Parshat Terumah, (Exodus 27:1-27:8)-1/31/2014

This parshah today focused on the building of the altar in the Tabernacle. What interested me most was how that copper would be overlaid on the horns. Rashi talked about the copper was there to atone for brazenness. So as spectacular one is, they need to tone down and be a "regular person."

This was such a nice compliment to the Shabbat talk tonight by Kabbalah expert Daniel Matt. He spoke of the feminine side of God, Shekhinah. She is identified with the Sabbath Bride. Maybe she is not so bold as Adam's brazenness in disobeying G_d and eating the forbidden fruit. Matt says, “Rabbi El’azar remarks: ‘We do not know who divorced whom: if the blessed Holy One divorced Adam, or not.’”

Now I will look for that side of G_d. I am sometimes brazen. It will be a good practice to watch that. In an interview Daniel Matt wrote, My commentary (printed at the bottom of the page) clarifies the symbolism and the unique terminology, though I here have tried not to be heavy-handed—not to ruin the subtlety and ambiguity of the original. I want to allow and compel you to wrestle with the text.” He talks about not wanting to be “heavy-handed” ... is this another word for brazenness? Is he approaching the Zohar as both a man and a woman?

Perhaps some of the contradictions in G_d's behavior is due to his/hers two sides. We love conditionally and unconditionally. We want to punish, and we want to love, no matter what. In Internal Family Systems Model we see at work many sides of ourselves debating about how we should act.