Living with Contradictions - Part 2 - Parshat Terumah
I hate contradictions. I hate them in others and I hate them within myself. But they are always there! And I am not crazy about feeling hate. It's an unpleasant sensation. How do I stop this?
In this week's Torah portion - Parshat Terumah - the Torah tells us that God will speak with Moses from the area on top of the Holy Ark. Rashi points out that in a different place it is written that God will speak with Moses in the Ohel Moed, the courtyard which surrounded the Tabernacle, the Mishkan. "Well, which is it?" Rashi asks. Will He speak with Moses from the Ark or the courtyard? To answer that question Rashi quotes a basic hermeneutical principle that when two sentences seem to be contradictory, wait until you can find a third source which will tip the scales. Rashi then shows where the third source is in this situation and explains how it solves this contradiction.
Why though does the Torah choose to teach us in this manner? Why spread the 3 sentences in such a manner that it seems contradictory and we should even need to search for the resolution of these two contradictory sentences? Why not just explain it in one simple or even compound sentence and make it easier for everyone?
I have seen this particular principle being used in other cases as well and have even seen this particular quote of Rashi tens of times while reviewing the portion in previous years. Yet this year as I read it, it was the first time that it struck me that there must be a lesson here.
The Torah is teaching us to be patient. Wait just a bit longer and the meaning will become clear. The third sentence will appear which will clarify the matter.
As we search for meaning in life, we notice that there, too, we deal with contradictions. Some are external and some are even internal (two mutually excluding views of two people we trust implicitly or why we sometimes do things we ourselves believe are wrong). And then we find sometimes that a simple innocent statement from someone not even connected to us can shed light on our own contradictions. It can be an article we read about the specific topic we are struggling with or even discussing a different topic altogether. A discussion with a mentor or even a stranger can shed light on the issue we are struggling with.
Patience then becomes a virtue as we search for that extra meaning. Being able to take a deep breath and admit that life is unclear to us takes a lot of strength and courage.
We don’t always have the luxury of waiting for meaning to show itself (see Living with Contradictions). Even when we do, we find that sometimes answers come easily yet sometimes not so easily. Sometimes they come from expected sources and sometimes from totally unexpected sources.
Let us be courageously open to possibilities and experiences that can teach us and guide us. Contradictions, then, are not to be feared or castigated but rather to be used, with patience, as a tool for growth and learning.
Have A Great Shabbat!
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