“Under the apple tree I aroused you.” (Song of Songs 8:5)
The weekly portion is of course filled with life/daily lessons. This week shouldn’t be any different. But it is, because this week the good ol communal hat went around and everyone dug deep to help build G-d’s House. In a country where homes are being taken over (and I don’t mean crushing the cousin, I mean displacing the brother), we can all fully understand the importance of building a home and furnishing it with a G-dly presence: mezuzah, holy books, Jewish kids (I got one), kosher food, ketoret…
Although the eternal Bet HamiKdash has yet to be rebuilt, we have much to learn from the contributions and vessels that filled the Tabernacle.
I pick two of my favorites to share with you, Lust and Light:
And they came, everyone whose heart stirred them, and everyone whose spirit made willing, and they brought the offering to G-d for the work of the Tent of Meeting…They came, the men along with the women… and they brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and girdles, all jewels of gold… And he made the Basin of copper, and its pedestal of copper, out of the mirrors of the women assembling… (38:8)
Che-Che-Check it out, the girls of Israel were not want to go sleepless in Egypt. They knew the continued existence of our people relied on the children they and their husbands would create. In spite of Pharos decree they marched wine and mirror in hand to their husbands. The men who were working in the field resisted home and temptation- not wanting to give life just to be killed. “Look at what your missing” sang the violet fems. After glancing in the mirror, the boys intoxicated with love, assumed the responsibility of married folk…and the ladies became mommies right there. Moses denied their mirrored gifts, associating it with vanity. G-d, our sauve Father, told him to take another look see— with those mirrors my daughters kept it all in the family. And thus says G-d “they (mirrors) are more precious to Me then anything else…” Learn what you will – women are our heroes, children are our guarantee.
And He made the Menorah of pure gold; of beaten work made he the Menorah, its foot, its shaft, its branches, its goblets, its bulbs, and its flowers, were of the same piece…(37:17)
A small light: The original symbol of the Jewish people is the Menorah, not the Star of David. A symbol is a material object used to represent something invisible (dictionary.com). The Talmud (Menachos 86b) states: “Scripture says ‘He made for the house (Bet HaMikdash) broad and narrow windows I — broad on the outside and narrow on the inside, for I (G-d) am not in need of light.” the Bet HaMikdash windows were made narrow on the inside and became wider on the outside, so that the light from the Bet HaMikdash should go forth to the outside and illuminate the world.
“The soul of man is the lamp of G-d”– your task is to glow within your 4 feet of space, thus giving daylight to our global village. And like the wide windows, we too must offer to others in an expansive way. It may mean changing your nature, but opening up is a great thing.
Shabbat Shalom
*ùáòéí ôðéí ìúåøä seventy flavors of Torah – for the d’var Torah of your choice email me.