Sanctifying our vessels

We've spent the past few weeks worth of Torah portions learning about the Mishkan (the sacred sanctuary in the desert): how to build it, with what materials, the particular colors and specifications, and who should be responsible for the actual building. The detail with which God describes this beauty is minute and may even seem trivial. Yet, with the surrounding narrative telling the story of the Hebrews receiving the Ten Commandments and the ordeal with the Golden Calf, the reader must recognize the significance of these details. There must be something profound in the detailed directions painstakingly described for us over and over.

Of course there is. We pray to God, we sanctify God and we are reminded more than once in the Torah that we shall have no other Gods (I.e. don't pray to idols and whole variety of other things). God is this powerful entity to whom we give our thanks and receive atonement, so the necessity of remembering how sacred God is shouldn't be surprising. Even more specific, the vessel through which we approach God must also be constructed with the utmost care and particularity. Hence, the multifaceted instructions.

If we consider that another vessel through which we approach God is through our bodies, we must also remember to protect and guard our bodies, maintaining their purity so we can commune with God when the time comes. In the 21st century, for most reform Jews, that the time is Shabbat. Therefore, we see that Shabbat can be our modern day Mishkan, making the mention of Shabbat in this weeks Torah portion very reasonable.

In this week's torah portion, vayekehal, in Shemot 35:2 we read ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה להם קדש שבת שבתון, for six days you will do work and on the seventh day you will have for yourselves a holy day, a Shabbat of solemn rest. Shabbat is our chance to remind ourselves of our own holiness and experience the shabbaton, the cessation of work and constant movement. We must demonstrate the respect we have for our bodies. Not only that, but before we are able to pray using the Mishkan, we must sanctify ourselves and ensure our own purity. Therefore, the Torah first mentions Shabbat and then mentions the construction of the Mishkan.

May we take this Shabbat to sanctify our own vessels, ourselves, and truly feel ready and able to continue with the week to come