Babylon you goin down down…

In a section titled: “Lift Up”, we learn of the lowest point in our peoples history. Odd.

When banished from Eden the world was perfect no more and bliss was a commodity few could afford. Our global state returned to a level of wholeness after the giving of the Torah – only to be brought down again by the sin of the golden calf. {There is so much to be said on this topic, so forgive me for taking but one road. If the scholars throughout time could reflect upon this instance, then you too are welcome to question the bastards amongst Israel… but I beg of you to find answers of sin, rather then reasons} The mistaken conviction of a few has stained the rest of us and our Rabbi’s have taught that only once Moshiach arrives will Mr. Clean do the job.

Believe me; it is difficult to abbreviate here the teachings from R’ Akiva – Zohar and all those in-between that explain this degradation with a depth beyond. Allow me to briefly share a lesson that will take us from the Beginning (Garden of Eden) to the Eternal (Garden of Moshiach).

Our Sages relate that the entire purpose of the sin of the Golden Calf was to allow for the potential of teshuvah – return.

This ragged people, torn from a bondage that had become natural, expected, witnessed the greatest miracles G-d has dealt. The journey towards Torah was a chaotic one. The giving of the Torah was a sensation never known to man – how would you react? And when the only tangible symbol of truth-future-light (Moses) disappeared from them (he was to be back 40 days later, the Jews erred in their counting and the Angel of death showed them a vision of a dead Moses) they reacted … with emotion.

G-d desires that we serve Her. G-d demands that we follow a recipe. What happens when we create our own version of how things ought to be? To whom are we serving, ourselves or our make shift gods? But wait. Before you scream “conformist”, check out what the golden cow fools did for us: Moses smashed the tablets that G-d wrote… after praying on behalf of the Jewish people he returned on Yom Kippur with a new set, written by Moses. Although not as lofty as the stone of G-d, this stoner was made by man. Imperfect man. And G-d gave Moses a new face, a light shown from his brow so bright that he actually had to cover his face when not teaching Torah. What makes the 2nd Tablets superior? What makes the Baal Teshuva (master of return, 2nd shot) higher?

And here it is, the answer — Yay you got the Torah, but you got it without working. Your appreciation waned and you resorted back to the ways of your task master. You dropped the ball and the game seemed over… Through the second giving we are actually able to make a change through our own freakin’ hands. Your work, my work brings difference in this world that would not exist if there was only righteousness. The sins of our brothers in the desert have allowed us to find diamonds in the dirt… poor folk have to dig.

We must add: do not say “Ok then I shall be the evil that others must counter balance”. No, the evil is. No more is necessary. Rather, we are the workers. The virtuous slaves who relish in their task of making this world a heaven on earth. Thank you golden calf boys for the chance to be better.

ùáòéí ôðéí ìúåøä Seventy Flavors to Torah… e-mail for the flavor of your choice. Shabbat Shalom!