Skipping Stones

#kitisa #sefershemot #exodus #parshatkitisa #skippingstones #parable

There is so much good and beauty in Parshat Ki Tisa. The artistry of Betzalel and Ohaliab are noted, the holy sabbath is described and we have an unforgettable and mystical scene where Moshe asks to see God. This final piece of Parshat Ki Tisa comes only after the incident of The Golden Calf with Moses begging for forgiveness for this people who grievously erred.

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for we do not know what has happened to Moses—the man who brought us from the land of Egypt.”

Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

And all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a molten calf. And they exclaimed, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron announced: “Tomorrow shall be a festival of GOD!”

Early next day, the people offered up burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; they sat down to eat and drink, and then rose to dance.

GOD spoke to Moses, “Hurry down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted basely.

Exodus 30:1-7

The Golden Calf and the incident of the spies, coming later in Parshat Shelach, two mistakes that continued to ripple with consequences throughout Torah.

We all make mistakes. Each of us, even the most careful and courteous, will forget or stumble at times. We need to forgive ourselves, but we also to be cautious and self aware, because mistakes can result in changes in relationships, in people's perceptions of us, and in changes in an ecosystem, and perhaps, more germane, in the continued history of a nation. One misstep leads to another, or in the case of the parable below, perhaps one ripple leads to another.

May we live and learn from our mistakes and make our decisions judiciously.

Leann

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Skipping Stones

At a certain point in our lives

we learn how to skip stones.

Perhaps we are mere children,

learning from our parents,

or perhaps we learn as adults

when we approach a still pond

one long afternoon.

The stone, 

ah, the stone,

must be smooth,

and flat,

cradled in the hand,

it must feel just right.

There's just the right angle to throw;

a swift turn of the wrist

and a flick;

with just the right amount of force 

the stone will

sail...

It is the one who wields the stone,

who holds power in his hands.

He stands in concentration

before the stone is released into the air,

and before it soars.

Before it makes its first bounce,

and then another and another,

the stone thrower

anticipates the ripples it will cause;

holding his breath to see if has succeeded

and he delights

when he the sees the first ripple on the quiet

surface of the water 

Oh, how those ripples spread,

within seconds 

the lake, so placid,

a smooth mirror covering the mystery of what lies below

is struck.

The first small hit lasts but a fraction of a second

and like the spark that causes a wildfire

the ripples rhythmically spread like a flame on water

from the point of contact to each shore.

.

The stone thrower doesn’t see,

or maybe doesn't notice

or doesn't wish to notice

the school of tiny fish who swim beneath the surface

swiftly swim away,

nor does he seem to note the turtles

warming themselves in the sun,

who submerge beneath the waters.

He never pays heed to the bird above

who sees with keen eyes what swims below.

The stone thrower misses this and more

and is mesmerized by the ripples spread across

the surface of the water.

As the stone thrower walks away

 just a few moments after the last flat stone skipped across the water, 

the ripples and stones are forgotten,

the lake once again calmy mirrors the sky above,

but we, far from that pebbled shore,

know one thing for sure, 

that no matter how small the ripple,

once the stone is tossed,

the placid lake is changed,

changed forevermore.

There is no going back once that first stone is thrown.

  וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב הָעָם֙ לֶֽאֱכֹ֣ל

וְשָׁת֔וֹ וַיָּקֻ֖מוּ לְצַחֵֽק׃ 

Exodus 32:6