I watched Everywhere, Everything, All at Once last night. I struggle with movies. I can watch three hours of a TV show better than I can watch 1.5 hours of a movie. But like the rest of the world I was completely mesmerized by EEAAO. It was powerful and weird and beautiful and sweet and wild. It felt like a commentary on everything from generational trauma to depression to individualization to 10000 other things. But today, coupled with our torah study, I’m also drawn to the theme that we may be chasing the wrong things in our lives: fame and beauty and achievements.
At one point, the protagonist Evelyn says to her husband ““I saw my life without you. I wish you could have seen it… it was beautiful.”
We eventually learn that this version of Evelyn’s life would come with its own tragedies and loneliness and pain. Her husband tells her tearfully “so, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say… in another life, I would have really liked… just doing laundry and taxes with you.”
In a setting where Evelyn could access seemingly unlimited and extraordinary potentials, the best Evelyn, it seems is the most ordinary.
This week in torah study we read Vayakhel-Pekudei. It goes into great detail about the building of the mishkan, the vessel that transports the tablets.
I love this parsha. I love reading about the materials listed in the torah. We learn about the woods, fabrics, stones, skins, and spices that were cherished and beautiful. As a collector of curiosities, I particular appreciate the descriptions of the stones.
My study group spent most of our time on 35:5-7:
קְח֨וּ מֵֽאִתְּכֶ֤ם תְּרוּמָה֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה כֹּ֚ל נְדִ֣יב לִבּ֔וֹ יְבִיאֶ֕הָ אֵ֖ת תְּרוּמַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה זָהָ֥ב וָכֶ֖סֶף וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
Take from among you gifts to יהוה; everyone whose heart is so moved shall bring them—gifts for יהוה: gold, silver, and copper;
וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃
blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, and goats’ hair;
וְעֹרֹ֨ת אֵילִ֧ם מְאׇדָּמִ֛ים וְעֹרֹ֥ת תְּחָשִׁ֖ים וַעֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים׃
tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, and acacia wood;
Translation from Sepharia
Our study centered around the word tachashim. Translated in our text as dolphin skin, we honestly don’t know what animal this is referring to. In our study, we went down a delightful discussion of the paths towards translation, mystical creatures in judaism, and the the utility of having a mysterious creature’s skin as part of the protection for the mishkan.
Towards the end of the study (as always seems to be the case), a participant spoke up saying something to the effect of “to what ends will the rabbis go to explain the most ridiculous details?” and another participant spoke up in agreement saying “I worry that by spending so much time focusing on this mysterious animal, we may be missing the point.” Of note (and of stereotype), both of these participants are lawyers. However, their conversation cracked something open inside of me.
The rest of the parsha is spent explaining how everyone contributed not only their resources but also their talents to build the mishkan. This is fertile soil for many a sermon and (as we joked) many a pleading for donations. But maybe my friends were right. Are we missing the point entirely?
Within the context of this conversation, we also mentioned the fabled red heifer. For some reason, I didn’t remember learning about the red heifer before, but this sacred cow who can be slaughtered for sacrifice to absolve all sin is currently actively taught out by a community hoping to rebuild the third temple in Jerusalem. Wikipedia teaches us
The Temple Institute, an organization dedicated to preparing the reconstruction of a Third Temple in Jerusalem, has been attempting to identify red heifer candidates consistent with the requirements of Numbers 19:1–22 and Mishnah Tractate Parah.[16][17] In recent years, the institute thought to have identified two candidates, one in 1997 and another in 2002.[18] The Temple Institute had initially declared both kosher but later found each to be unsuitable.
This is a straightforward explanation of missing the point. We should not be genetically engineering cows to meet kosher requirements as a means to building a third temple.
The importance of these texts lies in the ability of a community to come together, and let go of their material possession in order to protect some rock tablets. As humans, we are attracted to beautiful things. We recognize and elevate physical beauty easily. However, the true thing worth protecting and noticing is that a community comes together with their varied abilities and materials to tend to something they deemed valuable. The brooches and amulets and yarns and skins they engineer along the way are but a footnote.
The most miraculous and divine thing within each of us is simply the ability to care for and tend to one another and the world around us. Everything else is just dolphin skin and rubies: impressive, but aside from the point.
And You Shall Love 