06 Apr SHEMINI- DON’T GIVE UP!!!
Parashat Shemini tells of the events on the eighth and final day of the Mishkan’s inauguration. For seven days, special sacrifices were offered, and Aharon and his sons – the kohanim – stayed in the area around the Mishkan.
Then, on the eighth day, different special sacrifices were brought, and Aharon began serving as the kohen gadol.
But there was a problem.
As the Midrash tells, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) did not arrive when the people expected. They had done EVERYTHING they were supposed to do. They did everything right. But they didn’t get what they wanted – the revelation of G-d in the Mishkan.
Aharon turned to Moshe and said, “I know why the Shechinah didn’t come. It’s MY FAULT. It’s because Hashem is still angry at me for my role in the sin of the golden calf.”
Moshe prayed to Hashem, and the Shechinah appeared in the form of a fire which came from the heavens and consumed the sacrifices on the mizbe’ah (altar).
Why did Aharon assume that this was his fault? Hashem told Moshe that He forgave the people for the sin of the golden calf. Why would Aharon think that Hashem was still punishing the people?
The answer is that Aharon understood that something changed after the sin of the golden calf.
The Rabbis described G-d at the time of Matan Torah as “a groom going out to greet his bride.” G-d came to the Jewish People to give them the Torah. But then they failed, they worshipped a golden calf. And then everything changed.
From that point on, WE NEED TO GO TO HIM.
Hashem forgave the Jewish People, but He made it that from now on, we need to run after Him. We need to want a relationship with Him. We need to want it DESPERATELY. We need to beg for it. We need to sacrifice for it. We need to make this our highest priority.
This is why our world is never easy. This is why we are going to have problems. This is why things are not always going to be the way we want. This is why we don’t immediately get everything we ask for.
Because Hashem wants us to want Him. He wants us to beg for Him. He wants us to pray, and then, if our wish is not granted, to pray again. And then again. And again.
Aharon knew this. He knew that he was forgiven, but he also knew that things are not going to happen right away, that he needed to continue begging, asking, pleading, and wanting.
If we live with this feeling and this mindset, we can avoid so much frustration and disappointment. We feel aggravated when we assume that things NEED to be a certain way, that we DESERVE to have things the way we want it. When they aren’t, we feel angry, resentful, frustrated and upset.
But we need to realize that the only thing we really need is a relationship with Hashem. And when we have problems, this is an opportunity to turn to Hashem and enhance our relationship.
One of my favorite pesukim is the following pasuk in Tehillim, one which we recite each day in our prayers: קזח†’ה†לא†הוק†ה†לא†הוקו†ךבל†ץמאיו’ – “Yearn for Hashem; strengthen and fortify your heart, and yearn for Hashem.”
This pasuk teaches us what to do when life knocks us down: to be strong, and get right back up. We don’t give up, we don’t lose patience, we don’t lose our composure, we don’t lose hope, and we don’t lose our faith.
If our prayers aren’t answered, we pray again.
If they’re still not answered, we pray again.
And even if they’re still not answered, we continue to pray.
We don’t give up.
We are all “knocked down” during this pandemic. We have all either been personally devastated, or know people who have been devastated. We need to be strong and not give up. We need to continue to pray to Hashem to help us and to help all those who so desperately need help. We need to do the best we can to build a closer relationship with Hashem during this time of grave crisis.
May Hashem lovingly accept our prayers and bring a swift end to this crisis, and may we all emerge from this situation stronger and more resolute in our faith in Hashem and in our love for all our fellow Jews, amen.