It was like a breath of fresh air, albeit of the Martian variety when we heard that Perseverance, NASA's $2.7 billion 'rover' had landed successfully inside the Jezero Crater on 18th February. Through all the gloom of Covid19, we could focus our minds, albeit temporarily on another news-story. We waited for the first photographs to arrive from across the universe and twenty-four later, my WhatsApp proudly showed me the very first image received from our mechanical buddy, bearing the legend: "First Photo They Received From Mars".
Endurance had captured the red planet's rocky surface in all its glory and there, nestled in full view was...a Chabad House! Of course it was, because Chabad 'refreshes the parts that no other organisation can reach'.
Yes, it was a joke and a good one at that, but behind the humour, there was a salient fact, that somehow, the Jewish Nation manages, through sheer chutzpah to punch 'far above our weight' and we've been doing this for a very, very long time.
Who cannot be extraordinarily proud of Israel's extraordinary successes in managing to vaccinate millions of people in record-breaking time? She is leading the world in this respect, followed hotly on its heels by this country. The numbers vaccinated in both countries are frankly staggering and the envy of the world over.
I make no apologies for Israel's success but then again, I'm not surprised. We have 'tenure' in showing our Gentile neighbours how to behave. A great deal of tenure.
Endurance had captured the red planet's rocky surface in all its glory and there, nestled in full view was...a Chabad House! Of course it was, because Chabad 'refreshes the parts that no other organisation can reach'.
Yes, it was a joke and a good one at that, but behind the humour, there was a salient fact, that somehow, the Jewish Nation manages, through sheer chutzpah to punch 'far above our weight' and we've been doing this for a very, very long time.
Who cannot be extraordinarily proud of Israel's extraordinary successes in managing to vaccinate millions of people in record-breaking time? She is leading the world in this respect, followed hotly on its heels by this country. The numbers vaccinated in both countries are frankly staggering and the envy of the world over.
I make no apologies for Israel's success but then again, I'm not surprised. We have 'tenure' in showing our Gentile neighbours how to behave. A great deal of tenure.
Through the centuries, our nation has faced many existential threats, the first of which I discussed last week, when we recounted the shocking episode of the Golden Calf.
It seemed that despite His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our newly minted independence was not going to make its way out of the desert. Had Moses not intervened and pleaded with Gd on our behalf, our life on this planet would have been extinguished long before mankind sought to explore other worlds.
Gd relented and forgave the Israelites and then the most unexpected event occurred.
Over the last month, we have been reading through the detailed description which began with these words:
It seemed that despite His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our newly minted independence was not going to make its way out of the desert. Had Moses not intervened and pleaded with Gd on our behalf, our life on this planet would have been extinguished long before mankind sought to explore other worlds.
Gd relented and forgave the Israelites and then the most unexpected event occurred.
Over the last month, we have been reading through the detailed description which began with these words:
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃ (ג) וְזֹאת֙ הַתְּרוּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּקְח֖וּ מֵאִתָּ֑ם זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (ד) וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃ (ה) וְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאָדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים׃ (ו) שֶׁ֖מֶן לַמָּאֹ֑ר בְּשָׂמִים֙ לְשֶׁ֣מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָ֔ה וְלִקְטֹ֖רֶת הַסַּמִּֽים׃ (ז) אַבְנֵי־שֹׁ֕הַם וְאַבְנֵ֖י מִלֻּאִ֑ים לָאֵפֹ֖ד וְלַחֹֽשֶׁן׃ (ח) וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
(1) The Lord spoke to Moshe, saying,"Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me; take My offering from all whose heart moves them to give. These are the offerings you shall receive from them: gold, silver and bronze....They shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst."
The master craftsmen who were individually appointed by Gd to carry out the intricate work were Betzalel and his aid, Oholiov. The Torah tells us in the first of this week's sidrot of Vayakhel that:
(ג) וַיִּקְח֞וּ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֤ת כָּל־הַתְּרוּמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵבִ֜יאוּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לִמְלֶ֛אכֶת עֲבֹדַ֥ת הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ לַעֲשֹׂ֣ת אֹתָ֑הּ וְ֠הֵם הֵבִ֨יאוּ אֵלָ֥יו ע֛וֹד נְדָבָ֖ה בַּבֹּ֥קֶר בַּבֹּֽקֶר׃
(3) From Moshe they received all the offerings the Israelites had brought for the work of the sanctuary. and the people kept bringing them additional gifts every morning.
The people were so generous to the extent that we are told in verse 5 that they:
(ה) וַיֹּאמְרוּ֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה לֵּאמֹ֔ר מַרְבִּ֥ים הָעָ֖ם לְהָבִ֑יא מִדֵּ֤י הָֽעֲבֹדָה֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה' לַעֲשֹׂ֥ת אֹתָֽהּ׃
(5) said to Moshe, “The people are bringing more than is necessary for the work that Gd has commanded us to do. So Moshe ordered an announcement to be made throughout the camp, "Let no man or woman make anything more as an offering for the sanctuary." So the people brought no more; for what they had already had was more than enough for all the work that was to be done.
A key concept in our faith is the idea that we have a duty to sanctify Gd's name to the nations of the world and do everything we can to avoid desecrating it. These two ideas are known as Kiddush and Chillul Hashem.
The origin of the latter can be found in a number of verses in the Torah such as Leviticus 22.32:
The origin of the latter can be found in a number of verses in the Torah such as Leviticus 22.32:
(לב) וְלֹ֤א תְחַלְּלוּ֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם קָדְשִׁ֔י וְנִ֨קְדַּשְׁתִּ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֥י ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃
(32) You shall not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people—I the LORD who sanctify you,
Can you think of a greater Kiddush Hashem than the people making so many contributions to the building of the Tabernacle, that they are asked to cease from doing so. It is diametrically the opposite of the Chillul Hashem perpetrated through the building of the Golden Calf.
We have tenure when it comes to showing the world how to behave when we demonstrate the very best of what we can achieve, both as a small community in the United Kingdom and a nation who 'kvells' every time Israel sends her citizens abroad to offer vital humanitarian aid during natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding. Israel is always there. The Jewish people are always on hand to help.
The Mishkan, the Tabernacle, is very much on our minds as it is exactly during this week that Moses prepared the structure for its inauguration which took place this evening, on Rosh Nisan, the first day of the month which will begin as soon as Shabbat ends.
For seven days, from 23rd Adar, the Mishkan was erected and dismantled on a daily basis for a week of 'training' whilst Moses took on the role of the Cohen Gadol, the High Priest, initiating his brother and his four sons into the ritual of the priesthood.
On the Rosh Chodesh, it was assembled for use (until Gd instructed the people to decamp) and thus began the twelve days of bringing gifts by the princes of the Tribes which are described so beautifully in the Sidra of Naso.
This entire episode, bringing tribes together with brothers working in harmony is the ultimate expression of what Kiddush Hashem looks like.
For seven days, from 23rd Adar, the Mishkan was erected and dismantled on a daily basis for a week of 'training' whilst Moses took on the role of the Cohen Gadol, the High Priest, initiating his brother and his four sons into the ritual of the priesthood.
On the Rosh Chodesh, it was assembled for use (until Gd instructed the people to decamp) and thus began the twelve days of bringing gifts by the princes of the Tribes which are described so beautifully in the Sidra of Naso.
This entire episode, bringing tribes together with brothers working in harmony is the ultimate expression of what Kiddush Hashem looks like.
Chabad may not have made it to Mars quite yet, but the spirit that they and many other Jews exhibit is built from the same material as that which caused a people who had sunk to such a low level, reach the dizzying heights described above.
When we show the world what it can achieve, whether through the extraordinary communities we establish around the world or the miracle that is our wonderful State of Israel, we remind them that we can be a dazzling 'light to the nations' even if it seems as though darkness has taken over.
To infinity and beyond!
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov - a happy and healthy new month.
When we show the world what it can achieve, whether through the extraordinary communities we establish around the world or the miracle that is our wonderful State of Israel, we remind them that we can be a dazzling 'light to the nations' even if it seems as though darkness has taken over.
To infinity and beyond!
Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov - a happy and healthy new month.