Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, was addressing a room packed with students. “Why is it,” he asked, “that there are only 31 verses in the Torah to describe the entirety of the act of creation by G‑d, and yet, when it comes to describing the building of the Tabernacle, it goes on and on for hundreds of verses.”
For the last three Torah portions, we have been reading the “blueprints” forThe Jewish people were enveloped in a mass ecstatic experience building the Tabernacle, and now, in the Torah portion, Pekudei, the building process itself is described. Is this necessary? Honestly, it seems redundant and somewhat boring.
Rabbi Sacks explained that it is nothing for G‑d, an Infinite Being, to create a home for man, but it’s quite another thing for man to create a home for G‑d, especially when this holy building project followed on the heels of the sin of the Golden Calf. And the sin of the Golden Calf is especially egregious and puzzling, since it followed on the heels of the revelation of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
During revelation, the Jewish people were enveloped in a mass ecstatic experience, proclaiming their faithful devotion with these famous words: N’aseh v’nishma, meaning “We will do and we will hear.” So deep was their love for G‑d at that moment that they had no preconditions for accepting Torah. Imagine your beloved asking you to do something for him or her ... do you need to know the exact details before consenting?
But the experience was transitory. The Jewish people quickly rose to the occasion, and then, having risen so high, they had nowhere to go but down. It’s one thing to be swept up in an ecstatic moment, but it’s quite another to maintain it for the long haul.
Any relationship can be sparked by infatuation; it’s easy to get caught up in a moment of intense feelings. But for a relationship to endure, one has to relish and savor it, day after day, week after week, month after month. In tasking us with the building of the Tabernacle—where we did ordinary tasks repeatedly for a prolonged period of time—G‑d was teaching us a lesson about the real nature of love.
More so, in discussing the Tabernacle, there is an unusual statement made. We read of this in the Torah portion, Terumah, where it says: Asu li mikdash, v’shachanti b’tocham (Exodus 25:8), meaning “Make for me a sanctuary, and I will dwell amongst them.” The obvious question is that this statement appears to be grammatically incorrect. “Sanctuary” is in the singular, and yet “them” is in the plural. On a deeper reading, however, it is the essential point and purpose of why the Tabernacle is to be built in the first place. The commentaries explain that the Tabernacle must be built within each and every one of us. We must create a home that is welcome, open and loving for our Creator. We must make a home for G‑dliness in our individual lives. For when one feels at home, and in this case, when the One feels at home, that is the greatest expression of love.
Another allusion to this is the fact that the Torah begins with the letter beit, which can also be read as the word “bayit” meaning “house.” This shows us that the reason we were created was to create a home—a dwelling place for G‑d in this world, and a place where others can feel at home as well. To do so requires constant work and focus; to make a house a home, we need it inviting and welcoming for others. We want a home filled with love and light.
Real love doesn’t extinguish after one intense fiery moment, but it burns with anRepetition reminds us of what is important eternal flame. When you love, the seemingly mundane and repetitive moments are anything but, and they add up to a lifetime of deep and meaningful connection. The cup of coffee lovingly put on my desk every morning, my smile across the table to my husband that catches his eye and speaks wordlessly, the small daily constant gestures of thoughtfulness and devotion—these comprise the blueprints of intimacy. It is the very nature of such repetition that lays the foundation of how we build loving lasting relationships and a fit home for G‑d, indeed. After all, as the saying goes, if you want an important guest to stay at your house, then you better provide a comfy chair.
Repetition reminds us of what is important, essential; it is the underlying reason and purpose for what it is that we are doing in our lives and with our lives. It is how we invest in a relationship so it doesn’t sputter out when infatuation fades or crumble when the work of relationship begins. Rather, it is the path through which our relationship with G‑d, and with others, can become deeper, more real, more intimate, and over time, evolve into its true relationship potential.
Internalize & Actualize:
- Think about the mundane moments in your life. What do you possibly take for granted that when reflecting more closely shows you how loved you are? List at least five things that you receive or give in this category.
- Consider making a mental shift from doing things in a habitual, repetitive and mundane way to investing in your relationship. Can you bring a new awareness or mental presence to rote activities? What changes?
- Is your house a home? Is it a place you feel you and others are totally comfortable? Is it a dwelling place for G‑d? If so, what makes it that way? If not, what can you do to create such an environment?
- What new loving behaviors can you do consistently to invest in and grow your relationships?
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