In this week's Torah portion of Devarim, Moshe begins with a detailed recounting of the nation's painful journey through the wilderness. Rather than spell out all the times the Jewish people stumbled spiritually, Moshe makes veiled references to the places in which these episodes transpired. For example, when referring to the incident of the golden calf, Moshe calls it, 'Vedi Zahav,' the "place of excess gold." Instead of issuing a stern rebuke, Moshe seems almost to be offering an alibi for their shameful behavior. He seems to imply they erred only by dedicating their newfound wealth to idolatry. Why did Moshe go so easy on the Jews?
The commentaries explain that Moshe's veiled reprimand about "the place of excessive gold" was probably the sharpest rebuke of all. When G-d showed Moshe the first Jewish currency, the shekel, it was enveloped in fire to symbolize that just as fire has a duality in that it can destroy but also provides warmth and nurtures - so too, money, can be potently dangerous or immensely beneficial. Moshe was alluding to this challenging dualism in his reference to "Vedi Zahav"-the place of excessive gold," reminding the people of how they had been ensnared.
As we prepare for Tisha B'Av, it is worthwhile for us to reflect on the role money and materialism play in our life. After all, on Tisha B'Av we express our yearning for a messianic era, a time of spiritual bliss when swords will be crushed into plowshares and the lion will walk docilely next to the lamb. It all sounds very picturesque and idyllic how will Moshiach affect my desire to live the American dream and how will he affect my retirement portfolio? All of these questions and similar ones naturally lurk in our subconscious mind. Although we give voice to our yearning for the geulah, how practical is that yearning?
Preparing for Moshiach's times requires us to be ready to divest from our materialistic attachments and transition into a different existence, in which materialism is not our focus. It is fine to have another home at the beach or a comfortable car and financial security. But all of these things should be secondary to our primary goal of being connected with Hashem and secure in our relationship with Him.
A computer scientist received an important assignment in a top-secret government project. Arriving in the airport with his suitcases Sunday morning, he was dismayed to hear that his luggage would not be allowed on board the plane. He complained but the supervisor showed him the plane sitting on the tarmac. It was a little twin propeller model that could only hold twelve people. She told him apologetically that only his hand luggage and a suit bag would be allowed on the plane. Since the mission was so critically important, he left the luggage to the porter and boarded the plane, ready to launch himself into the new project at 8:00 the next morning.
Right behind him came another fellow who was part of the same team, a brilliant programmer who happened to be massively built, weighing over 500 pounds. The supervisor soberly told him she could not accommodate him on the flight. "But I have my ticket!" he protested. The supervisor wouldn't budge. She took him to the window and showed him the little plane. "Look," she said, "the door is only 24 inches wide; you simply don't fit on board. I'm sorry."
If material possessions define our identity, and we are laden with "vedi zahav," excess gold that becomes our primary objective in life, it is truly difficult to transition into a spiritual world. But, if we regard our possessions as mere baggage that can be left behind, we can easily free ourselves from attachments that tie us down to a physical existence and enjoy the spiritual bliss that awaits us in the Messianic era.
