, NOTHING can get in the way. Therefore when the Jewish people tap into their core every blemish made in the external levels of connection are erased.
6. The obvious lesson for each and every one of us:
A Jew’s core connection with Hashem is ALWAYS perfect. Sometimes we may sin (Heaven Forbid) and we must make sure to clean the dirt off. But that’s exactly it: We are only cleaning the dirt off the core.
How do we clean off the dirt? When we reveal our core connection to Hashem in our actions. How do we reveal our core connection with Hashem? By combining two opposites, by having excitement in fulfilling His commandments.
And when we do this we will be completely cleaned from any blemishes we may have made and Hashem will surely send Moshiach NOW!!!
Translated and adapted by Shalom Goldberg. Taken from Likutei Sichos Chelek Aleph, 1st Sicha.
