Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Adar II, 5784
Parsha Pekudei: (Exodus 38:21 – 40:38)
Fifth Portion: Exodus 40:1 – 40:15

Good morning! We are on our final three portions of the book of Exodus! We discussed yesterday how structure can lead to obligations instead of desire.  As the tabernacle has been completed, to perfection – like a lego set – Moses blessed the people saying “nice work!”  That is the context where we find ourselves today:

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2″On the day of the first month, on the first of the month, you shall set up the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting.

What is interesting here?  The day of the first month, on the first of the month? Literally will be the next new moon. April 9, 2024.  The First Day of the Month of Nisan. The day AFTER the Solar Eclipse.

Let’s pause.

Just reflect on that reality.

We have a significant event coming up. A solar eclipse – followed by the day the Tabernacle is designed to be set up. A place designed to meet with Hashem.

I am not a prophet (that I am aware of).  And. Something to consider in the work we are doing. We are celebrating the work within ourselves the past moon cycle and this one. The Mazal (energy of Hashem) is above us fully connecting with our Neshamas. We are in prime position.  We’ve done the work exactly as we’ve needed to.

Full stop.

Have we? Have we done the work exactly as we’ve needed to? Or do we feel guilt and shame over the work we’ve done? Do we feel like our lives are a mistake? Do we feel like we’ve “followed the directions” we’ve been given?

Regardless of how we might FEEL about this, the answer is ABSOUTELY – YES! Because everything we’ve done has gone according the design it needed to so we can live in THIS moment exactly as we are meant to. You see, the tent of meeting? It was a TEMPORARY dwelling.  It was flexible. Fluid. It was BUILT exactly as it was supposed to.

Our ACTIONS and BEHAVIORS aren’t the tent of meeting. Our bodies are. Our minds are. Our souls are. And they have been built exactly as they should be.

We’ve been working on our bodies, minds, souls – all for the purpose of spiritual liberation and freedom. Wherever we are on this journey? That’s where we need to be. We can feel guilt because we lament the potential we had to be further along on the journey than we see ourselves today.  Or we can show GRATITUDE for the journey we’ve been on – and the progress we’ve made.  Our freedom to CHOOSE which metric of success we are looking at? That will be crucial.

Let’s look at how the tabernacle is going to be constructed:

3There you shall place the Ark of the Testimony, and you shall spread the dividing curtain toward the ark.

It starts with the Ark of Testimony. The holiest thing within us. Our souls. Our soul is the beginning of our tabernacle. This contains the entire Torah. The direction of our lives. The tablets. It’s covered by angels – the cherubim.

4You shall bring in the table and set its arrangement; you shall bring in the menorah and kindle its lamps.

Then we add our light. The divine light of Hashem – the Universe – the One Soul. This is the place within us to kindle the fire and passion of our souls.

5You shall place the golden altar for incense before the Ark of the Testimony, and you shall place the screen of the entrance to the Mishkan.

Next is the space within us that is FRAGRANT.  That gives off our aroma. Remember we discussed how challenging it is to “smell ourselves.” But we must see not only within – but how others are perceiving us! Are we a sweet aroma?

6You shall place the altar of the burnt offering in front of the entrance of the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting.

Next is the place within us where we offer and surrender to Hashem and those around us.

7You shall place the washstand between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and there you shall put water.

The place we sacrifice and surrender and the external boundary (i.e. our skin) will require washing. We WILL get dirty. That is a part of this process!

8And you shall set up the courtyard all around, and you shall put up the screen for the gate to the courtyard.

And we are to set up space within us to allow this work to happen. To connect with Hashem

9You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the Mishkan and everything within it, and you shall sanctify it and all its furnishings; thus it will become a holy thing.

10You shall anoint the altar for the burnt offering and all its implements; you shall sanctify the altar; thus the altar will become a holy of holies.

11You shall anoint the washstand and its base and sanctify it.

And once we are set up? We are to make it special. How? By anointing it with oil.  How are we doing this within our lives? Are we letting the beauty of Hashem anoint our bodies and souls to make it all set apart (ie Holy) to Hashem.

People. Friends. This is love. This is the goal. This is the freedom from slavery. Hashem is showing us a part of the promised land within the wilderness. Are we seeing this?

12And you shall bring Aaron and his sons near the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and you shall bathe them in water.

13And you shall clothe Aaron with the holy garments, and you shall anoint him and sanctify him so that he may serve Me [as a kohen].

14And you shall bring his sons near and clothe them with tunics.

15And you shall anoint them, as you have anointed their father, so that they may serve Me [as kohanim]. And this shall be so that their anointment shall remain for them an everlasting kehunah throughout their generations.”

And when we interact with OTHERS?  We should treat THEM as holy too.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Here is my thought from two years ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 30 Adar I, 5782

It’s Rosh Chodesh eve! At sundown tonight we begin Adar II! That means Purim is on its way!

Todays portion finally gives us some insight into why the Israelites couldn’t lift the beams Hashem instructed them to create. Moses just finished blessing the Israelites for sticking to God’s plan. Now it’s God’s turn to speak;

He starts by telling Moses. WHEN to build the tabernacle – on the day of the inauguration in the first month, on the first of the month.

Lightbulb! So; God shared HOW to build the tabernacle. He gave explicit instructions for the Israelites to follow. And they did. But they ASSUMED once they finished making all of the items, they could just set it up. NOPE.

How often does this happen to us? We do what we think God is telling us to do; we do work, and then when we try to put everything together, we can’t. It’s because it was not HIS time for us to do so. His timing is critical!

Next, Hashem tells Moses the order in which to erect the Tabernacle- and the FRIST THING was the ark. That was what should be placed first; and the tabernacle would be build around it.

What follows are the details of placing the items in the tabernacle.

My big takeaway here- just because you have all of the pieces to put something together, unless it is the appointed time by Hashem, it isn’t going to work.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson wrote this about this portion:

Moses already had his own personal “Tabernacle,” the “Tent of Meeting;” which was outside the camp (above, Exodus 33:7). Therefore, he did not need to be involved in constructing the Tabernacle, which was primarily for the Divine Presence to dwell among the Jewish people. Nevertheless, God told Moses that he should be involved, and gave him the task of erecting the Tabernacle.

This teaches us that a person cannot only busy himself with his own spiritual development and Torah study. He needs also to be involved in helping others, in the same way that God instructed Moses to be involved in the Tabernacle: not just as a spiritual leader and mentor, but also, “with his hands.”

That was something I missed about the passage. How are the actions we are taking in helping others?

What are your thoughts?