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 Torah Thoughts
This week we read the Torah portion Terumah
(Exodus 25-27:19). It contains 96 verses and 3 commandments- 2
positive (“do’s”) and 1 negative (“do not”) commandment.
Our portion opens with G-d’s request for contributions
for the construction and operation of the Tabernacle. The people are asked to
provide precious metals, dyed wool, linen, animal skins and wood for the
structure. Olive oil and spices were requested for lighting the Menorah, the
anointing oil and the incense. Precious stones were sought for elements of
the High Priest’s uniform. Following the request for the raw materials, the
Torah states (25:8), “And they will fashion for me a Sanctuary and I
will dwell in them.” (“I will dwell in them” can also be understood as
“I will dwell among them.)
Commentators note the apparent lack of concord between
the singular “Sanctuary” and the plural “them”. “Them”, the commentaries
explain, refers to each Jew. In other words, each Jew is to transform
him-/herself into a dwelling place for the Divine.
The purpose of Creation, as explained by Chasidic philosophy,
is for the physical world, which seems antithetical to spirituality, to be
transformed into a “dwelling place” for G-d. This can be achieved only by
carefully following the “user’s manual”, the Torah, provided by The
Manufacturer.
The construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) is a
metaphor for the Divine challenge to man. We are to identify and isolate
the elements that comprise our beautiful world. We are to appreciate their
unique potential. We are to fashion those objects in accordance with G-d’s
plan and weave them together to form an edifice worthy of the Divine Presence.
Mankind is charged with using all the elements of the physical world in such
a way that they will become holy. An example of this is food. All that we
ingest can potentially bring us closer to G-d when we perform this mundane
activity in accordance with G-d’s will- eating only kosher food, blessing G-d
before and after we eat and using the energy gained from the food to serve
G-d. Even the mere observation of breathtaking scenery can be a vehicle
for spirituality when a Jew recites a blessing praising G-d for having
created such a spectacular universe. Incredibly, even the ultimate of
physical and prosaic functions, the excretion of waste from the body, can be
transformed into a spiritually uplifting experience. A Jew is bidden to
recite a blessing after evacuating waste from the body. This blessing
articulates the recognition that by G-d’s grace our bodies function in a way
that is necessary for us to exist and serve Him. Thus the normal functioning
of the human body itself becomes a means of welcoming G-d into our lives.
Man is called an “olam katan”, a microcosm of the world.
Not only can we transform the physical world into a dwelling for the Divine,
but we ourselves can become a holy Sanctuary. We are bidden to isolate and
recognize the traits that comprise the complex fabric of our selves. We must
consider their potentials. We must then focus on our noble inherent qualities
and develop them, thereby transforming ourselves into a G-dly abode.
Haftara
(I Kings 5:26-6:13) The Haftara describes the
construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem
by King Solomon four hundred and eighty years after the Exodus from Egypt.
This reflects our Torah portion which describes the construction of the
Tabernacle in the desert. The impressive statistics of the number of laborers
and the dimensions of the building provide a perspective of the scope of this
epic edifice. Upon completion of the Temple,
G-d reminds Solomon that the Divine Presence in the midst of the Jewish
People depends not on a grand structure, but on obedience to the Divine will.
Adar
Our Sages tell us that when the month of Adar is
ushered in, we increase our joy. It is a month of hidden blessing during
which our enemies, try as they might, will not succeed in destroying the
Jewish People.
The seventh of Adar is the date of Moses’ birth,
and his death, 120 years later. It has become customary for the Chevra
Kadisha, the burial society, in every Jewish community to hold a special se’udah
(festive meal) on this date following their fast. A reason for this custom is
that on this day, G-d Himself buried Moses when he died, serving as a “role
model” for us in doing kindness with the deceased. It also happens that this
date can never fall on Shabbat when, owing to the sanctity of the day, the
Chevra Kadisha would be unable to fast.
This is the month in which the Jewish People were
snatched from the claws of those who wished to annihilate them. To
commemorate our miraculous salvation and victory, we celebrate the holiday of
Purim. To learn more about Purim, click here “Purim”.
(This year, Purim begins on the night of March 3.)
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Baruch Price
Technical
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