D'var Torah

In this week's Torah portion, Parashat P'kudei, we read the final story in the book of Exodus. This Torah lays out, in vivid detail, the description of the plans for the Mishkan, or the Tabernacle, and the designs of the garments that will be worn by the priests. Nothing will be spared for this holy structure and these holy people. We read about fine yarns and linens with beautiful colors, precious stones, ornate details, and golden and silver decorations. 

Our sanctuary is a beautiful and special place. It was one of the things that immediately caught my eye when I first came to Temple Rodef Shalom over a year ago. Light fills the wood-framed room, creating warmth and openness. And when we read of the woven fabrics in hues of blue, purple, and crimson, our ark and Torah covers come to mind. However, compared to the ornate tabernacle of our ancestors, our space is certainly simpler. And though we may don our Shabbat finest on Friday night, I have yet to see anyone wearing a breastplate with twelve precious stones! But, in our space, we have something far more precious than silver and gold. The woven linens are our voices soaring together in song; the stones of the breastplate are diverse and beautiful friends sitting together; and the bells of pure gold that the priests wore are the sounds of laughter coming from the children as they run around the oneg at our family Shabbatot.

On the headdresses of the priests, two Hebrew words were inscribed- קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַיהֹוָֽה, kodesh l’Adonai, meaning “Holy to God.” While it might be fun to imagine this tabernacle, and certainly would have been amazing to see it built up in all its glory, I am grateful to live in a time where I look out from the bimah and see kodesh l’Adonai in the eyes of every member of this holy congregation.

Cantor Sydney Michaeli