Parashat Terumah: Make Me a Sanctuary

Rabbi Lizz Goldstein, IfNotNow DC

In this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Terumah, God starts telling the Israelites the very specific blueprints for how they should build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, the Divine dwelling place on Earth. These blueprints were used in constructing the Mishkan and inspire the design of both the First and Second Temple, but are not likely to ever be used again for any practical purpose.

The instruction that really lingers for me is one that God gives about a quarter of the way into the parasha: “And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them”.

וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם

(v’asu li mikdash, v’shachanti b’tocham)

Whether that sanctuary is a movable Tabernacle, a grand and Holy Temple, a modern day house of worship, or a nice overlook, God is simply asking that humans make space in their lives for the Divine Presence to dwell among them. Early 20th century Jewish philosopher Martin Buber says that when two people connect to one another authentically, God is the electrical charge that surges between them. In that moment, that conversation is the Mishkan.

In IfNotNow, we are more than a movement to end the American Jewish support for the Occupation. We are a growing Jewish community of people committed to building these holy dwelling places for ourselves and our peers. When I hear Jewish songs and the shared stories of similar Jewish experiences with members of IfNotNow, I feel that electrical charge of which Buber speaks. Every meeting room and street corner and office lobby where we have gathered to make our offerings to something bigger than ourselves has been a Mishkan. This Mishkan is large enough to hold a great pluralism of Jewish ideas and offerings, and this Tent of Meeting greets all types of Jews. Together, we create Divine space and time.