KAHANE ON THE PARSHA
VAYAKHEL
Rabbi Binyamin Kahane
THE PITFALLS OF POWER
Two years after the Jews left the suffering, slavery, and
humiliations of Egypt, they began constructing the Tabernacle – the place where
G-d’s Presence was to rest in this world and the pipeline by which all the Jewish
people’s prayers would reach their Father in Heaven. Considering the historic nature of this
event, one would have expected the leaders of the Jewish people to set an
example and play a key role in contributing toward the Tabernacle’s construction.
Instead, we find (Exodus 35:27) that the princes donated the
onyx stones – which were the very last items needed in the Tabernacle. Rashi writes, “Rabbi Nathan said: Why did the
princes contribute at the beginning of the dedication of the altar but not at
the beginning of the construction of the Tabernacle? Because they said: Let the community contribute what it will
contribute, and we will complete whatever is lacking. And since they were slothful at first, ‘yud’
is missing from their name {the world neis’m’} is spelled missing
a ‘yud’.”
Rabbeinu Bechaya adds:
“For it is the way of princes to look down on the rest of the nation. .
. These princes, who not long ago were lowly slaves, immediately started
looking down on their brothers after receiving their high appointment. About this the Talmud says, “Four people are intolerable
. . . {One is} the public appointee who
looks down at the rest of the community for no reason’ (Pesachim 113b).”
The Torah’s concern for someone’s high position affecting
his ego is clearly evident in its laws regarding kings. The Torah state, “He shall not multiply
horses for himself . . . Neither shall
he multiply for himself wives so that his heart turns away; nor shall he
greatly increase silver and gold for himself. . . And he shall write a copy of this Torah. . .
. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life
that he may learn to fear the L-rd, his
G-d. . .that his heart
not be lifted up above his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:16-20).
And the Rambam in Hilchot Tefillah (5:10) adds: “One must bow five times during every Shemoneh
Esrei. . . . But a king should remain
prostrated from the very beginning of Shemoneh Esrei and not raise his head
until the conclusion.”
We see the arrogance, corruption, and egoism of Israeli
politicians most overtly during election seasons. Every party steps on the fresh blood of
Jewish victims to further its political advantage, though none of them
possesses an iota of a solution to the problem.
We have observed our “leaders” basking in the glory of Nobel Peace
Prizes and the friendship of gentile leaders and Arab murderers, so engrossed
with themselves, their declarations of peace, and their place in history that
no amount of Jewish blood can budge them from their “vision.”
May it be G-d’s will that these politicians be replaced by
leaders guided by the Torah, leaders who know that “it is not high appointment
I give you, but rather servitude: (Hariyot 10a). May we merit leaders who follow the path
of Moses our Teacher, who not only was not concerned about his place in
history, but even was willing to have his name stricken from the Torah(“Erase
me please from Your book” – Exodus 32:32) in order to save the Jewish people
from annihilation. We need leaders who
possess self-sacrifice to serve the community – not exploit it.
Darka she Torah 1994
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