February 16, 2018 |
1 Adar 5778
|
|
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
|
|
Sanctuary Between Heart and Soul
by Alden Solovy
In
Terumah
, this week’s Torah portion, we get the instructions for creating the Sanctuary – the Tabernacle – the portable structure that accompanied the Israelites as they wandered, including the inner chamber where God’s presence would dwell. The
parasha
is laden with details. What does it take to create a holy space for God, after all? Attention, intention, focus. That comes in the details.
We build all kinds of sanctuaries, both physical and spiritual. This meditation begins with a common metaphor, each of us building a tabernacle in our own hearts. Borrowing from the details of this parasha, the meditation then takes that idea a step further, claiming that we are, in fact, the raw materials for the dwelling place of God’s glory.
Tabernacle
Let me build Your tabernacle
With my own hands
So that Your glory
Will dwell with us
Once again.
I will build a sanctuary
In the space between my heart and my soul,
Clearing the residue of sorrow and misdeeds,
Making a place for Your covenant,
Your wisdom and Your truth,
To rest in me.
Come, my people,
Shake off your slumber.
Shake off your despair.
God’s majesty waits only for an invitation.
Let your days be the woven fabric of love.
Let your life be the golden lamp of peace.
Together, we will become
The staves and the planks,
The walls, the curtain and the table,
Each one of us a pillar,
A sacred congregation,
A faithful assembly,
In service to God’s Holy Name.
If you’d like to share your thoughts with the congregation on what sanctuary means to you - a time in which you felt like a sanctuary dwelled within you, or how we can extend sanctuary to those who need it, feel free to reach out to
Ellen Blum Barish
and
David Barish
.
|
|
Alden Solovy
is a liturgist, poet, journalist and teacher and his work has been used by people of all faiths throughout the world. He’s written nearly 700 pieces of new liturgy, offering a fresh new Jewish voice, often challenging the boundaries between poetry, meditation, personal growth and prayer.
The Jerusalem Post
called Alden’s writing “soulful and meticulously crafted.”
Huffington Post Religion
said his “…prayers reflect age-old yearnings in modern-day situations.” Alden’s third book,
This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day
, was released in March 2017 by the CCAR Press. His other books are:
Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing
and
Hagaddah Companion: Meditations and Readings
. His work has been widely anthologized, including:
Choosing a Jewish Life
,
Men Pray
,
Gates of Shabbat
,
Mishkah R’fuah
and
Mishkan Hanefesh
. Alden’s teaching spans from U.S. synagogues to Limmud Conferences in the U.S. and UK to HUC-JIR in Jerusalem. His prayers also appear on
ReformJudaism.org
and
RitualWell.org
. Alden holds an MBA in economics and finance, an MA in Journalism and a BA in English Composition. He’s is a three-time winner of the Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. Alden made aliyah to Israel in 2012 where he hikes frequently, participates in interfaith prayer and leads ManKind Project Israel. His latest work is available at
tobendlight.com
.
|
|
Sculpture as Sanctuary
Sunday, February 25 at 10:30 a.m.
at the National Museum of Mexican Art (1852 W. 19th Street, Chicago)
Beth Emet members will gather at National Museum of Mexican Art at 10:30 a.m. to hear a speaker and tour of the exhibition,
Luis Tapia: Sculpture as Sanctuary
. This exhibition engages and critiques contemporary global themes of Sanctuary and highlights the hand-carved masterworks by Luis Tapia (b.1950), a Chicano artist from Nuevo México. Admission to Museum is free. Donations accepted. If you would like to be a part of a carpool, please contact
Leslie Shulruff
.
|
|
In Exodus 25:8, God says to Moses, “Create for me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.” These words set the building of the Tabernacle into motion. But the verse’s ending has an interesting grammatical anomaly. Instead of telling the Israelites to create a sanctuary so God can dwell
within
it, the wording suggests that the dwelling may be
amon
g the people, or
within
them, suggesting that God can live
within
us rather
than exclusively in a physical sanctuary. This year at Beth Emet we’ll explore the multiples meanings of sanctuary—as physical space to gather as a community for prayer, as spiritual space where we feel safe and whole, and as an attitude that is welcoming and accepting of everyone.
This weekly e-mail project, curated by David and Ellen Barish, allows congregants to express themselves in any of a variety of media: speechmaking, poetry, essay, story, photography, film, paint, sculpture, printmaking, textile, sound or music. If you'd like to contribute, please email
Ellen
and/or
David
.
Logo designed by Marco Siegel-Acevedo
|
|
Beth Emet The Free Synagogue
1224 Dempster Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-4230
If you do not wish to receive this email, please
contact us
. If you use the unsubscribe button, you will no longer receive any emails from Beth Emet (including EmetMail, Lifecycle notices, etc.).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
