Hello, Shabbat shalom. My name is Simon Gross, I'm a freshman, and i'd like to start by thanking everyone for coming tonight for the AEPI shabbat. As the Build Chair for AEPI, I spent this past week designing and constructing a structure for the house. It was a fun challenge, but nowhere near the level of the task that was given to the Israelites 3,000 years ago - building the Tabernacle.
This legendary site described most memorably for me in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, was the physical space where the Israelites could come to connect with God. It was a place of holiness, a place to pray, to offer sacrifices, and to connect with one another. There are lots of stories about the tabernacle. Throughout its usage, it would be moved over 30 times while the jews wandered the desert, later serve as the hub for jewish life, and yes eventually get a very noble feature in an Indiana Jones film. But I think the construction of this great structure is one of the most astonishing. Not only did the jewish people have to follow the incredibly detailed instructions but they also had to find materials like the hides of sea cows, various precious stones, and almost 70 lbs of gold, in the middle of a desert.
The largest take away I had from this portion was the importance of attention to detail. Unlike the building at the AEPI house, God's instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle were incredibly precise, and every detail had to be followed exactly.
As we go into the week ahead, I want you all to think about how you can bring the spirit of the Tabernacle into our own lives. How can we create sacred spaces that inspire us to connect not only with God, but with one another? And importantly what are some areas of our life that we can need attention to detail. Whether it's school work, relationships, or a semi safe stage next to the AEPI DJ booth.
Thank you.