The Broad Strokes of Exodus

With The reading of Parashat Pekudei, we complete the Book of Shemot (Exodus). An analysis of the themes of Shemot leads us to discern several levels, which are complementary, rather than mutually exclusive.

In broad strokes, we can say that Shemot presents three major topics: redemption, revelation and sanctuary. The early parashot deal with the enslavement in Egypt and the exodus (hence the English name of the Book of Shemot). Shemot then describes God’s revelation at Mount Sinai, when He gave the Torah to the People of Israel, who accepted, saying in unison “na’aseh v’nishma” (we will do and listen). Shemot concludes with the donations to and erection of the Tabernacle.

My father pointed out that these topics are directly related to, and dependent upon, each other. Freedom was the necessary prerequisite to be able to accept the Torah and live by God’s laws, because one who is not free can neither assume nor discharge responsibilities.

On the other hand, freedom has little, if any, value unless one assumes responsibility. As our Sages taught “none is free, save he who deals with Torah;” thus, redemption was not an end in itself, but rather the means for bringing the Children of Israel to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah.

Although the revelation at Mount Sinai gave meaning to the redemption, it also was not an end in itself. The ideal of Torah is building a better society and bringing salvation to mankind as a whole, through sanctifying our daily lives and all our actions. Building the Tabernacle represented the place from which Godliness would radiate to inspire, sanctify and spiritually elevate the people towards completion of the goal of the revelation.

On another plane, Shemot deals with each of the three spheres of sanctity Judaism recognizes: of time, of place and of man.

God specifically gave the first mitzva Israel received as a people, sanctifying the month [Exodus 12:1ff], in anticipation of, and preparation for, the exodus from Egypt, since time has meaning only to free people. A slave’s time is not his, but his master’s. Only a free person can use time, for good or for bad.

A large portion of Shemot, the parashot which deal with the Tabernacle, is devoted to the sanctity of place. Rashi, on the second verse of  Parashat vaYakhel [35:2], comments that Moses  mentioned the law of Shabbat prior to his appeal for the building of the tabernacle to stress that building the tabernacle does not override Shabbat, essentially teaching that the sanctity of time takes precedence over the sanctity of place. Yet, the sanctity of man overrides Shabbat, for even if there is only a possibility of saving a life, the prohibitions of Shabbat are waived. Thus, we conclude that the sanctity of man is the highest level of holiness.

The Holy One, blessed be He, who is the source of all sanctity, endowed every human with a special sanctity by creating them in His image. Nonetheless, Israel’s unique sanctity, which we received when we accepted Torah at the foot of Mount Sinai, exceeds that of the other nations of the world, and therefore is the highest level of sanctity.

Because God endowed Israel with power over the sanctity of time, when the Sanhedrin (the supreme religious court) existed, the new month was sanctified not by the appearance of the new moon, but only as a result of the judges’ proclamation that the month had begun. Thus, Israel’s sanctity which allows the sanctification of time is recognized in the blessing on the holidays, “Blessed are You God, Who has sanctified Israel and time.”

On an additional level, the themes of Shemot correspond to our Sages’ statement [Ethics of the Fathers 1:2]: “Upon three things does the world stand: upon Torah, upon avoda (service) and upon g’milut hassadim (acts of kindness):” Torah which Israel accepted at Sinai, avoda, dealt with in the parashot of the Tabernacle, and g’milut hassadim contained both in the laws governing relations between fellow-men [Parashat Mishpatim] and in the mitzva of contributing to the Tabernacle, the paradigm for giving charity.

May we be privileged to see the full realization of each of the themes of Shemot.