Parashat Vaiakel Pekudei 5770
Rabina Daniela Szuster
Una de las parashot de esta semana nos habla de las donaciones que se hicieron para que el Mishkan (tabernáculo) existiera, los diferentes elementos que se construyeron y se reitera quiénes fueron los arquitectos del mismo. Dos personas fueron elegidas para llevar a cabo este proyecto tan majestuoso. Ellos fueron Betzalel y Oliav.
En este Shabat quiero compartir con ustedes dos Midrashim que nos hablan acerca de la elección de estos artistas.
Un primer Midrash se pregunta por qué justamente fueron elegidos Betzalel y Oliav para dicha tarea. Una de las respuestas que dan es que Betzalel pertenecía a la tribu de Iehuda, la más importante de las tribus. En cambio, Oliav, pertenecía a la tribu de Dan que era la de menor importancia.
¿Por qué fueron elegidos ambos? Para enseñarnos acerca de la importancia de que las personas no se sientan orgullosas por su origen familiar dado que en este caso, tanto el que tenía mayor status como el de menor eran iguales frente a D”s, ambos fueron elegidos, no por su procedencia familiar sino por sus capacidades.
Cuántas veces observamos que en nuestra propia sociedad se eligen a las personas por pertenecer a ciertas categorías y no por sus cualidades. A pesar que la sociedad ha evolucionado enormemente, aún se ve que en el campo laboral, político, económico, religioso se anteponen perfiles de personas determinadas sean o no idóneas para dicha tarea. Priman los hombres blancos, de clase alta, heterosexuales y casados, dejando atrás diferentes grupos que son considerados de menor categoría.
Se supone que vivimos en sociedades democráticas en que todos somos iguales ante la ley, con los mismos derechos y obligaciones pero si profundizamos un poco en la realidad notaremos que no es tan real. El Midrash, sabiamente, nos impulsa a elegir a las personas sin importar su status social sino sus capacidades. Por eso se eligieron a Betzalel y Oliav, a pesar de pertenecer a tribus catalogadas socialmente como de diferente categoría.
El segundo Midrash nos dice que no deberíamos designar a un líder sin el acuerdo del pueblo o el grupo al que va a liderar. ¿De dónde sacan esta idea? De nuestra parasha.
El Midrash comenta que D”s le preguntó a Moshe: ¿Te parece que Betzalel es digno para esta tarea?" "Si él es digno en Tus Ojos," replicó Moshé, "ciertamente lo es en los míos."
D”s le dijo: “Ve y averigua cuál es la opinión del pueblo”. Moshe le preguntó al pueblo y respondieron: "Si él es digno a los ojos de D”s y a los vuestros, cómo no será bueno para nosotros!"
Es sumamente interesante que a D”s le preocupa la opinión de Moshe y del pueblo para designar a Betzalel como arquitecto y artífice del Mishkan. Sin duda, nos enseña la importancia del consenso de los grupos para tomar decisiones y elegir la persona que los lidere, quien marcará el rumbo de sus caminos. Mucho antes que la democracia proponga esta idea, el Midrash nos habla del consenso.
En esta semana no hay elecciones en nuestra comunidad ni tampoco en el país pero sin duda, diariamente estamos eligiendo. Estos midrashim nos enseñan que si elegimos a personas, recordemos elegirlas por sus capacidades y potencialidades y no por pertenecer a determinadas elites. Además, que todos debemos ser partícipes de las decisiones que nos competen a todos y no dejar que unos pocos designen el rumbo sin que haya un consenso grupal.
Nuestra tradición, hace siglos nos enseña estos valores, la modernidad con los gobiernos democráticos, de alguna manera, también lo hacen; pero lamentablemente no los vemos realizados completamente en la práctica.
De cada uno de nosotros depende poder vivir en una sociedad realmente igualitaria, en la que la voz de cada uno sea escuchada a la hora de elegir rumbos.
Shabat Shalom!
Parashat Vaiakel Pekudei 5770
Rabina Daniela Szuster
One of this week’s parasha tells us once again about the donations that were made to make the existence of the Mishkan (tabernacle) possible, as well as the different elements that were built. It reiterates the names of the arquitects of the Mishkan. Two people were chosen to carry out this majestic project. They were Betzalel and Oliav.
On this Shabbat, I’d like to share with you two Midrashim that tell us about how these artists were chosen.
A first Midrash asks why, in fact, Betzalel and Oliav were chosen for this undertaking. One of the answers that is given is that Betzalel belonged to the tribe of Yehuda, the most important of the tribes. On the other hand, Oliav belonged to the tribe of Dan, one of the less important ones.
Why were both of them chosen? In order to teach us about the importance that people not feel proud of their family origin, since in this case, the one who had greater status as well as the one of lesser status were equal before G-d, both of them were chosen, not because of their family backgrounds, but rather for their abilities.
How often we observe that in our own society, people are chosen because they belong to certain categories, and not for their personal qualities.
Despite the fact that society has advanced enormously, we still see that in the fields of labor, politics, economics and religion, profiles of certain individuals seem to predominate, whether or not they are the ideal candidates for the job at hand. White men are first in line… upper class, heterosexuals and married, leaving behind different groups that are considered to be of lesser stature.
Supposedly, we live in democratic societies in which everyone is equal under the law, with the same rights and obligations, but if we probe a bit into the reality of things, we see that this is not exactly so. The Midrash wisely urges us to elect people without regard to their social status, but rather for their ablilities. That’s why Betzalel and Oliav were elected, even though they belonged to tribes that were considered to be of different social levels.
The second Midrash tells us that we shouldn’t designate a leader without the consent of the people, or of the group that he or she is going to lead. Where did they come up with that idea? From our parasha.
The Midrash comments that G-d asked Moses, “Do you think that Betzalel is worthy of this task? “ “If he is worthy in Your Eyes,” Moses replied, “than certainly he is in mine.”
G-d said to him, “Go and find out what the opinion of the people is”. Moses asked the people, and they answered, “If he is worthy in the eyes of G-d and in yours, how will he not be good for us!”
It is extremely interesting that G-d is concerned with the opinion of Moses and that of the people to designate Betzalel as the designer and builder of the Mishkan. Without doubt, it teaches us the importance of group consensus in making decisions, and to elect the person who will lead them, the one who will point the way in which they will go. Long before democracy proposes this idea, the Midrash speaks to us about consensus.
During this week, there are no elections in our community or in Costa Rica, but without a doubt, we make choices on a daily basis. These Midrashim teach us that if we elect people, let us remember to elect them for their abilities and for their potential, and not because they belong to such and such an elite group. Furthermore, we should all be participants in the decisions that concern us, and not allow the few to map our course without group consensus.
Our tradition has taught us these values for centuries; modern life with its democratic governments, in some way, also teaches them; but unfortunately we don’t see these values fully realized in practice
It’s up to each and every one of us if we are going to be able to live in a truly egalitarian society, one in which each voice is heard when the time comes to make important decisions.
Shabat Shalom!