Instructions for counting the omer are found on our Omer Overview Page. You can find the specific blessing for today at chabad.org.
We’re dedicating a new Sefer Torah on the first day of Shavuot. In honor of this joyous occasion, we’re using the counting of the Omer to take a whirlwind trip through the Torah
Today’s portion is Ki Tisa from the book of Exodus. Today’s insight was generously provided by Dina H.
Ki Tisa tells the story of the golden calf, Aaron’s response, and that fear makes people do things they would not normally do. God tells Moses to count the people and from every person over the age of twenty he must take a half-shekel. God also instructs him to call on a skilled artist, by the name of Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, to create and oversee the implementation of everything that went into the Tabernacle, the Mishkan. God tells the Israelites that when they observe Shabbat they are celebrating the covenant with God. The well-known episode of the Golden Calf happens. The Israelites, with the help of Aaron, create and worship a Golden Calf. God tells Moses that God will destroy these “stiff necked people”. Moses intervenes, and God spares the people. However, when Moses sees the people worshiping the golden calf, he becomes angry and destroys the tablets. Moses punishes the people. Moses is afraid that God will desert the Israelites, so Moses asks for proof that God won’t leave them. In order to prove to Moses that he and the people will not be abandoned, God shows Moses God’s presence.
In both the Torah and Haftarah the people are afraid because they can’t see the right course, they can’t *see* God and they turn in the wrong direction. They turn to idol worship. In the Torah portion, according to the midrash, the people were afraid because Moses said that he would be coming back in 40 days and 40 nights, but was a few hours late. The people felt scared and abandoned. They listened to others and turned to familiar false gods. In the Haftarah, the people were scared of Queen Jezebel and King Ahab because they were killing the Prophets of YHWH. When people are scared they fall back on what they know. People do things they would not normally do when they are afraid, feel their needs aren’t being meet, and can’t see a way out of their situation. The Great Depression is a well-know example of this.
During the Great Depression, people’s basic needs were not being met. They didn’t have enough food for their families, many lost their houses and jobs, and people weren’t hiring so it was a very difficult time. People couldn’t see a way out of their position. That’s when the runs on the banks happened. They wanted to feel more secure. People wanted their money because having it in their hands felt safer so that they could feel more secure. Unfortunately, while it did give some a short term sense of security, in the long run it was a false solution and did not have a good outcome. The people who demanded their money from the bank undermined the system and so the banks failed, which made things worse. The Israelites also wanted to feel secure when they built the Golden Calf. They wanted to feel safe and to have a god they could see and touch.
The message of this Torah portion is “be careful of whom you listen to.” Be careful of listening to people who are taking advantage of our fears and come full of promises to fulfill our needs that are not being met. Also remember that every person is vulnerable when they are afraid. Fear can change people. But we can help people when we think about the greater good, and try to create a better world for all.