Gather Together

THE BIG IDEA

It is hard to talk about this week’s Torah energy without crying a little (or a lot).

This week carries the tangible gratitude that follows true forgiveness, in an unprecedented expression of unification through material giving.

Recall a time your own unconscious fears led you to do something you deeply regretted, then imagine your offense was not only totally forgiven - but the deep unmet need that motivated your action was both seen, and addressed.

The worshiping of the Golden Calf is the most tangible way to understand the Israelites’ collective failure to hold abstract awareness of divine presence (for more than 40 days)— a sin so profound it forced Moses to acknowledge the spiritual level at which they were holding, and not the level he (and God) hoped they were at.  Moses recognized, on the deepest of levels, their need to know the divine in the material world and adjusted his prayer accordingly—- earning them a tent of their own, the Mishkan. 

The outburst of gifts and collective material contributions towards the building of the Mishkan wasn’t simply the relief of forgiveness, it represents the joyous experience of being truly seen and understood. 

The Tent of the Divine, with all its divine vessels, acted like training wheels, teaching the holy nation to sense the mysterious correspondences between this world and the upper realms. A physical representation of their spiritual proximity.

Today, the training wheels are off, and we are tasked to hold the divine presence, on spiritually designated land, without a Tent, Temple or any of the holy vessels. And while this might feel like a lower spiritual status, it is actually a sign of our required spiritual growth.

So, on this eve of Adar B and the miracle of Purim, even and especially during a time of war, loss, looming threat and collective pain, take time to accept the spiritual obligation to see the divine in everything all the time.

We have had thousands of years to practice.

It’s time to grow.