Timeless Torah

Peace had finally arrived in the Promised Land. In its wake, the expected hopes and fears everyone came to fruition. The Israeli mother breathed a sigh of relief. The American fundraiser stifled an anxious moan. For the soldier, it was a moment of triumph. For the donor, a time of trial.  read more »

This week’s portion begins with a mainstay of Jewish life, the appeal. “Speak to the Israelites and have them take to me an offering. From every man whose heart impels him, you shall take...” All the commentaries explore the peculiar expression, “take to me,” rather than the expected, “give to me.”  read more »

I am confident. If our great-grandparents did it, then there is no reason we can’t either. With no experience in organizing a building campaign or constructing a Synagogue, our ancestors built the first Jewish Temple. Their holy facility was to be the paradigm of all sanctuaries to follow. All we need to do, it seems to me, is follow their lead.  read more »

Enter a Synagogue and there are various artifacts one can expect to find. Such a collection would certainly include an Ark where the Torah scrolls are kept, a Bimah, an eternal light, and so forth. Venture out of the Sanctuary into the kiddush room and you will see a silver wine cup, two challahs, etc. All of these are reminiscent of our people’s first Temple, the desert Mishkan. This travelling exhibit of G-d’s Presence similarly featured and Ark, a Menorah, an altar, and a table of challohs.  read more »

There is a saying of our Sages, “That which is passed is past.” In modern parlance we would translate it thus; “Who cares? It’s too late!” This motto seems most appropriate when applied to the elaborate detail of the Tabernacle recorded in this week’s Torah portion. The difficulty in understanding the Bible’s meticulous enumeration of every material used and every utensil designed, is that unlike the Holy Temple, the desert sanctuary was never meant to be a permanent edifice.  read more »

Have you ever sat down with an architect to design your new home? Or gone house hunting? You walk in and orient yourself from the front door. In your mind you want the bedrooms somewhere to the back, the family room off to the side, etc.  read more »

G-d had unveiled his blueprint for the Mishkan, the desert Sanctuary. Detailed and intricate instructions for each and every aspect of the structure were revealed. Among the sacred utensils to be built, three were to be adorned with a zer, a decorative rim or golden crown: the Altar, the Table and the Ark.  read more »

The Divine had spoken. "Make for me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." Obviously G-d does not need a house where He can rest. He did however desire a place where His power would be manifest, offering inspiration and strength to all those who came there.  read more »

Once upon a time there was a people with no land, though their need for a home was no less than those of other nations. Thus it came to pass that their leader, Moses, received instructions from on High to build a Sanctuary that would accompany the Jews on their desert wanderings.  read more »

Meander through the garden of Torah and you will discover a veritable Pardes, an orchard rich in taste offering a variety of choices suited for every palate. The first course always served in this spiritual oasis is the P’shat, the simple meaning of the text. Our menu of Divine delectables then calls for a little appetizer, or forshpeiz as we used to say in Yiddish, to tease and whet our appetites. That is why Remez, the part of the Torah that drops hints in alluding to further delights is the second stage of this mental culinary feast.  read more »