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UJCL Parashah Commentaries
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VA-YAKHEL 5768 Exodus - Shemot 35:1-38:20 March 1, 2008 – 24 Adar I, 5768 By Rabbi Daniela Szuster,
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Time and Space SanctuariesThis week’s parashah devotes the first three verses to the subject of Shabbat and the rest to issues related with the Mishkan (Tabernacle), specifically to its construction. Many sages have been surprised by the conjunction of these two themes, which apparently do not have much to do with each other.
Some sages have learned, from their closeness in the text, that all labours done in order to build the Mishkan are prototype of the work prohibited on Shabbat, known as Avot Melachah, and which add up to 39. As Shabbat issues are dealt with first and Mishkan issues only later, the rabbis understood that all these labours should be interrupted on Shabbat.
Abraham Yoshua Herschel, a modern rabbi and scholar, develops a very interesting idea somehow based on the text, wherein he distinguishes between sanctified time and sanctified space. According to him, our tradition has privileged time sanctification over that of space. In our parashah we see that Shabbat comes first, and that it is above the building of the Mishkan.
Thus writes Heschel in his book “Shabbat and the Modern Man”:
Heschel reminds us that, unlike other cultures which have sanctified space, sanctuaries, and cathedrals, in our faith, although it has considered certain places as important, what have prevailed have been sanctified times.
Rabbi Shmuel Avidor Hacohen shares this view, concerning what has happened throughout history with our holy places:
Avidor Hacohen is telling us that, in some way, what has kept alive our tradition is exactly that particularity of ours to sanctify time. We were scattered all over the world, but we were able to find each other, notwithstanding distances, in the same sanctuaries.
This way of approaching the sacred is truly beautiful, but it presents a problem. The sacred places worshiped by other cultures are built with bricks, physical goods, precious jewels, etc., and remain established for many years. One just has to go to them in order to sanctify them.
Our sanctuaries, on the other hand, being as they are in time, require that we build them each time that the calendar approaches. What does it mean “to build them”? It means to be able to prepare ourselves, spiritually and physically, so that they become a reality.
Let us reflect, for instance, on Purim, which is approaching. Even if it is the 15th of Adar, first day of Purim, if we do not prepare ourselves, if we do not send Mishloach Manot (send food portions to friends) and Matanot La'evyonim (give to the needy), if we do not dress up, if we do not congregate to read the Megillah, we will not have the sanctuary.
It is up to us that the sanctuaries of time exist for us and for our families. To think of the idea of sanctifying time is a very profound philosophy, and requires more effort on our part. If we replace our time sanctuaries with field trips, work, and other tasks, these will not be built and our children will not get to know them.
Our Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed many years ago, but we got over it because we have our calendar and our traditions.
Sometimes we are in the habit of forgetting this main value of our tradition, and we are prone to give precedence to our grand and majestic edifices instead of making an effort to sanctify time.
May God help us to guard our time Sanctuaries, so that they will not be destroyed as were those in space.
Shabbat shalom! Rabbi Daniela Szuster |
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This Parashah commentary was done by the Union of Jewish Congregations of Latin America and the Caribbean, and may be reproduced quoting its source.
Forwarded by Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik, from Kol Shearit Israel Congregation, Panama. |
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