Today’s portion covers the altar.

Good tells Moses to build the alter of acacia wood. It is to be square. There are protrusions from each of the corners. It should be coated with copper.

Now. The midrash tells us that Moses was a little concerned with the design. This fire which is supposed to burn day and night will inevitably burn through the copper and burn the wood. God’s response was that this was no ordinary flame: it is a burning flame, but it does not consume.

Let’s stop here for a moment. This week we’ve looked at how the tabernacle seems to represent/is symbolic of our souls and bodies. What can we learn from a flame that does not consume?

I think about my relationships with other people. Some of what I have been recently learning is how past trauma impacts how I engage and build relationships with others. Am I a fire that consumes? Or am I a fire that burns but does not consume? I am sometimes afraid of asking for help because I’m afraid of consuming my friends with my needs. I don’t want to consume and burn up the friendship. But I realize this isn’t reality. Asking friends to determine and dictate my reality without the willingness to take a risk and do that for myself? That’s consuming. Asking for help in tough times? That’s not.

And; do I support others? Do I allow others their own realities and just provide light? Or do I consume their realities and try to bring them into my own reality? That’s consuming.

This has been something I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately; how we engage one another, how we build connections, relationships. Do we consume those around us? Do we build up?

The portion ends with the building of copper tools; pots, shovels, basins, flesh hooks, and fire pans. All to remove ashes, and place sacrifices on the altar.

The final instructions are to make poles for the altar, covered in copper. The altar is to be hollow; made from panels.

Interesting description. Tomorrow we learn about the courtyard; and how things were to be laid out.

Engineers out there? Does this kind of stuff excite you at all? You have blueprints here. It’s really technical. It engages my math brain (I have a BA in Math and Communication) and really drives me to picture this all in my head. What about you?

What are your thoughts?