Holding aloft the values that form our identity

Who we are as a people begins with what we hold dear and what we truly value.

There are many burdens we carry in this world. The challenge may well be in how we choose to carry them. This week’s portion, Naso, contains a case in point.

“Ki avodat HaKodesh Aleihem ba’katef yisau’.” (“For the holy [items of] service they shall carry upon the shoulder.”) (Bamidbar 7:9)

There was a special mitzvah regarding the transport of the Holy Ark, which held the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark was to be borne on the shoulders of the Levites, until it arrived at its destination. Why was it so important that the Ark be carried upon their shoulders?

Maimonides includes this as one of the 613 mitzvot listed in his Sefer HaMitzvot (see Positive Commandment 34), where he describes each of the Torah’s 613 commandments. Yet Maimonides in principle only lists commandments which are le’dorot (forever), something that does not seem to apply to the carrying of the Ark.

In his Laws of the Temple Vessels (Klei’ HaMikdash 2:12), Maimonides defines the mitzva: “When transporting the Ark from place to place, one does not set it upon a beast of burden, nor on a wagon; rather it is a mitzvah to take it upon the shoulder. And because [King] David forgot [this injunction] and carried it upon a wagon, the debacle of the wrath that burst forth against Uzzah occurred. Rather, it is a mitzvah to carry it upon the shoulder, as it says [Bamidbar 7:9]:‘For the holy [items of] service they shall carry on the shoulder’.”

Perhaps Maimonides, in noting the story of Uzzah, is telling us that this is the key to unlocking the nature of this mitzvah.

The book of Samuel (II; 6:5-10) shares a short but powerful and troubling vignette:

The Holy Ark is finally being brought up to Jerusalem; 200 years after the Jewish people conquered the land of Israel in the time of Joshua. King David, along with 30,000 people, is accompanying the Ark amidst dancing and celebration. The verse describes the dancing and instruments playing, and the joy of the people honoring the Ark on its journey, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As the ox-drawn wagon carrying the Ark rounds the bend, the oxen stray, and the Ark seems to tip over. But Uzzah, nearby, stretches out his hand, grabbing the Ark, prevents its fall.

You might assume that Uzzah is a Jewish hero, only G-d doesn’t seem to see it that way. Hashem instantaneously smites Uzzah down, and he dies on the spot. After all, you don’t just grab the Holy Ark. You have to be pure, and with the proper intent….

King David himself (verses 8-10) seems to have difficulty understanding what happened. How could Hashem have punished Uzzah, who seems to have been doing a good thing in attempting to save the Ark?

A careful look at Maimonides suggests that he believed the issue was not Uzzah, but rather King David and that it is being transported on the ox cart. The mitzvah requires carrying the Ark on the shoulders of the Levites (or priests).How could King David forget that the Ark was to be carried aloft on the shoulders of the people?

There is a difference between taking the Ark up on our own shoulders, as a sign of respect and honor, and having animals carry it.

How do we treat our relationship with Torah? If in our homes the Jewish books are stuck in the dusty bookcase in the corner, while all eyes immediately focus on the well-lit piece of art that is the central focus of the living room wall, what are we teaching our children, not by what we say, but by what we do?

I remember, years ago in yeshiva, a powerful moment that left a very strong impression on me. The yeshiva I studied at had two Roshei Yeshiva, two heads of the institution, and observing how these two great Rabbis, two of the greatest Torah scholars of our generation, interacted and treated each other, was itself a lesson in ethics and humility. One year, the entire yeshiva, along with hundreds of alumni, gathered for a celebration in honor of Jerusalem Day. Rav Amital was speaking to a packed hall of over 1,000 students, when he suddenly noticed Rav Lichtenstein standing at the back of the hall. Rav Lichtenstein had arrived late, and did not want to interrupt the flow of his speech, preferring to stand in the rear. Rav Amital, would not hear of an entire hall of students sitting and listening, while their Rosh Yeshiva stood in the back. So he gestured to Rav Lichtenstein to come up front and sit, at which point students began turning around to see who was standing in the back.

When they saw their Rosh Yeshiva standing, the students in the rear immediately stood and Rav Lichtenstein, realizing the speech was already interrupted, walked to his seat at the front of the hall as quickly as he could. As he walked down the aisle, waves upon waves of students rose from their seats as a sign of respect, not just for Rav Lichtenstein, but also for the 3,000 year tradition he represented. There was no announcement and no words were said, it was simply understood that when a Torah giant like that walked into a room, you rise in awe and respect. The experience of seeing 1,000 students rise as one, without anybody saying a word, taught me what respect for Torah was all about.

This is the message of the carrying of the Ark. Who we are as a people begins with what we hold dear, and what we truly value. The Ark was more than just a box for the tablets of the law; it represented the mission we have as a people in this world. Our ability to make a difference in this world begins with how we hold aloft the values that represent our identity as a people. Before you can carry Torah on your shoulders, you must realize it doesn’t belong on an ox cart.

The Talmud tells us that one of the questions we will be asked one day in heaven, is “kava’ta Itim la’Torah?” (“Did you set times for Torah [study]?” Most people interpret this to mean, “Did you set time aside in your day for the study of Torah?” Rav Kook looked at it differently. Translated literally, the question becomes: “Did you set the times to the Torah?” Do we set the times according to the Torah, or do we set the Torah according to the times?

Uzzah assumed that the Ark would fall, perhaps not having faith that if the Ark was falling, the issue wasn’t the Ark but whether we were worthy to maintain it aloft. Perhaps this is part of the partnership we have with G-d in this world. Hashem wants us to participate, by carrying the Ark on our shoulders, while never forgetting that it is not we who carry the Torah, but the Torah that carries us.

And the shoulder represents that part of us that places something above all else. After all, the shoulders really hold up the head, the most important part of the body. In Hebrew we say la’sim katef (to put your shoulder to the task). When an item is sitting on your shoulders, it is not just that you are carrying it, it is sitting on you, you are supporting it; you become, in effect, its base. So the shoulder also represents the idea that the tradition we have remains valuable only as long as we actually value it.

Perhaps the reason so much emphasis is put on what place the Ark is in, or on, is because so much of what Torah represents is what place it has in each of our lives.

Columnist@TheJewishStar.com