Ki Tisa: A Seat Among Vulcans and High Priests

A quick disclaimer: I want to clarify that last week's blog post "Holiday Commandments? Pour-em Down On Me!!" was a joke. It was "Purim Torah," and meant to be humorous, extreme, and even a bit ridiculous. This year, it didn't seem like too many people misunderstood that, but I've experienced some confusion in previous years of Purim Torah blogging, so I just wanted to make that perfectly clear. Thanks!

(I would like to dedicate this post in memory of Leonard Nimoy - Mr. Spock. Though more of a "Star Trek: Next Generation" fan as a kid 
than a devote of the original Kirk-and-Spock series, I still appreciate how significant he was to a lot of people, and how he really stood out as a role model, especially within the Jewish community. He will be missed; Live Long and Prosper!)

I thought of Mr. Spock this week, because we're reading the story of the Golden Calf. Perhaps the connection is not so obvious, so let me explain. As I reviewed my previous (FIVE!) years' blog posts on Ki Tissa, I found that I've thus far covered this embarrassing incident from the 
perspectives of Moses, God, and the Israelites. But one account I have yet to discuss is that of Aaron, Moses' brother and right-hand man. Hence the Spock connection, as he was the second-in-command to Captain Kirk. Aaron is actually a very significant player in this particular drama. When Moses disappears up the mountain to converse with God, Aaron is left in charge. And after 40 days, the people get restless and appeal to Aaron to build them a replacement god (which raises the question; who are they replacing?). Incredibly, Aaron offers NO objection; he asks them for their gold and jewelry, and goes about making an idol for them! And in fact, he is the one who chooses the calf as a model for their impostor-deity.

As if things weren't bad enough already, when Moses DOES return and becomes enraged at their disgraceful idolatry, he turns to Aaron to try and make sense of how this could happen. Aaron accepts no responsibility for his actions. First, he blames

the people ("You [Moses] know that this people is bent on evil," Ex. 32:22), and then he utters one of my FAVORITE excuse-lines in the entire Torah: "They gave it [their jewelry] to me and I hurled it into the fire and out came this calf!" (32:24) Incredible! Aaron somehow tries to suggest that he's innocent, because he simply tossed gold into the fire and out POPPED a golden idol; it's a miracle!! The rabbis, of course, try and sympathize with Aaron, imagining that he was either forced to do the people's bidding on threat of death, that he was trying to stall for time by slowing down the work, or that he was subtly still loyal to God when he declared "a festival to the Lord" (32:6) in front of the idol. I'm not convinced. Let's face it - the evidence IS pretty damning...

Which brings me back to Mr. Spock. What does it mean to be second-in-command? It's a tough role. You don't really get the "glory" of being in charge, but you still take all the flack for being part of "The Man." 

And I also often imagine there's pressure to eventually, at some point, assume the mantle of leadership. Somehow we imagine that that's everyone's aspiration, but that's a shame really, isn't it? Not everyone is cut out to be in charge. There are SO many crucial roles in a leadership structure, and within a community, and every role requires different talents and skills. Why must everyone covet the top spot in the hierarchy? What if your personality and abilities lend themselves better to be a treasurer, or an adviser, or a nuts-and-bolts worker... or a right-hand (wo)man? Nevertheless, our culture teaches us to strive to be top dog. And the end result is the (in)famous Peter Principle: "managers rise to the level of their incompetence." Eventually, most people wind up in over their heads; kind of like Aaron.

Again, I don't say all of this to absolve Aaron of any guilt. In my mind, he messed up... big time! The incident does, however, highlight for me that Aaron was never meant to be in charge. He made poor decisions, he couldn't take responsibility, and he blamed everyone else around him. 

And for those of you who are "Trekkies" out there; would Mr. Spock have ever made a good Captain? No way. But Aaron and Spock were BOTH great in their positions as #2! I think we are all much happier in our lives when we know ourselves well; when we can accept our strengths AND our weaknesses, and find our most optimal role in a group. I recognize that I'm venturing dangerously close into Socialism here, but I hope you see my point. The alternative is a dog-eat-dog system where everyone secretly wants to be in charge - even when they would be TERRIBLE at it! The Captain's chair is certainly alluring, but it simply doesn't suit everyone. Where do you think your optimum seat is, and how close are you to sitting in it? Finding that spot, the one that really suits you best, truly is the key to happiness. And it will most certainly allow you to: Live Long and Prosper!
  
Photos in this blog post:
1. CC image courtesy of We hope on Wikimedia Commons
2. CC image courtesy of Dauster on Wikimedia Commons
3. CC image courtesy of Daniel Case on Wikimedia Commons
4. CC image courtesy of Nevit on Wikimedia Commons
5. CC image courtesy of SunOfErat on Wikimedia Commons