Ki Tisa – כִּי תִשָּׂא (Exodus 30:11−34:35)

Parsha Ki Tisa – כִּי תִשָּׂא Torah Summary:

Moses takes a census of the Israelites and collects a half-shekel from each person (30:11-16) God tells Moses to construct a water basin and to prepare anointing oil and incense for the ordination of the priests. Bezalel and Oholiab, skilled artisans, are assigned to make objects for the priests and the Tabernacle. (30:17-31:11) The Israelites are instructed to keep Shabbat as a sign of their covenant with God. God gives Moses the two tablets of the Pact. (31:12-18) The Israelites ask Aaron to build them a Golden Calf. Moses implores God not to destroy the people and then breaks the two tablets of the Pact on which the Ten Commandments are written when he sees the idol. God punishes the Israelites by means of a plague. (32:1-35) Moses goes up the mountain with a blank set of tablets for another 40 days so that God will again inscribe the Ten Commandments. Other laws, including the edict to observe the Pilgrimage Festivals, are also revealed. (34:1-28) Moses comes down from the mountain with a radiant face. (34:29-35) Ki Tisa – כִּי תִשָּׂא Ki Tisa: The Gift of Shabbat By Cantor Lauren Adesnik Moses is communing with God over 40 days and 40 nights at Mt. Sinai. One of the most pivotal moments in Moses and God’s spiritual connection occurs at God’s declaration that the People of Israel shall observe Shabbat and that this observance will serve as the symbol of the holy relationship between God and the People of Israel forever. In this parsha, this declaration later forms a central part of our Shabbat liturgy: V’shamru. Ki Tisa teaches us that Shabbat is an anchor in our chaotic world. From the inception of our Jewish heritage, Shabbat has been the focal point defining our sacred time. According to S.A. Taub of Modzhitz, a Hasidic teacher in Poland, Shabbat is intentionally mentioned twice in this parsha to emphasize that Shabbat is about being and doing. Shabbat is both a state of being and an existence that has to be actively pursued (hence the “doing” part). Not only is it a time for us to rest from the busy schedules of our daily life, but it is also a time to gather as communities and families. Actively gathering together in this way fosters deeper and more meaningful relationships with those we love, with the world, and with God. Take a moment this weekend, and bask in the elevation of holy time. Pick one moment and immerse yourself in it. This is the gift of Shabbat.