Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with God instructing Moses to command (Tzav) Aaron and his sons regarding their duties and rights as kohanim (priests) who offer the korbanot (animal and meal offerings) in the Sanctuary. The fire on the altar must be kept constantly burning at all times. Upon the altar, the Olah (Ascending) offering is burned completely. Also burned are the veins of fat from the Shlamim (Peace offerings), the Hatat (Sin offering), the Asham (Guilt offering), and a handful of grain that is separated from the Minkhah (Meal offering). The kohanim eat the meat of the Sin and Guilt offerings, and the remainder of the Meal offering. The Peace offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the kohen. Aaron and his sons remain within the Sanctuary compound for seven days, during which Moses initiates them into the priesthood.
Torah of Awakening
צַ֤ו אֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר זֹ֥את תּוֹרַ֖ת הָעֹלָ֑ה הִ֣וא הָעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹקְדָ֨הֿ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ כׇּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וְאֵ֥שׁ הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ תּ֥וּקַד בּֽוֹ׃ Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the torah of the Olah (Ascending) offering: The Olah offering shall remain upon the pyre upon the altar all night until morning, and the altar’s fire shall be kept burning upon it… - Vayikra (Leviticus) 6:2 Parshat Tzav
In the days of the Baal Shem Tov, it once happened at the conclusion of Yom Kippur that the sky was particularly cloudy. The moon was completely obscured, preventing the Baal Shem from making the Kiddush Levana – the Sanctification of the Moon that is said after Yom Kippur. He sensed that the welfare of his people somehow depended on his making the blessing that night. Determined, he stood beneath the night sky, concentrating his mind to cause the clouds to disperse, but with no success. He eventually accepted his failure as what needed to be, and retired to his room. His disciples, however, knew nothing of his sadness and had begun to dance around the house in ecstatic celebration. Eventually their revelry burst through the door into the Baal Shem Tov’s room, and in their mad ecstasy, they took him by the hand and drew him into the dance. As they danced, the Baal Shem noticed – the sky had cleared and the waxing moon beamed brightly! The Baal Shem made the brakha (blessing) and wept in gratitude that the danger had been averted.
On the surface, this story is about joy and the power of community to lift our burdens of sorrow. But on a deeper level, the Baal Shem Tov’s response to his failure in controlling his situation demonstrates a wise and practical path for dealing with life’s challenges. This path consists of three phases, which we could call: acceptance, surrender, and affirmation. The words “acceptance” and “surrender” are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct. Acceptance is a choice: when our situation is unacceptable, we can step back from the cycle of emotional resistance by simply deciding, “this is what is happening, I must accept it.” Acceptance doesn’t mean approval and it doesn’t mean the absence of sadness or anger; it only means that our intellect has come into harmony with reality, that we have stopped struggling intellectually against the truth of the moment. The practice of acceptance is represented by the letter ו vav, which means “and” – we say “yes and” to whatever is, because it is. In the story, acceptance the first phase of the Baal Shem Tov’s response, when he acknowledges his inability to move the clouds with his mind and retires to his room. “Surrender,” on the other hand, happens by Grace; it is when our clinging to things being other than the way they are drops away, and a new joy can sprout. Surrender is represented by the letter מ mem, which means “water,” hinting at the way water simply takes the shape of the vessel that holds it. We cannot force ourselves to surrender, but we can open ourselves to its possibility through acceptance. In the story, surrender is represented by the disciples bursting into his room and drawing him into the dance. The disciples come to the Baal Shem Tov of their own accord, but he is susceptible to them because he has ceased his struggling with the clouds. Acceptance was his choice; surrender came by Grace. From this perspective, the miracle of the clouds finally parting, allowing for the blessing on the moon, points not to the supernatural, but to the power of how we perceive what happens. After all, we can notice: the clouds were bound to clear eventually. The significance of this moment is how the event was received by the Baal Shem: in the wake of his surrender and letting go, the very thing that eluded him came on its own; this was the fruit of letting go – the transformation from lack to fulfillment, from loss to gratitude… הָעֹלָ֡ה עַל֩ מוֹקְדָ֨הֿ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ כׇּל־הַלַּ֙יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר – The elevation offering itself shall stay on the flame upon the altar all night until morning… If we want to “elevate” our relationship with disappointment and failure, we must become aware of our tendency to resist during the “night time” of our challenges; we must make the decision to accept, and to then remain alert – to keep the “flame” of our awareness burning so that we do not revert to our unconsciousness, all through the “night” until the “morning” – that is, until surrender comes to us. This is the first stage. הוֹצִ֤יא אֶת־הַדֶּ֙שֶׁן֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה…הַכֹּהֵ֜ן – The priest… shall carry the ashes outside the camp… Then, after we have accepted and “burned” through any negativity by being present with it, we must let go of the ashes. We cannot force ourselves to surrender, but in being present with our resistance, it transforms. At this point, we must remain present so as to not resurrect the negativity; don’t keep it alive by creating more mental stories; remove it from your space. This is the second stage. וּבִעֵ֨ר עָלֶ֧יהָ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן עֵצִ֖ים בַּבֹּ֣קֶר בַּבֹּ֑קֶר – and the priest shall feed wood to (the burning flame), from morning to morning… But then, when the “morning” comes in the wake of surrender, we’ve got to continue burning the fire of Presence, rather than practice only when things are challenging; this is daily meditation. It is not difficult, but it takes an initial commitment to break through the inertia and establish it as a habit. אֵ֗שׁ תָּמִ֛יד תּוּקַ֥ד עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לֹ֥א תִכְבֶּֽה׃ – a perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; it should never be extinguished… This is the point of meditation: that through persistence over time, through the cycles of acceptance, surrender and affirmation, we can develop an אֵשׁ תָּמִיד aysh tamid, a perpetual Presence that burns brightly through both the day times and the night times of life. This is the letter ש shin, the practice of moment to moment attentiveness. In this week of Shabbat Tzav, the Sabbath of Connection, may we connect these three phases – accepting challenge and failure when it happens, letting go of negativity so that we may be drawn back into the Dance of Life, and coming to bless the holiness of each moment, regardless of whether our fortune is “waxing” or “waning.”
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with God calling to Moses (וַיִּקְרָא vayikra) from the Ohel Mo’ed, the Tent of Meeting, and proceeding to instruct him in the laws of the korbanot, the animal and meal offerings. These include: the “Elevation Offering” (Olah) that is burned completely in fire atop the altar; the different types of “Meal Offering” (Minkhah) prepared with fine flour, olive oil and frankincense; the “Peace Offering” (Shlamim), whose meat was eaten by the one bringing it, after some parts are burned on the altar and others are given to the kohanim (priests); the different types of “Sin Offering” (Hatat) brought to atone for transgressions committed by the high priest, the entire community, the king or the ordinary community member; and the “Guilt Offering” (Asham) brought by one who has misappropriated property of the Mishkan, (the Sanctuary), who is in doubt as to whether they transgressed some prohibition, or who has committed a “betrayal” by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow human being.
Torah of Awakening
אִם־עֹלָ֤ה קׇרְבָּנוֹ֙ מִן־הַבָּקָ֔ר זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִיבֶ֑נּוּ אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יי׃ If their offering is an Elevation Offering from the herd, an unblemished pure male they shall bring. To the entrance of the Tent of Meeting they shall bring it close, for favor before the Divine. - Vayikra (Leviticus) 1:3 Parshat Vayikra
Rabbi Hayyim Meir Yehiel, the grandson of the Maggid of Koznitz, told this story: “When I was a boy of eleven, my grandfather summoned me and said, ‘Come to me at dawn and I shall teach you Kabbalah.’ I did not do as he said, but from that time on, I studied alone at dawn and did my avodah alone, for I did not want anything I couldn’t get by my own efforts. After a time my grandfather again summoned me and said, ‘At first I thought you did not like getting up early. But now I have found that you are up early, but nevertheless you do not come to me.’
“But he grasped the fact that I wanted to study on my own, for he went on to say: ‘Well, just make a point of being there every morning when I pray, and I shall see to it that you receive holy illumination.’ But I did not even want to get any illumination without working for it myself, and so I came only to the beginning and end of his prayers. Time passed, and then one night I had a vision. My deceased teacher, the Rabbi of Apt, zikhrono livrakha, appeared to me and brought me tefillin from paradise. When I had bound the shel rosh to my forehead, illumination came to me…” While being of service is an indispensable cornerstone of the spiritual path, we must be aware of its shadow side: the tendency to project onto others what we think they need, so that we may feel as though we are helping, or be seen as helpers by others. For example, my friend Josh is blind. When he walks around in public, it is not uncommon for someone to grab his arm aggressively and say, “Here let me help you!” and try to force him in a certain direction. Their intentions may be good, but they are unaware of their own motivation, of their psychological need to help others. And consequently, their “help” is not really help – it is simply food for their self-image, for ego. It is like the old Sesame Street episode, where Grover is straining to carry a really heavy brick. The brick has the word “HELP” carved into it. As he moans and groans trying not to drop the brick, he keeps yelling, “Help! Help!” The great trickster Ernie walks up and says, “Oh, Grover, you need some help? I’ve got some help for you, hold on just a minute.” He bends down and picks up another big heavy brick, also with the word “HELP” carved into it, and piles it on top of the first brick, increasing Grover’s burden. “HELP! HELP!” Grover yells even louder. “Oh, you want even more help??” says Ernie. Ernie then picks up yet another big heavy “HELP” brick and piles it on top of the two that Grover is already holding. This goes on a few more times – Grover yelling “Help!” and Ernie just making it worse and worse by piling on more and more HELP bricks. Finally, Grover screams and falls backwards, all the bricks falling on top of him. Have you ever felt a strong desire in yourself be the helper, to be the one who “knows” or is “needed?” The presence of these kinds of strong feelings (or any strong feelings for that matter) are a sign that we need to be aware of ourselves, and ask ourselves: are we really seeing clearly what is needed, or are we unconsciously trying to satisfy our own need to play a certain role, or to be seen a certain way? The root of the problem, of course, is not the desire to be of service; it is identifying with what we are doing. It’s seeing our “self” as the “doer.” It is like a small child who wants to “help” you cook in the kitchen. You might let them “help” by holding your wrist while you stir something in a hot pan, or hold your arm while you lift something much too heavy and dangerous for them. They feel like they are helping, but they are not really the doer. That is actually our situation. We go through motions, thinking “I am doing such-and-such,” but actually the act is being done by Everything; we are only apparently doing it. When you turn on the car, it may seem like the key is turning it on. But is it the key? Is it the starter? Is it the spark plug? There is no single thing doing anything; everything is doing everything all the time. Yet we tend to think, “I am doing it.” In thinking of ourselves as doers, we take on the most profound burden of all. Like Grover, we strain and moan under the burden of life, yelling, “Help! Help!” But when it comes to the burden of being the doer, any “help” we get is ultimately like Ernie’s help. We don’t need that kind of help; what we really need to drop the burden. But, we can’t “try” to drop the burden; that is just more burden. The “me” that tries to drop the burden is itself the burden. So how do we drop the burden? אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יי – To the entrance of the Tent of Meeting they shall bring it close, willingly, before the Divine… The word for “bring close” – יַקְרִ֣יב yakriv – is the same root as קָרבָּן korban, a sacrificial offering. So the meaning of a sacrificial offering is not “sacrifice,” but rather “drawing close,” or “becoming intimate.” אֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ – To the opening of the Tent of Meeting… The “Tent of Meeting” is the place we meet Reality. And where is that? It is always only where we already are! לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יי – willingly, before the Divine… But, just because we are always here now, doesn’t mean that we are close or intimate with the Here and Now, with Reality as It manifests Here and Now, that Divine Name which means “Being.” Rather, we need to want it; one needs to come לִרְצֹנוֹ litzono; to come willingly to this moment; this is meditation. אֶל־פֶּתַח – to the opening… Draw your attention willingly into the פֶּתַח petakh – into the openness of the present; that is the openness of consciousness within which this fullness of this moment is now arising. Don’t hold this moment as a burden that you need to change or control – offer yourself to it; that is the key. וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה – They shall lean their hand on the head of the Elevation Offering… “Leaning” is the exact opposite of “carrying.” To carry a burden, you have to put your hands under it. Here it says they lean their hand on the korban – it implies a restfulness in the “drawing near,” a surrender and trust in “being supported,” which we can see in the word for “lean,” itself: סָמַךְ samakh, which comes from the root that means “support.” Thus we might retranslate: “Come close in openness and rest upon the Divine support, present now as the fullness of this moment…” This is “letting go.” But as long as we don’t let go, we will experience life as somewhat antagonistic; the message we get from life’s challenges will continue to be experienced as difficulty. This message will come to us in the forms of whatever situations arise, over and over again: וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה – Called to Moses… This opening verse doesn’t say who called to Moses, it just says “called.” The last letter of וַיִּקְרָ֖א Vayikra is א alef, which has the numerical value of one, and is a symbol of Divine Oneness. On a Torah scroll, this particular א alef is written smaller than all the other letters, hinting that the “Oneness” is hidden within everything, calling to us from everything, nudging us to see – it is not you who acts. When we can see that it is not the “me” who acts, but the Divine Oneness that is acting through Everything, we can let go of our burden. Then, the help we offer will also not be a burden; it won’t demand anything in return, or push anybody around. It becomes a true gift, a Divine gift, with no strings attached. There’s a story of Rabbi Baruch of Mezbizh, that once he was saying the blessing after his meal. When he got to the following passage, he repeated it three times with great fervor: וְנָא אַל־תַּצְרִיכֵֽנוּ יי אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ לֺא לִידֵי מַתְּ֒נַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם וְלֺא לִידֵי הַלְוָאָתָם כִּי אִם לְיָדְ֒ךָ הַמְּלֵאָה הַפְּ֒תוּחָה הַקְּ֒דוֹשָׁה וְהָרְ֒חָבָה... Please let us not need the gifts of flesh and blood, nor their loans, but only your full, open, holy and generous hand… When he finished, his daughter asked: “Abba, why did you pray so hard that you should not need the gifts of people? Your only support comes to you from the gifts that people bring you!” “My daughter,” he replied, “You must know that there are three ways of supporting the tzaddik. The first way is when a person thinks, ‘I’m a generous person, so I’ll bring a gift.’ This way is referred to by the words, ‘let us not need the gifts of flesh and blood.’ The second way is when a person thinks, ‘I’ll give something now, and then I’ll get some reward in the future.’ Those people want heaven to pay them interest; that’s the ‘loan.’ But there are some who know: ‘God has put this money in my hand to give, and I’m just the messenger.’ These are the ‘full, open, holy and generous hand...’” In this week of Shabbat Vayikra, The Sabbath of Calling, may we hear the Divine Call from all things, urging us to drop the burden of separateness and accept the סֶמֶך semekh, the Divine support acting through everything to allow us to be, in this moment…
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
An accounting (pekudei) is made of the gold, silver and copper donated by the people for the making of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary. Betzalel, Aholiav and their assistants make the eight priestly garments—the apron, breastplate, cloak, crown, hat, tunic, sash and breeches—according to the specifications communicated to Moses in Parshat Tetzaveh. The Mishkan is completed and all its components are brought to Moses, who assembles it, anoints it with the holy anointing oil, and initiates Aaron and his four sons into the priesthood. A cloud appears over the Mishkan, signifying the Divine Presence that has come to dwell within it…
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה עֲבֹדַת֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ These are the records of the Sanctuary, the Sanctuary of Witnessing, which were recorded according to mouth of Moses—the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. - Shemot (Exodus) 38:21, Parshat Pekudei
Rabbi Yitzhak of Vorki told this story: “Once when I was traveling with David Lelov, of blessed memory, we arrived in the little town of Elkish about an hour past midnight. Rabbi David did not want to wake anyone, so we went to Rabbi Berish the baker, who we found standing at his oven. When we entered, I saw his face cloud over because we had found him doing his mundane livelihood work rather than praying or learning Torah.
“‘Oh,’ said Rabbi David, ‘If only Hashem let me earn my living by the work of my hands! The truth of the matter is that everyone in Israel has an inner urge of which they themselves are barely aware: what they want is to work for their fellow human beings. Everyone who plies a trade – the cobbler, the tailor, or the baker – takes money in return for their work only that they may live and continue working for their fellow humans.’ While Rabbi David was speaking, I saw the baker’s face clear and grow brighter and brighter.” There is an instinct of self-interest, a drive which compels us to earn a living and enjoy the fruits of our labors. We might call this instinct the drive of self-preservation or self-enhancement. In the language of Judaism it is known as the yetzer hara, the “evil inclination.” וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ… And from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad, you must not eat of it… - Bereisheet (Genesis) 2:17 This “bad” yetzer becomes part of our makeup in our origin story – a result of “eating” from the “fruit” of duality – that is, the ability to comprehend the duality of time – of working to move from our present state of perceived lack to a future state in which we may “eat” from the “fruits” of our labors. But the other side of the equation, also awakened in our legend of origin, is the yetzer tov – the “good inclination.” This is the inner urge to which Rabbi David refers: the urge to be of service, to make a positive difference, to contribute. Both drives are essential; the yetzer hara is not really ra, not really a bad thing – it is necessary to insure that we take our next breath; it is the drive of survival. But the yetzer tov is what gives us a sense of purpose; it gives meaning to our survival. Thus, the yetzer hara is only ra when it separates from the yetzer tov and operates for its own sake, becoming ego – that dark self-sense emerging from our identification with the yetzer hara. But when it works together with the yetzer tov, then the mundane work of earning a living can become holy service; the actions of the body in time can become service of the Eternal. This yetzer tov, this impulse toward sacred service, toward meaning, toward serving our fellow beings, is not mysterious or inaccessible, though it can be easily eclipsed by its more obvious counterpart. The aim of spirituality is to overcome this tendency of the sacred to be concealed beneath the ego and reveal the sacred in the mundane. אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ – These are the remembrances of the Sanctuary… That is, remember to make your “self” into a Sanctuary. How do we do that? מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָעֵדֻ֔ת – The Sanctuary of Witnessing… The moment we become witness to what is happening, simply seeing without judgment or resistance, our inner space becomes a Sanctuary of Presence; this is meditation. וְאִתּ֗וֹ אׇהֳלִיאָ֞ב בֶּן־אֲחִיסָמָ֛ךְ לְמַטֵּה־דָ֖ן חָרָ֣שׁ וְחֹשֵׁ֑ב וְרֹקֵ֗ם – and with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a carver, a weaver, and an embroiderer… חָרָ֣שׁ – a carver… To become a Mishkan HaEidut, a Sanctuary of Witnessing, we must first let our inner space be “carved” by the content of this moment. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Don’t resist, let your inner space take the form of this moment, however it arises; this is the Path of מ Mem, of “merging.” חֹשֵׁ֑ב – a weaver… Then, let the fullness of everything in this moment be “woven” into a whole within the space of your awareness. Don’t tear the moment apart with judgments and resistance – it is already one whole tapestry, when you allow it to be as it is; this is the Path of י Yud, of “trusting.” Together, מ mem and י yud are מי mi – “who” – that is, the question we must pose to ourselves: who are we really, beneath this ego, beneath this obvious drive toward self-preservation? Mi? This brings us to… רֹקֵ֗ם – an embroiderer – From this state of Presence, we can live our purpose – serving the moment, “embroidering” the sacred into our thoughts, words and actions. This is the Path of ה Hei, of sacred “self-expression.” And when we are in the flow of our sacred purpose, the ego loses its seductive power… וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֗ה לָבוֹא֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד כִּֽי־שָׁכַ֥ן עָלָ֖יו הֶעָנָ֑ן וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה מָלֵ֖א אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּֽן׃ Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud dwelled upon it and the Divine Presence filled the Sanctuary… .” - 40:35 When your Presence completely fills this moment, there is no more room for that separate “me” of ego – there is just Presence, in alignment with and in service of Reality as it is unfolding now. This is the most basic and first mitzvah; it is the original “fruitfulness” of creativity, mentioned before the “fruit” of the ego, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and master/subdue it… - Bereisheet (Genesis) 1:28 פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ – Be fruitful and multiply… That is, be creative and express yourself, and to do that you must: וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ – fill the earth… That is, let your awareness “fill” the moment; don’t hold back or shrink away – alignment with Reality is the fertility of creativity. וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ – and master/subdue it… In some contexts, the root כבש kaf-bet-shin can have a militaristic connotation of ruling/subduing and even oppressing, but it can also mean “fermentation” – a כֶּבֶשׁ kevesh is a pickle! In other words, it is taking something that arises naturally in Reality, a cucumber for example, and acting upon it to create something new and delicious. This is the creative act – working with the gifts of creation to become co-creators, to become carvers, weavers, and embroiderers, to become cobblers, tailors, and bakers; this is the expression of purpose, work as sacred service; the Path of ה Hei.
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Parshah Summary – P’sha
The parshah opens with Moses assembling the Children of Israel (vayak’hel, “assembled”) and reviewing the mitzvah of Shabbat, followed by instructions for constructing the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The Israelites bring the materials for its construction in abundance: gold, silver and copper; blue, purple, and red-dyed wool; goat hair, spun linen, animal skins, wood, olive oil, herbs and precious stones. They actually bring too much, and Moses has to tell them to stop.
A team of “wise-hearted” (chochmat lev) artisans then build the Mishkan and its furnishings: three layers of roof coverings; 48 gold-plated wall panels, and 100 silver foundation sockets; the parokhet (veil) that separates between the Sanctuary’s two chambers, and the masakh (screen) at the front; the ark, and its cover with the angelic statues of the keruvim (“cherubim”); the table and the lekhem hapanim, (“showbread”); the seven-branched menorah with its specially prepared oil; the golden altar and the incense burned upon it; the anointing oil; the outdoor altar for burnt offerings and all its implements; the hangings, posts and foundation sockets for the courtyard; and the basin with its pedestal, made out of copper mirrors.
Torah of Awakening | Jewish Meditation Teaching
וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ כׇּל־אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ וְכֹ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ נָדְבָ֨ה רוּח֜וֹ אֹת֗וֹ הֵ֠בִ֠יאוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֨ת יְהֹוָ֜ה לִמְלֶ֨אכֶת אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ וּלְכׇל־עֲבֹ֣דָת֔וֹ וּלְבִגְדֵ֖י הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ And everyone who’s hearts were elevated, and everyone whose spirit was moved came forth, bringing Divine offerings for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its ritual service, and for the sacral vestments… - Shemot (Exodus) 35:21, Parshat Vayak’hel
Once, while Rabbi Zev Wolf was sitting in his bedroom, he heard a strange noise. He cracked the door open slightly and peered out to see a thief filling his sack with valuables. Among the items he stole was a cup which had been used earlier in the evening by a guest who was sick. As the thief was about to leave, Reb Wolf leapt from his hiding spot and cried out: “Good sir! You can keep all the things you’ve taken, but beware! That last cup you took has the breath of a sick man within in it – I don’t want you to drink from it and become sick yourself!”
When we hear a story like this, we might be inclined to think of Reb Wolf as a super-human tzaddik, embodying an ideal out of reach for most of us, but this not so – we only need to know how to access our deeper spiritual potential. There is a hint in the collection of traditional prayers said before going to sleep: רִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל־תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם עַֽל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה Tremble and sin no more, speak within your heart, upon your bed, and be silent, selah! - Psalm 4 The idea here is that, in the quiet moments before sleep, you bring yourself to a state of heightened reverence and resolve to turn from any negative behavior patterns. This is a simple but very powerful form of meditation – connecting with the silent depths of your being, and consciously intending to live from this depth in your daily life. Thus, within the prayers that would be said the next morning, we have the second half of the equation: לְמַ֤עַן יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י לְעוֹלָ֥ם אוֹדֶֽךָּ! So that my inner being will sing to You and NOT be silent; Hashem, my Divinity, constantly I will thank You! - Psalm 30 Taking these two verses together, we have a complete practice: first, awaken your potential in meditation, so that you can then express that potential outwardly in the sometimes noisy and chaotic world. But how can we express our deepest spiritual potential when we find ourselves in situations that trigger powerful emotions like anger or fear, as in the story? Perhaps Rabbi Zev Wolf was beyond such emotions. אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם... וְדֹ֣מּוּ – speak within your heart… and be silent… But consider: since he was hiding and not confronting the thief immediately, there would have been some space to be aware of his reactive emotions as they arose. יְזַמֶּרְךָ֣ כָ֭בוֹד וְלֹ֣א יִדֹּ֑ם – my inner being will sing to You and not be silent… Then, from the silent depths of that awareness that transcends all feelings and impulses, he was able to reflect and decide to do the opposite of those emotions, and express love rather than negativity – this is the power of meditation. There is a hint in this week’s reading: וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ כָּל־אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ – And everyone who’s hearts were elevated came forth… Gifts were brought to build the Sanctuary by those whose hearts were inspired, or elevated, to bring them. But the words נְשָׂא֣וֹ לִבּ֑וֹ nisa’o libo, can also mean hearts were tested; the root for elevated and tested are the same. Meaning: when our hearts are tested – when we peer from our safety to see the thief coming for our things and we become enflamed with fear and anger – it is in precisely those moments that we can become truly elevated by choosing our path consciously rather than be taken over by whatever impulses are arising. Through our meeting of these tests, our ability to express our spiritual potential is strengthened, if we can rise to challenge. How do we do this? הֵ֠בִ֠יאוּ אֶת־תְּרוּמַ֨ת יְהֹוָ֜ה – bringing Divine offerings… Imagine that your words and actions are offerings to the Divine; what words and actions can you express that would reflect this intention? This type of contemplation is a simple, though not necessarily easy, way to transform every moment of life into spiritual practice. And when we fail, not to worry, there will be plenty more opportunities. As long as we are alive in these bodies, we can return, again and again, to the practice. May we strengthen our resolve to meet the tests that life gives us; may we draw upon our meditation to cultivate conscious and intentional self-expression amidst the noisiness of life – this is the Path of ה Hei, of conscious self-expression.
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