This sermon was given by Melanie Gruenwald in honor of HEA Sisterhood Shabbat.
Shabbat Ha-Chodesh 5770 / Parshat Vayak'hel-Pekudei
A man once came across three masons who were working at chipping chunks of granite from large blocks. The first seemed unhappy at his job, chipping away and frequently looking at his watch. When the man asked what it was that he was doing, the first mason responded, rather curtly, "I'm hammering this rock, and I can't wait 'til 5 when I can go home."
A second mason, seemingly more interested in his work, was hammering diligently and when asked what it was that he was doing, answered, "Well, I'm molding this block of rock so that it can be used with others to construct a wall. It's not bad work, but I'll sure be glad when it's done."
A third mason was hammering at his block fervently, taking time to stand back and admire his work. He chipped off small pieces until he was satisfied that it was the best he could do. When he was questioned about his work he stopped, gazed skyward and proudly proclaimed, "I...am building a synagogue."
Three men. Three attitudes. Three ways of approaching the work they do every day.
We spend much of our time working; And some of our time seeking God and spirituality. Perhaps, we seek spirituality when we come to shul, when we are at a wedding, baby-naming, or funeral. But, how often do we seek God in our day-to-day work? What would it look like if we did?
This week's Torah portion is filled with seemingly mundane details about the building of the Mishkan - the tabernacle that our ancestors carried with them in the wilderness. But our ancestors didn't think the details were mundane at all. The Torah describes them - men and women - engaging in their work with enthusiasm and creative energy, like the third mason in the parable. Artisans of all sorts brought their unique skills and talents; and the people brought every sort of fine material. So generous were their donations that Moses had to tell them to stop. If only we could all infuse our day-to-day work with that kind of holy enthusiasm!
Prior to the construction details, Moses instructs the people: "On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord…" (Exod. 35:2). The word for work - Melacha - is the same as the verb by which God created the universe. From this, our sages derived that the work of the mishkan was parallel to God's work in creating the universe. Thus the kinds of work that are prohibited on Shabbat are those tasks that were involved in building the tabernacle. Just as our work is a reflection of God's creative energy, so, too, is our Shabbat rest a way of imbuing our weekday work with deeper spiritual meaning. Shabbat is when we can step back and recognize that we were created in the image of God and that what we create on the other days of the week is a reflection of the divine.
In our day-to-day lives, we check emails, create to–do lists, fill calendars, file papers, shuttle kids, meet with clients, meet with committees, create marketing plans, strategic plans, and weekend plans. It may not be for the building of a mishkan, but how can we also recognize that the mundane tasks serve greater purposes? How can we raise the mundane and make it holy? We have in our community some great examples.
On this Sisterhood Shabbat, we honor the memory of Clara Gertz - long time member of the HEA and the Sisterhood - who passed away this year. Many of us knew Clara for her work at the Bagel Deli and for her tireless volunteer work at the synagogue. Most of all, we remember Clara for her unique personality. But, in that quirky way she had, there was something very holy - something that can help us understand how we can elevate our work. When Clara met you, she wanted to know about you - because every human being mattered to her. Clara made a point to connect with our kids and with me—always offering to babysit and even offering us to sell us her house. She was a holy woman in our community….
The work of our Sisterhood is also instructive. The women of the Sisterhood plan events- and always elevate them with meaning. Sisterhood Soup in the Sukkah is not just a luncheon. The sisterhood asks for donations to benefit the JFS Food Pantry… This event sent ripples through our community—it inspired the HEA preschool to run an incredible Thanksgiving Food Drive. As a result of Soup in the Sukkah- our son decided to ask friends for donations to JFS instead of gifts for his birthday. Many of his friends have done the same over the years—elevating birthday parties and family events with requests for tzedakah instead of gifts.
Our shul also approaches bnai mitzvah with meaning and a commitment to tzedek through the amazing projects our young adults perform. Once again, transforming what can be a passive experience into one in which the young adult and entire community are engaged.
This is so much bigger than the physical work we do each day-- Every act of creation we do changes the world. When we encounter a stranger, a clerk who is trying to assist us, a homeless person on the freeway exit, a frustrating client, friend, or relative—what is it that we are going to ‘put out in the world’? We have a choice in how we are going to engage with this individual. We can decide what will make it a moment of creation and building, rather than one of destruction.
As we expand beyond ourselves- we should examine what our role is in building the mishkan for our community- as we make decisions in consumption, life style, and philanthropic efforts. We can choose to be builders—to make these choices in ways that are meaningful rather than impulsive. We can choose to build homes of intention, so our children can continue our story of creation. We can build community institutions that are visionary and affect the world we live in.
I think of Ramah in the Rockies, the first specialty camp of the Ramah camping movement, combining outdoor adventure and environmental awareness with Jewish living and learning. This unique camp is opening in June for rising 6th through 10th graders. I have been blessed to work with Ramah since last summer, when we celebrated with an Open Camp day. Ramah in the Rockies, is a vision of a mason, becoming a reality. I am constantly reminded of creating a holy mishkan by the inspirational volunteers and visionaries who brought this dream- of a Ramah in the Rockies- to the amazing reality it is today. There are hundreds of donors, families, and community members who are invested in the success of this institution. THESE are the people making the holy from the mundane- the masons who chip at the granite, seeing the sanctuary they are building for our community.
And this brings us back to the masons- chipping away at the granite. Which mason are we? Which would we want to be? And what can we do to make the change- to create meaning in our every day- to sanctify, and to create in the image of God…?? I bless our community with the ability to make the choice to elevate- to contribute our skills, wisdom, and gifts to the mishkan, To bring our “selves” to our work, and to elevate our day-to-day experiences with holiness. If our days are filled with this intention, just imagine what our mishkan can be….
Shabbat shalom
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