Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Flawed perfection

From the beginning, the Biblical God seeks to create and maintain a perfect world.

The first humans find themselves in God’s idyllic Garden of Eden. But, they are soon expelled for not meeting the requirements of this perfect place. Not long thereafter all humanity, found wanting, is expunged in a flood. Following this “cleansing”, one people, from a single descendant of the lone family that is saved from this deluge, is chosen to realise God’s perfect plan and world.

But, in this week’s parashah, the tale of the Golden Calf, we learn that they too, we too, cannot be a people of perfection. When God declares He will now destroy these people, the Israelites, as well, and begin, yet again, on the path of perfection with a new people, Moshe responds: “Erase me (too) from Your book”.

We might understand Moshe as saying “none of us can be part of Your perfect narrative. Your idyllic world is idolatrous”.

In subsequently taking back “His” people and no longer disowning them as “your”/Moshe’s people (alone), God comes of age in this parashah. Plans of perfection, God recognises and our Bible here teaches, are intrinsically flawed. Ironically, Moshe is reminded of his insight here when, many years later, he is denied entry into the “promised land” because he can no longer suffer an imperfect people.

We learn from our tradition and experience that to be human is to fail. As educators and parents we stress that failure is a beginning rather than an end to success. Perseverance rather than perfection promotes growth and fulfilment of our personal promise.

“Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That is how the light gets in.”

Leonard Cohen