Believe it not, religion in the ancient world was a private endeavor. Communal gatherings were rare. Offerings to the Gods were done, for the most part, in private. On a trip to the Far East, I had the experience of what this might have felt like in a visit to a Buddhist Temple. The beautifully manicured grounds were filled with people meandering about, each in their own worship space, immersed in their own thoughts. And, while being there felt holy, it didn’t feel Jewish.
There is a certain commotion to the Jewish worship experience. It is about being together, praying in unison, observing holidays as a collective family. It is most definitely not quiet.
The root of this week’s Torah portion Vayakhel, Kuf-Hey-Lamed, is the same root used for the Hebrew word for community, kehillah. In it, the people gather together to build and worship in the brand new traveling synagogue called the Tabernacle. As it says in Exodus 35:21, “everyone whose heart inspired them came.” They bore gifts of silver and gold, turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, died ram skins, and colorful stones. One can imagine the contagious sounds of laughter and joy emanating throughout the camp. Each time we gather as a community we are in some way transported back to that time of the first gathering, when a people, newly freed from slavery, could rejoice as one.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 03/08/2019 by wpadm