Becoming a Dwelling Place for the Divine

 

Parashat Terumah

Becoming a Dwelling Place for the Divine 

Reminding Ourselves About the Purpose of Keeping Torah and Mitzvot

The other day in my Megillat Esther class, I was teaching the midrash about how Haman had an idol embroidered on his cloak (Midrash Esther Rabbah 7:5).  My students and I were discussing how even mitzvah observant Jews must beware not to have such an external relationship with our One and only G-d. It is unfortunately common to mistake the robes for the enrobed, the halacha – the guide – for the destination, forgetting that the word מִצְוָה/mitzvah derives from the Hebrew word צַוְתָּא/tzavta – ‘union.’  We came into this world only for one purpose: to unify with Hashem. The purpose and destination goal of keeping the mitzvot is to achieve deveikut – cleaving to Hashem. Even when we fulfill mitzvot, we must remember that the mitzvot aren’t unrelated entities, but a roadmap for how to achieve deveikut (cleaving to the Creator). The essence of the mitzvah lies in its connection to the root – to become attached to Hashem (see Building a Sanctuary in my Heart pp. 11-13). The problem is that Hashem is hidden, and we are easily distracted from being aware of His presence by enticing externalities, even when we are fulfilling mitzvot. When we live in the exterior dimension of the physical world, hurrying to finish our obligations, Torah and mitzvot, without a conscious closeness to the Giver of the Torah, we disregard the main purpose of our lives. It is as if we are just going about doing our own business to fulfill ourselves, even when engaged in Torah and mitzvot. Personally, in my busy life, I find it particularly challenging to keep keeping the mitzvot with an inner perspective of Whom I’m serving. I need to repeatedly learn Inner Torah, and spiritual Mussar (ethics), such as Netivot Shalom, and engage in meditation and hitbodedut to remind myself about being present in Hashem’s Presence. Rav Chaim of Volozhin, recommends that from time to time a person should take a break even from Torah learning to contemplate why he is learning and meditate on placing Hashem before him always (Nefesh HaChaim, part 4). 

How do we Build a Sanctuary in our Hearts?
At the beginning of Parashat Terumah we receive the mitzvah to build a sanctuary:

ספר שמות פרק כה פסוק ח וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם:

“They shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell within them” (Shemot 25:8)

We would have expected the Torah to write ‘make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell within it.’ Ohr HaChaim notes, it does not say ‘within it,’ because the holy place where G-d will dwell is within the children of Israel. He, furthermore, asks, why the Torah refers to the structure as מִקְדַּשׁ/mikdash – ‘sanctuary,’ whereas immediately afterward and many times subsequently it is described variously as מִשְׁכָּן/mishkan – ‘Tabernacle’? Ohr HaChaim’s answer is that mikdash is a general positive mitzvah that always applies to all future generations and places even during exile. The Torah didn’t introduce this mitzvah with the term מִשְׁכָּן/mishkan referring to a temporary structure, so we shouldn’t think the mitzvah was only of a temporary nature (Ohr HaChaim, Shemot 25:8). Since the mitzvah to build a mikdash applies perpetually, the Torah explicitly writes that it is for the sake that Hashem’s Presence will dwell among Israel. Therefore, it follows that the way we can fulfill the mitzvah of building a sanctuary even during exile is by building a sanctuary in our hearts. But how do we go about opening our hearts for Hashem to dwell within us?

The Unity of the Mishkan and of the Souls of Israel Invites the Divine Presence                              Moshe heard three things from the lips of the Almighty that startled him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them,” he replied: Master of the Universe, “the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain You” (I Melachim 8:27 ; Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Ki Tisa 10). Containing Hashem’s infinite Presence within us finite beings seems like an oxymoron. Yet, when we unite, the whole of the Jewish soul-pool expands to become greater than the sum of our individual souls.  

 ספר שמות פרק כו פסוק ו …וְהָיָה הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֶחָד:“                .so shall the Mishkan become one” (Shemot 26:6)...“

The mishkan is called “one” because it connects all its particular parts. The word “one” in general includes multiplicity within unity. In the same way, Hashem is One and includes everything (Ibn Ezra, Shemot 26:6). Malbim extends the concept of the unity and oneness of the mishkan to the souls of Israel. Since every Jewish soul has a divine spark, when we are united, all the divine sparks together become the Shechina. Once the individual lights of each soul are fused, they become transformed to illuminate as one great light – the light of the Shechinah, in all her splendor, that comes to dwell within us. 

Uniting to Become a Cosmic Body for the Soul of the Universe to Reside                                        Hashem connects the entire macrocosmic body – all the worlds from beginning to end, to become one complete unified entity, in which the wisdom of the Creator is revealed. This was the intention of the Tabernacle and Temple in Jerusalem – the undivided city. There, all the souls of the Jewish nation unite to become like one person, whose soul includes all the spiritual sparks found in the Divine brilliance, illuminating the entire world with His glory. Our prayers and holy deeds flow to that place from wherever we are in the world. Through this unified direction, we can fulfill our spiritual goal to illuminate and actualize our souls, as it states, “Make me a Tabernacle and I will dwell within them.” When we unify in this Holy Place, we become a complete entity and cosmic body – the dwelling place for the cosmic Soul – Hashem. Each of the parts of the mishkan corresponds to a soul part and a limb in this cosmic body. The two tablets in the Ark correspond to the neshama – the seat of the brain – right and left. To receive the Torah, we need both a sense of vision to read it and ears to hear the tradition of our Fathers in the Oral Torah. These correspond to the poles that carry the Ark, as it is known that both the visual and auditory centers are connected to the brain. The Cherubs upon the Ark allude to chaya and yechida. They spread their wings on high, from where they send their light to those who merit prophetic Divine visions. It was, therefore, from above the lid of the Ark that Hashem spoke with Moshe. The Menorah corresponds to ruach and alludes to Binah (human wisdom). It is connected to the heart as it states, “The Heart understands…” (Zohar, Part 2:116b). The Copper Altar in the Temple courtyard corresponds to the digestive system – the vessels of the nefesh (Malbim, The Allusions of the Mishkan).

EmunaHealing Exercise for Building a Sanctuary Within Your Soul

Inspired by Rachel Anisfeld, Torah and Inner Work, Parashat Terumah, Becoming a Mishkan, a Dwelling Place for Divine Presence.

1. Settle yourself and your breath in a comfortable seat. You may close your eyes and relax even more, as you become aware of your body. With each breath open yourself up more to receive Hashem’s light.  

2. Visualize the Ark of the mishkan and mikdash. “Its length as two and a half cubits, its width a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit and a half” (Shemot 25:10). Note how all its measures were half, as if broken off, like the broken tablets within it. Tune into the broken place within your soul – your place of vulnerability and pain3. Breathe into your incompleteness and lack. Become aware of all your many needs, for which you pray. Allow yourself to feel your emptiness and desire for Hashem to fill you.

4. Envision the winged Cherubs as your spiritual aspirations and yearnings. Get in touch with your highest aspiration. Do you yearn to become more aware of Hashem’s Presence in your life? Do you aspire to attach yourself to Him? Just as Hashem revealed Himself to Moshe between the Cherubs upon the Ark, your spiritual connection derives from the middle point between the wings of the Cherubs.

5. Breathe the light of your higher self into your forehead, into your entire face and head, allowing the light to flow down over your shoulders, arms, and fingers. Open your lungs to let the light wash over your chest, torso, and legs, all the way down to your feet.

6. Envision the light of the Menorah bringing understanding to your heart. Contemplate your innermost quandary in life, as you breathe into the lights of the Menorah that you envision upon your heart. Perhaps you find a deeper understanding of the enigma that you have pondered for so long. Allow the light of the Menorah to illuminate your path, clarifying the purpose for which you were created, and how to attain it.

7. Now, breathe into your guts below your belly button, corresponding to the Copper Altar in the Temple Courtyard. Just as the digestive system digests the food and turns it into ashes by means of the heat and the fire of the stomach, so does the fire from heaven consume, burn, and break the sacrifice down to its root element.

8. Your guts are the place of breaking down, processing, and integrating your highest aspirations received from the Cherubs, coming down upon the Ark – your mind and Torah Wisdom, then brought into the Menorah – your illuminated heart. Now, your digestive system processes all these levels of Divine influences down through your legs – thighs, knees, and feet – all the way down to each toe.

9. Imagine now, your entire being as a resting place for the Divine. Let yourself feel the tingling feeling of each part of your body being illuminated by Divine light, from top to toe – channeling the Divine light from your highest head to your lowest foot.

10. Now, open yourself to be present to Hashem’s Presence in your life. Allow your mind to fathom the mysteries of the Divine, while your heart opens to feel Hashem’s compassion, attaching yourself to the Shechina. Even within your guts, you can reveal the hidden Shechina. Your entire being – all five parts of your soul and their corresponding body part – yearns to cleave to Hashem. Allow yourself to tap into the divine within every part of your being!