On any given day, there are so many things happening around us that it is difficult to tell what is most important. If you are like me, you scroll through your newsfeeds and social media to try to get a handle on what is going on. If both MSNBC and Fox News have the same story on their front pages, then I know it is something I should be paying attention to. Being constantly inundated with information, makes it harder and harder to distinguish between what is real and what is just noise. Often the most helpful thing to do, is just to turn everything off and sit in silence.
While we associate this game of getting human beings to pay attention with our post-iPhone world, even our ancestors understood our species-wide struggle with ADHD. They even coined the word Pakad, meaning “keep this in mind.” We see this root occur at the beginning Genesis 21 when God remembers (Pakad) Sarah, blessing her later with the birth of Isaac. The name of this week’s Torah portion, Pikudei, is also from the same root. Here at the end of Exodus, as we are wrapping up the final details on the building of the Tabernacle, the Torah reminds us of which specific details are most important. Like an ancient shopping list, God wants to ensure this traveling sanctuary is built properly.
As a synagogue, we have many priorities, but the things we really pay attention go beyond the specifics of any individual holiday or event. Are people’s needs being taken care of? Is our synagogue a safe environment for everyone who enters? Are we present in moments of crisis? If the answer to all these questions is yes, I know we are doing what we are called to do. Limiting the number of things we focus on, makes it much more likely we will pay attention to the things that matter. A good lesson not only for a synagogue, but for life.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex