TORAH PORTION
DEPARTMENT OF MICHIGAN
JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
invites everyone to attend
THE 38th ANNUAL
BROTHERHOOD NIGHT PROGRAM
Wednesday, February 20, 1991 8:00 p.m.
JWV MEMORIAL HOME
16990 W. Twelve Mile, Southfield
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
T
Guest Speakers,
JOHN FREEMAN, Department Commander
Catholic War Veterans
ARTHUR L. JOHNSON, President, Detroit Branch NAACP
RABBI MARTIN J. BERMAN, Congregation Beth Achim
HON. DAVID M. GUBOW, Michigan State Representative
Moderator:
MILTON KLEIN
Co-Chairmen:
ELY J. KATZ
JACK SCHWARTZ
National Executive Committeeman
Past Deportment Commander
Department Commander
State of Michigan
Past Deportment Commander
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Is The American Jew Who Gives
Classified Information To Israel Friend Or Foe?
BY GORDON RAYFIELD
February 6 - March 3
JET • 6600 W. Maple Road • West Bloomfield
38
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1991
How The Tabernacle
Shaped Israel's Soul
29107 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield
Mon.-Fri. 10-4, Sat. 10-3 358-4085
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he Book of Exodus is
divided into three
major sections: the
story of Israel's liberation
from Egypt, the account of
the Divine Revelation at
Sinai and the description of
the construction of the
Mishkan, tabernacle, Israel's
first sanctuary. Our Sedra,
Terumah (which means offer-
ing), commences the third
section.
The Mishkan was a
remarkable structure.
Although its size was not im-
pressive by modern stan-
dards, it occupied a unique
place in the life of the Hebrew
people. The Sanctuary proper
measured approximately 45
feet by 15 feet and was divid-
ed by the parokhet, veil, into
two chambers: the Holy place
and the Holy of Holies. The
former contained the sacred
furnishings; the latter held
only the ark enshrining the
Tablets Moses received on Mt.
Sinai. There was also an
outer court about 150 feet
long and 75 feet wide, which
contained the bronze altar of
the sacrifices and the laver
used by the priests. Essential-
ly, the Mishkan was a large
tent reinforced by a wooden
framework made of acacia
boards to give it greater
stability. Particularly note-
worthy is the fact that Israel's
first sanctuary was portable.
It was the shrine of a wander-
ing people. As the tabernacle
journeyed with Israel, even so
it shaped and nurtured its
soul.
The Torah describes the
means by which the building
fund was to be supplied. An
obligatory tax of a half-shekel
was secured from each male.
Offerings of gold, silver and
copper were brought, as well
as contributions of blue, pur-
ple and scarlet wool, linen,
hides, wood and other
materials. The women gave
their mirrors; the princes
their jewels.
The question arises, why
should God, Ruler of the
world, Creator of the uni-
verse, Guardian of the des-
tinies of humanity, need or re-
quire such a limited place of
habitation? Why should the
Divine Spirit be housed in
such narrow confines?
This problem disturbed
later generations of rabbis
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi
, of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
who recorded in the Talmud a
conversation between Moses
and God in which the great
Prophet of Israel exclaims in
awe: "Behold, the heaven and
the heaven of heavens cannot
contain Thee. How much less
this sanctuary that we are to
build?" And then, God quiets
him with these words: "I do
not ask what is due Me, but
only what the people can
fulfill — 20 boards to the
north and south and eight in
the west, and I shall then so
draw My shekinah together
so that it may find room
therein."
The import of the statement
of the sages was conveyed by
the Kotzker Rebbe of the 18th
century, who was once asked:
"Where does God dwell?"
And he answered: "Wherever
we let Him in."
When the children of Israel
built the tent of meeting in
Teruma:
Exodus 25:1-27:19,
Kings I 5:26-6:13.
the wilderness, they set aside
a place dedicated and devoted
to the Divine Presence that
had led them out of Egyptian
bondage and brought them to
Sinai. Symbolically, they had
taken part of their wealth and
energies and talents and of-
fered these as a humble gift
to the King of kings. This gift,
in the form of a sanctuary,
then became a worthy house
for the spirit of the Lord.
The significance and in-
fluence of this Mishkan was
vast. It was the direct precur-
sor of the Temple, for in later
generations Solomon built a
permanent and more impos-
ing sanctuary based on the
tabernacle of the wilderness.
History was not kind to the
Jewish people, for neither the
sanctuary nor the Temple re-
main as testimony to the
glory and splendor of their
worship. Driven from one
land to the next, Jews built
another form of sanctuary we
call the synagogue. To this
day, the synagogue preserves
analogues of the tabernacle
or Temple: the Aron
Hakodesh, the sacred ark,
corresponds to the Holy of
Holies; the bimah represents
the altar, where prayer and
the reading of scripture
replace the ancient sacrifices;
while the Ner Tamid, the
perpetual lamp, still testifies
like the menorah of old, to the
unquenchable light of the
Divine Spirit. 111