Shabbat Shalom

by Rabbi Jon Adland

March 5, 2010, Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35), 19 Adar 5770

There is a moment in this week's Torah portion that I have always felt to be one of the most spiritual moments in the Torah. After the incident of the Golden Calf, the following is written: And Adonai said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by name."He said,"Oh, let me behold Your Presence!" And God answered, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name Adonai, and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show. But, "God said, "you cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live." And Adonai said, "See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock and, as My Presence passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen."

Moses is alone on this cleft of the rock. What is it that Moses feels since he can't really see? What does it mean when God passes God's presence by Moses? I get this feeling of a Moses enveloped by God, but what does this mean? Does Moses get a deeper understanding of God? Do they share something that is indescribable? Moses never shares this experience with Israelite people or his brother Aaron or even his father-in-law Jethro. This is a moment between the human Moses and the divine God. In truth, even when reading the text we are only told that it is going to happen, but not that it actually happens. We just assume, but the event must have been so overwhelming that Moses couldn't write about it or just chose not to as it was between God and Moses.

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