Do we Jews have an ?Edifice Complex?? Why do we build grand synagogue structures, decorating them with lavish furnishings and rich decor? Would not a modest and simple dwelling suffice to house Hashem's presence ?
Our parsha seems to create the precedent for excess. The Mishkan (Tabernacle) is a marvel of architecture and splendor. The Aron (Ark) and Menorah (Candelabra) are made of fine gold. Silver, silk, skins of many kinds, rich woven tapestries adorn the surroundings. Why this huge emphasis on opulence?
Our rabbis trace this concept to a pasuk (verse) we read in B'Shalach, at the Shira (Song of the Sea): ?Zeh Ke-li V'Anveyhu? - ?This is my G-d and I shall beautify Him.? The word, ?Anveyhu? is related to ?noi? - decorations (as in noi Sukka - the decorations in our Sukkah). To show our love for Hashem, we ?dress up? and beautify His mitzvot - with silver etrog boxes, ornate mezuzah covers, fancy tefilin bags, etc.
Chazal offer a second explanation of ?Zeh Ke-li V'anveyhu.? The word ?Anveyhu? can be broken down into two words, ?Ani? (I) and ?Hu? (Him). That is to say, when we experienced the awesome Revelation of the Splitting of the Sea, we were brought infinitely closer to Hashem, experiencing a new intimacy of ?I? and ?Him.?
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig brilliantly reconciles the two approaches to ?Zeh Ke-li?: When a couple first falls in love, they put each other on a pedestal and are in total awe of the other, filled with overwhelming love. However, when they get closer to their spouse, they see him/her without the makeup, with all the flaws and human foibles we all possess. This may result in a loss of innocence and a tendency to take the other for granted. Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. At that point, it is important to ?dress up? the marriage, to look our best, to be imaginative and creative, to inject that special feeling back into the relationship. When Bnei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) began their relationship with Hashem, there was that initial sense of distance and awe. Yet, when we came close to Him and did mitzvot every day, there was a fear that we would lose the sense of wonder, love and newness. So chazal prescribed ?hidur mitzvah? - dressing up the mitzvot in beauty and style - so that we would appreciate the special relationship of Man with G-d, I-Him.
Yes, it?s true that it is what?s inside that really counts, but a beautiful outside can provide just the right ?touch of class.?
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Rabbi Weiss is Director of the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra?anana.
Our parsha seems to create the precedent for excess. The Mishkan (Tabernacle) is a marvel of architecture and splendor. The Aron (Ark) and Menorah (Candelabra) are made of fine gold. Silver, silk, skins of many kinds, rich woven tapestries adorn the surroundings. Why this huge emphasis on opulence?
Our rabbis trace this concept to a pasuk (verse) we read in B'Shalach, at the Shira (Song of the Sea): ?Zeh Ke-li V'Anveyhu? - ?This is my G-d and I shall beautify Him.? The word, ?Anveyhu? is related to ?noi? - decorations (as in noi Sukka - the decorations in our Sukkah). To show our love for Hashem, we ?dress up? and beautify His mitzvot - with silver etrog boxes, ornate mezuzah covers, fancy tefilin bags, etc.
Chazal offer a second explanation of ?Zeh Ke-li V'anveyhu.? The word ?Anveyhu? can be broken down into two words, ?Ani? (I) and ?Hu? (Him). That is to say, when we experienced the awesome Revelation of the Splitting of the Sea, we were brought infinitely closer to Hashem, experiencing a new intimacy of ?I? and ?Him.?
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig brilliantly reconciles the two approaches to ?Zeh Ke-li?: When a couple first falls in love, they put each other on a pedestal and are in total awe of the other, filled with overwhelming love. However, when they get closer to their spouse, they see him/her without the makeup, with all the flaws and human foibles we all possess. This may result in a loss of innocence and a tendency to take the other for granted. Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. At that point, it is important to ?dress up? the marriage, to look our best, to be imaginative and creative, to inject that special feeling back into the relationship. When Bnei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) began their relationship with Hashem, there was that initial sense of distance and awe. Yet, when we came close to Him and did mitzvot every day, there was a fear that we would lose the sense of wonder, love and newness. So chazal prescribed ?hidur mitzvah? - dressing up the mitzvot in beauty and style - so that we would appreciate the special relationship of Man with G-d, I-Him.
Yes, it?s true that it is what?s inside that really counts, but a beautiful outside can provide just the right ?touch of class.?
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Rabbi Weiss is Director of the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra?anana.