Parashat Ki Tisa
Saturday, March 7, 2026, Zoom at Noon
Many times, in life, just as we are engaged in the holiest work, we encounter pushback from the opposite side — a negative force that seeks to resist it.
This is not random or accidental. It is built into both the physical and spiritual worlds: action and reaction. From the serpent in the Garden of Eden, through the Golden Calf in Mount Sinai, and many battles and struggles that accompany moments of great spiritual elevation. The Talmud teaches that antisemitism was born at the very moment the Israelites were receiving the Torah from Heaven at Mount Sinai.
When Zionism began its serious movement to return the Jewish people to their ancestral land in the 20th century — a land from which they had been historically exiled — Nazism arose in Europe, and many persecutions against Jews in the Arab world.
This Shabbat we encounter the quintessential example of sabotaging our mission. As Moses ascends Mount Sinai to bring the Tablets from God — the written law of the Ten Commandments — the Israelites are persuaded by an evil inclination to build a Golden Calf, an idol that represents the very opposite of the God of Heaven. It is like betraying a spouse on the wedding night. That is how devastating the act was.
In fact, the Rabbis teach that the Red Heifer — the perfect red cow required for the ultimate purification that precedes redemption — serves as the correction for the sin of the Golden Calf.
What a difference a week makes. The conflict war involving Israel and Iran escalated rapidly after large-scale strikes and retaliations between Israel and Iran. In moments like these, history reminds us how quickly events can change and how spiritual clarity becomes even more necessary.
In a world filled with distractions today, we must be aware of the forces that try to divert us from our purpose — and understand why they appear precisely when they do.
Rabbi Gadi Capela