Good Shabbos! In this week’s Torah reading, Parashat Terumah, G-d tells the Jewish people to build the Mishkan, a portable dwelling place for the divine presence. It is a very detailed parshah, but one of the things I found most interesting is the language that Hashem uses to describe the command. The parshah reads: "And they should make a Sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them." Why does G-d say this in such a strange way? As Rashi points out, it would make more sense to say, “they should make a Sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell within it." So why does it say, "that I may dwell among them?"
When we take a closer look at how G-d describes the purpose of the Mishkan we can begin to see that Judaism is not meant to be something that we keep as a separate piece from the rest of our lives. Our Judaism should not just be segregated to attending shul on Friday night, but rather a presence that guides us through each day. We have to ability to feel a connection not limited to special places or moments, and if we make space within ourselves, G-d can be present from the moment we wake up in the morning, on our walk to class, and everything in between.
It is easy to get caught up in our society's focus on the exterior: the brand of your shoes, the name of your fraternity - your outward appearance. Obviously we must take care of our physical selves, but by shifting our focus, we can create space in our lives for Judaism. This can be anything from lighting candles before Shabbat to singing a Matisyahu song.
These connections teach us mindfulness, and an innate sense of love and kindness. I know that when I come this house on Friday nights I feel that connection, the love and the kindness. We are so fortunate to have such a special place on our campus to help guide us through our college experiences and build that space for G-d within ourselves. I challenge you all to dedicate more time to what truly matters, and create places for goodness and space for G-d in your everyday lives.
Shabbat Shalom and thank you to everyone for always making my Shabbats here so warm, fulfilling and full of light.
Brittney is pictured on the right.