PLACING THE THRONE
This week’s Parsha, Ki Sisa, opens with HaShem instructing Moshe to count the Jewish people. However, instead of counting each person directly, he is instructed to collect a half shekel from each member and then count the shekalim, thereby indicating the number of people. The reason for this unique method is “that there should be no plague when the people are counted.” The implication is that there would be a plague if the people were counted directly. Why? If there is a mitzvah to be counted why should they be subject to a plague?
The very first words a Jew says upon awakening is “I am indebted to You, Sovereign of the Universe, for returning my soul back to me even though I do not deserve it. How great is Your trust!” Behold! Every Jew recognizes his undeservedness to have his soul returned! Why do we not deserve our soul?
Of course the answer is simple – what did we do to deserve it in the first place? Our every moment of life is a gift. Even if we do nothing wrong and do everything right, HaShem does not owe us anything. We are the ones who owe everything to Him.
All that said, there is still something that makes us worthy of life – being a member of the Jewish people. Perhaps we do not deserve it, nevertheless, our life brings value to the HaShem’s Universe. HaShem made this Universe as a place where He can rest His Presence or His Shechina. That Shechina needs a seat, or perhaps a Throne. That Throne is exactly the role that we, His people, play. We are the nation that provides a place for HaShem’s Throne to exist in this world. This placement of this Throne requires the entire nation, it cannot be placed on specific individuals even if those individuals are great tzadikim.
One more note before we get back to the count. Every single Jew has their role in the nation. No Jew is redundant. Just as in the Sefer Torah one letter cannot be missing, so too, the nation is incomplete when one member is missing. This means that even if a single person may be unworthy of life, nevertheless, inasmuch as they play a critical role in the formation of our people, they are needed for the maintenance of HaShem’s Universe – they serve as the support for His Throne.
When people are counted directly each person is viewed in isolation as a unique number and they become detached from the unit. Even though it is in the service of a mitzvah, nevertheless, they are no longer seen in the context of the national unit, rather as individuals. They are therefore subject to plague, Heaven forbid, because there are few people that can claim their right to life on their own merit. We all need to view ourselves in the context of the nation to secure our worthiness to life.
Later in the Parsha the Torah teaches us the recipe for the k’tores (the incense), which is the holiest of all the offerings brought in the Mishkan. It is made of 11 ingredients. With one exception they are all pleasant smelling spices. The chelbena, however, was foul smelling. The Talmud learns from the k’tores “that a union of Jews that does not include the sinners of our people is not considered a union.” Just as the k’tores was rendered invalid without the inclusion of the chelbena so too anytime there is an exclusion, that union remains incomplete.
One might think that it is better to have a limited set of some Jews that are all righteous than having an unlimited set of all Jews if it is a mixture of righteous and unrighteous. The k’tores teaches us the fallacy of this thinking. The reason it is wrong is because HaShem’s Throne needs a complete nation upon which to rest even if it is not perfect. In fact, when all Jews are included the righteous will lift the unrighteous just as the 10 ingredients lifted the chelbena and our people will be complete and the Throne will be in place.
Have a very safe and a very wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind