A Perpetual Force

Dear Friends and Family: It has been a very difficult number of weeks, as is reflected in my d'var torah below. We have been strengthened by the support from family and friends, and by the knowledge that our beloved Esther would want us to approach the upcoming holiday with joy and laughter.

Tzav

Lev. 6:1-8:36

Précis: The parasha begins with Adonai ordering Moses to command (“tzav”) Aaron and his sons concerning offerings. Requirements for the daily offerings, directions for the meal offerings, instructions for guilt-offerings and thanksgiving offerings are described. The parasha then describes the initial offerings of the Tabernacle made by Aaron and his sons following their consecration to priestly service by Moses. 

Lev. 6:6 “A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out.”

What was the symbolic meaning of the aish tamid, the perpetual (eternal) fire? Some felt that it was a symbol of Israel’s unending and continual devotion to Adonai. One modern commentator suggests that it expresses the fact that the Shechinah dwells in the midst of the People constantly, and is never far away. Today, “keeping the fires going” is an idiom for constancy of effort.

It is in this spirit that I pay tribute to my late mother-in-law, Esther Propis z’l, with the end of shivah yesterday. She was not only an “ayshet chayil” (a woman of valor in the words of our tradition), but she was a perpetual force in our lives. We know that she will always be a symbol of unending devotion to her family, to her faith, and to Hashem. 

Blueprints

Vayakel - Pekudei

Ex. 35:1 – 40:30

Précis:  In Vayakel, the first of this double parasha, Moses instructs the People again on the laws of Shabbat, and asks for a donation of gifts (both of material and service) for the construction of the Tabernacle. The appointment of the construction leaders is also included, and the construction begins. There are again specific descriptions of implements, articles, and of the Ark itself.

            In Pekudei, the final parasha of the Book of Exodus begins with an inventory of the items used in the construction of the Mishkan, as well as the vessels and clothing collected by Moses and Aaron. When the accounts are squared, the completed structure is blessed. The Ark is placed within, as are the various holy vessels, and a cloud of glory descends and covers the tent.

        Ex. 25:30 “And Moses said to the Israelites, ‘See, Adonai has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah…He has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft.’”

Rabbi Elan Babchuck has taught an interesting interpretation about the building of the Tabernacle and its implements which are extensively detailed in this week’s readingt. (Torah Sparks, 3/11/16). Moses explains to the chief of construction, Bezalel, the plans Moses had previously received from God (Ex. 31:7-8). However, Moses makes an error in his instructions by telling Bezalel to first fashion the implements and then to build this Mishkan.

            According to the Talmud (Brachot 55a) Bezalel, who has been described as being imbued by God with special talent, corrects Moses and says "Wouldn't it make sense to build the house first and then fill it with furniture?" Moses replies: "Perhaps you were be-tzel El ("in the shadow of God," a play on Bezalel's name) when God spoke to me, because that's precisely what God instructed me." According to Rabbi Babchuck, the text tells us that "all that God had commanded Moses" had been done, and this statement is repeated no fewer than 18 times. Since there are no words within the Torah that are extraneous, this repetition needs examination.

            Bezalel has received a detailed blueprint. Anyone who has dealt with construction knows that every detail in the prints are important. An error can undo the integrity of the whole. If we  read  the words of Torah as a blueprint for how to “build” our lives, we have 18 reminders (chai = life) to make sure that our spiritual lives are constructed with the same attention to detail as the Mishkan. The result? A stable, movable life which offers a welcome to the Divine Presence.