Parshat Ki Tisa is nestled within the guidelines for building the Mishkan, a placement which might seem out of place both contextually and chronologically.
The opening verses of this portion depict Am Yisrael approaching Aaron and requesting to build a God: “Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for that fellow Moses – the man who brought us from the land of Egypt – we do not know what has happened to him” (Exodus 32:1). They proceed to generously donate from their personal jewellery and possessions to construct their new God and leader.
The context of the Golden Calf is rather intriguing. It follows the exodus from Egypt and the Matan Torah, the receiving of the Torah, momentous events in the founding of the Jewish nation. Why, then, would they be seeking a god, having just witnessed the revelation at Mount Sinai? Had they not “witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking” (Exodus 20:15)?
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According to Rashi, chronologically, the instruction to build the Mishkan occurs after the sin of the Golden Calf. In both instances, the people of Israel unite as a group to strive for spiritual intimacy. They give of themselves, their time and their possessions, but it is the collective group effort that enables the theoretical plan to become a reality.
One of Moshe’s responses to the Golden Calf was to relocate the Ohel Moed – the Tent of Meeting – outside the camp, as if to create a barrier between the people and God, to prevent the sin from recurring. Perhaps Parshat Teruma can offer us a different approach – the rectification of the sin of the Golden Calf is through uniting and actively directing our actions according to God’s command to build the Tabernacle, thereby fulfilling the goal of “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).
In recent months we have witnessed the tremendous mobilisation of the Jewish world towards supporting and assisting Israel and those affected by the war. It is heartwarming and invigorating to witness participate in these initiatives, a reminder that we are strongest when we unite together.
This unity, in both spirit and action, reminds me of the construction of the Mishkan. Just as the Shechina dwelled amongst us through the rectification of the Golden Calf, may our current collaborative efforts lead to the dwelling of the Shecina and the continuous, blessed unity of Am Yisrael.
