Portion 21 Ki Tisa Exodus 30:11-34:34
30:15 We indict our society, not Torah, when we project the head tax onto our nation’s extreme wealth inequality and declare it unjust.
30:32,37 Reminders that we are not to be like gods.
31:12-17 Sabbath instructions for the foremen, Bezalel and Oholiab. Moses is to tell it to all of the Israelites so that they will be able to hold the foremen accountable (in the same way that the instructions for priests are given to all and instructions to Judges in Mishpatim are given to all). Perhaps the intent of the passage is better expressed by “whoever assigns work to be done on the Sabbath day shall be cut off from among the people.” We indict our society, not Torah, when we project Sabbath work restrictions onto our nation, where many people are compelled to work the Sabbath out of economic necessity and fear of loosing their livelihood, and declare them unjust.
32:1-4 The idolatry is not in the desire for or construction of the calf, for this is to replace Moses not YHWH. The idolatry is in the line “for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt.”
32:5 Perhaps Aaron here is trying to move the focus away from Moses and his bullion bovine substitute and back to God.
32:7 God repeats to Moses the idolatry of the people, that they are associating Moses with God.
32:11 Moses assures God that Moses understands that it was God not Moses or any other human who led the people out of Egypt.
32:19 Moses is angry, because the calf and those who made it challenge his authority as the sole intermediary between God and people. Moses feels like the people have been unfaithful to him.
32:20 Moses forces the people to drink the calf, similar to the test, Numbers 5:11-31, that a jealous husband can force his wife to undergo when he suspects her of adultery. Nothing in the text indicates that they failed the test. But Moses remains convinced of the peoples unfaithfulness to him.
32:26-27 God renounced punishment in 32:14. Moses is idolatrously equating his own desire for vengeance with the will of God and imposes his own murderous punishment, in violation of God’s will and the results of the adultery test.
32:31-32 Moses does not recognize his own sin.
32:33 God subtly tells Moses to pay attention to his own sin.
32:35 Are those Levites who carried out Moses’ murderous orders the target of the plague? This would serve the purpose of demonstrating to the people that they are not to treat Moses like a god. God leaves it to the people to teach Moses that Moses is not to think of himself like a god.
33:16 Moses identifies himself with the people instead of with God, thereby winning God’s favor.
33:17 -23 It is only when we identify ourselves with the people without seeking to dominate others that we will see God in our midst.
34:35 Moses, having learned his lesson, veils himself when not teaching the Torah so that people will not associate the pleasure of the radiance with anything else he says or does. Moses’ unique role, requiring him to be the only human permitted to approach the boundary between heaven and earth, is fraught with danger for Moses, who is continuously tempted by godlike power, and for the people, who are continuously tempted to usurp Moses’ power.
30:15 We indict our society, not Torah, when we project the head tax onto our nation’s extreme wealth inequality and declare it unjust.
30:32,37 Reminders that we are not to be like gods.
31:12-17 Sabbath instructions for the foremen, Bezalel and Oholiab. Moses is to tell it to all of the Israelites so that they will be able to hold the foremen accountable (in the same way that the instructions for priests are given to all and instructions to Judges in Mishpatim are given to all). Perhaps the intent of the passage is better expressed by “whoever assigns work to be done on the Sabbath day shall be cut off from among the people.” We indict our society, not Torah, when we project Sabbath work restrictions onto our nation, where many people are compelled to work the Sabbath out of economic necessity and fear of loosing their livelihood, and declare them unjust.
32:1-4 The idolatry is not in the desire for or construction of the calf, for this is to replace Moses not YHWH. The idolatry is in the line “for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt.”
32:5 Perhaps Aaron here is trying to move the focus away from Moses and his bullion bovine substitute and back to God.
32:7 God repeats to Moses the idolatry of the people, that they are associating Moses with God.
32:11 Moses assures God that Moses understands that it was God not Moses or any other human who led the people out of Egypt.
32:19 Moses is angry, because the calf and those who made it challenge his authority as the sole intermediary between God and people. Moses feels like the people have been unfaithful to him.
32:20 Moses forces the people to drink the calf, similar to the test, Numbers 5:11-31, that a jealous husband can force his wife to undergo when he suspects her of adultery. Nothing in the text indicates that they failed the test. But Moses remains convinced of the peoples unfaithfulness to him.
32:26-27 God renounced punishment in 32:14. Moses is idolatrously equating his own desire for vengeance with the will of God and imposes his own murderous punishment, in violation of God’s will and the results of the adultery test.
32:31-32 Moses does not recognize his own sin.
32:33 God subtly tells Moses to pay attention to his own sin.
32:35 Are those Levites who carried out Moses’ murderous orders the target of the plague? This would serve the purpose of demonstrating to the people that they are not to treat Moses like a god. God leaves it to the people to teach Moses that Moses is not to think of himself like a god.
33:16 Moses identifies himself with the people instead of with God, thereby winning God’s favor.
33:17 -23 It is only when we identify ourselves with the people without seeking to dominate others that we will see God in our midst.
34:35 Moses, having learned his lesson, veils himself when not teaching the Torah so that people will not associate the pleasure of the radiance with anything else he says or does. Moses’ unique role, requiring him to be the only human permitted to approach the boundary between heaven and earth, is fraught with danger for Moses, who is continuously tempted by godlike power, and for the people, who are continuously tempted to usurp Moses’ power.
posted by ross at 12:20 AM
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