{"id":78382,"date":"2020-08-03T16:39:15","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T13:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=78382"},"modified":"2020-08-03T16:39:15","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T13:39:15","slug":"justice-kindness-and-holiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/justice-kindness-and-holiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Justice, Kindness And Holiness"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"78382","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":38047,"related_cahpter":"538","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"All wrapped up into one image\u00a0\r\n\r\n","content":"

The words of Micah 6:8: \u201cDo justice, love goodness, and walk modestly with your God\u201d figure prominently on the doors of the Aron Kodesh<\/em> (Torah Ark) of Kehillat Hod veHadar in Kfar Saba, where they keep some rather surprising company.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ark \u2013 dedicated by Leah and the late Eliezer Tal in memory of their son Tzachi; designed and executed by sculptor Avi Shacham \u2013 is topped by a crown of angels. The first time I saw them, I could barely conceal my surprise, but was quickly reassured that an appropriate halakhic authority had approved the design: the angels passed because they don\u2019t have faces. The doors also feature a diagram of the kabbalistic tree of sefirot, one of the most mystical of Jewish visual symbols.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can we make of the juxtaposition?<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8 \u2013 one of the first verses I remember learning as a child \u2013 is a succinct statement of the Torah\u2019s social vision. We are commanded to do justice by conducting our personal and public lives according to principles of fairness and integrity that do not give preference to the wealthy and powerful, and distribute resources so that the basic needs of all are met. Loving goodness is more than a pleasant inner feeling. Torah calls for active love: aiding the needy and weak in society with concrete assistance, feeding the hungry, providing for the homeless and clothing the naked; and being a supportive presence for people in vulnerable situations: the sick and injured, lonely and bereaved. \u200eWalking modestly with God is less about how we dress, and more about not calling undue attention to ourselves and our acts, because they\u2019re not about us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, the Babylonian Talmud (Makkot 24a) considers this verse a distillation of all 613 commandments contained in the Torah, which makes it especially appropriate for the context. The phrase \u201cKnow before Whom you stand\u201d is written above the ark in many synagogues; Micah 6:8 completes the thought, as if to say: \u201cYou stand before God who demands justice, loving goodness, and modesty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The arc of angels recalls the seraphim who stand above the God\u2019s throne in Isaiah 6:2, and represent unattainable holiness. The sefirah tree is the Kabbalists\u2019 attempt to portray and organize the complexity of the universe: everything is interconnected. It is a grand scheme beyond the grasp of many. Micah brings it all down-to-earth, with guidelines for building a better human society through actions in which everyone can participate. The ark in its entirety represents the balance between different aspects of religious striving and human involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo: The doors of the Aron Kodesh (Torah Ark) of Kehillat Hod veHadar in Kfar Saba, courtesy of the author.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":78383,"id":78383,"title":"mic6-aron kodesh-SMZ","filename":"mic6-aron-kodesh-SMZ.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/mic6-aron-kodesh-SMZ.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/justice-kindness-and-holiness\/mic6-aron-kodesh-smz\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"mic6-aron-kodesh-smz","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":78382,"date":"2020-08-03 13:38:56","modified":"2020-08-03 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