During these weeks leading to Purim, we have read at length about the building of the Sanctuary. The objects donated by the Israelites for the construction of the Sanctuary are both everyday objects and objects dedicated to a specific purpose. Men and women bring their offerings to give God a residence, a home.
The list of offerings is repeated in every detail, because the objects that belonged to the Israelites for their daily use had now become special. They were given for a specific purpose. They had acquired a new meaning. Yet they still remained common objects that would be used to craft vessels and utensils, because God’s home, as any other house, has furniture and vessels: a tent, a table with bread, a lamp, tongs and shovels, a basin, the altar’s utensils for maintaining its fire and removing its ashes. Things that could be found in an Israelite’s house, are here crafted in a special way and used by priests during the daily rituals in the Sanctuary. If God’s house is suitable, The Eternal will descend from His highest residence to dwell near the people of Israel, amongst them. It’s not by chance, in fact, that the Hebrew word qorban for sacrifice – or offering – comes from a root whose meaning is ‘being near’.
Since my mother died, one of her tablecloths has become my Shabbat dinner tablecloth and one of my grandmother’s glasses has become my Kiddush cup. But being a rabbi who travels quite often, I frequently find myself spending Shabbat away from home. A tea candle, brought from home in my backpack, has become my Shabbat’s ner, a glass sitting on my temporary room console is my Kiddush cup. Not anyone’s first choice, to be sure. But isn’t it what we do in Judaism with our rituals every week, every day? We bless God over our daily meals, over bread and wine, we light candles, we use cloves as a spice during Havdalah, a piece of cloth becomes our tallit. The principle of embellishing the mitzvah makes us choose, whenever we can, beautiful objects or tastier food, nevertheless what we use in our rituals still remain a daily use object, that ceased to be hol – common or everyday, in order to become kodesh – distinct.
Through our rituals we try to bring God near to us, among us again, maybe even just for the moment of a blessing. Judaism doesn’t aim to bring humankind near to God. Its aim is to bring God near to humankind, to bring God’s Kedushah into our lives. The worst curse for us is to spend our lives with the feeling that everything is the same: minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day, that nothing is distinct, matters or makes a difference. Spending our lives without special moments to live, special meals to share or without the bittersweet memories of our beloved ones. We can build everyday, little sanctuaries and hope that God will dwell in them, making people, time and objects special. May our lives be enriched by those remarkable impalpable sanctuaries, like the lives of the people of Israel were enriched by the actual presence of God’s dwelling place, the mishkan.
Rabbi Martina
Service Information
Ki Tissa 14-15 March 2025/ 15 Adar 5785
Erev Shabbat – 7.00pm Purim Spiel! The play will dramatize our Meghillat Esther in a meaningful but fun way. Join us in a costume of our choice or choose one of the characters in our meghillat adaptation by Ezra!
Shabbat morning – 9.45am Beith Midrash/House of Study – OMH Vestry (on zoom also!).
From the story with no God to the story where God takes a people for Him/Her self. In preparation for the upcoming Festivals, this week we will continue to explore how Purim and Pesach tell different stories about how we can react to oppression and persecution.
All members and friends are welcome to study with us and join our engaging discussions!
Shacharit 11.30 Peill Room and Zoom/Kiddush to follow
Torah reading: Exodus 34:1-10
Haftarah: Psalm 96
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Rabbi Martina Y. Loreggian