27 Feb PARASHAT KI TISA: THE SANCTITY OF EVERY JEW

The Torah in
Parashat Ki-Tisa
reiterates the
command to observe
Shabbat, explaining that Shabbat
makes us realize “Ki Ani Hashem
Mekadishchem” – “that I am the G-d
who makes you sacred” (31:13).
Somehow, the institution of Shabbat
demonstrates that Hashem has made
us a sacred nation. In what way does
Shabbat show us our sanctity?
The Or Ha’haim (Rav Haim Ben-Attar,
1696-1743) explains by making a
simple calculation. Rashi writes that the
Torah reiterates the Misva of Shabbat in
this context, immediately following the
commands regarding the construction
of the Mishkan, to teach that the work
to build the Mishkan is suspended on
Shabbat. As vitally important as the
Mishkan is, and as much as Beneh
Yisrael were to work on this project
with zeal and energy, the Shabbat
restrictions override the construction of
the Mishkan, and so the work came to a

halt when Shabbat began. he Mishkan
is exceedingly sacred, but the day of
Shabbat is even more sacred than the
Mishkan. And yet, although Shabbat is
exceptionally sacred – holier even than
the Mishkan – there is something even
more sacred than Shabbat: a Jew. As
we know, the Shabbat prohibitions are
overridden for the sake of saving the
life of even a single Jew, regardless of
who he or she is. When any Jew’s life
is potentially threatened, we may – and
must – violate Shabbat to protect that
Jew.
It emerges, then, that the Mishkan is
very sacred – but Shabbat is even more
sacred than the Mishkan, and a Jew is
even more sacred than Shabbat.
This, the Or Ha’haim writes, is the
meaning of the phrase, “La’da’at Ki
Ani Hashem Mekadishchem,” which
establishes that Shabbat observance
demonstrates that Hashem has made
us sacred. After commanding Beneh
Yisrael to build the Mishkan, G-d
reminds us that as holy as the Mishkan

is, every Jew is considerably holier
than the Mishkan – as evidenced by
the fact that Shabbat overrides the
construction of the Mishkan, and
the life of a single Jew overrides the
prohibitions of Shabbat.
There was a Hassidic Rebbe who
had the practice during weddings
to spread his arms and bow on
the dancefloor as the men were
dancing. When he was asked about
this seemingly peculiar practice, he
explained that he was not bowing,
but rather immersing. Every Jew
is sacred, and when Jews assemble
together, they create an entity so
pristine and pure that it resembles a
Mikveh, which brings purity. And so
on the dancefloor, this Rebbe would
“immerse” to attain purity from this
sacred entity.
Every time we see a Jew, we must
recognize that we are beholding
Kedusha, that we are in the presence
of something more sacred than the
Bet Ha’mikdash, and more sacred

than Shabbat. While we might be very
different from this Jew, and we might
have strong disagreements with him
or her, or may even have reason to be
upset with that person, nevertheless, we
must appreciate the holiness within this
individual, and within each and every
one of our fellow Jews. Recognizing
the Kedusha of every Jew can help
us transcend our differences and
disagreements, and live together in
peace and harmony as G-d wants us to.