Why Do 21st Century Jews Bother Learning about Tabernacles?
Our sages explain that Hashem’s directions for building the Tabernacle led to deep layers of holiness. The Tabernacle – Mishkan in Hebrew – would represent many important themes of Torah: the covenant, the creation of the world, the importance of integrity, even the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Statements of Revelation at Mt. Sinai.
Obviously, the Mishkan was not an ordinary building. It was intended to help bring us into God’s holy presence. This leads to a few questions:
1. Do we really need a special building to enter God’s presence? Why or why not? Without such a building as a communal and religious focus point, would we be able to retain a strong core?
2. How do we address the role of symbolism in our own buildings? Do we surround ourselves with objects that remind us of family, religion, our interests? Why do we need these reminders in our homes?
3. The Mishkan was built with the finest materials the Israelites could find. Does cost equal quality when we are designing a place that will hopefully enhance our spirituality? What should be our priorities in creating such a place?
Think about these questions. They are only a few of the issues raised by the parshah Terumah. I welcome your input.
Rabbi Shaina
posted by Rabbi Shaina @ 3:01 PM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
I think these are all very interesting questions that in some way deal with the "sense of place". On all levels whether it is one room, an entire building, or a communial area, the sense of place is important in its creation and continuance. Rather than getting entangled in the minutia of whether or not expensive things and whether or not that make a quality place, I like to focus on the process of creation. I would no sooner put my stable boots in my kitchen than my pots and pans in my bedroom. Besides functionality, there truly is a "place for everything" when creating a sense of place. The commonality of symbols in Judaism leads me to expect certain things in my Synagogue as an integral part of creating a sense of worship place. The entire process of creating a sense of place, any place, home, Temple, school, or barn is highly symbolic, selective, and fulfilling as much as being in that place that has been created.
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