My first reaction to this portion was that I couldn't write anything about it. Then I came on a nice little article: http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/dailywisdom.htm on the dynamics of relationship that discusses the symbolism of the tapestries.
All good stuff, but still not my bag of tea.
As I meditated tonight, I thought of the two sacred places in my life: the art museum and the class room. In both of these places, gods live. They touch us as we walk through their minds and productions.
The Tabernacle is made of many materials, with exacting focus on color, numbers, materials. This is a recreation of the earth. Everything is needed to build the Tabernacle. The role of the human being is to put everything together. And it is not made from “nothing,” rather, it is made of everything.
Yet, it is still “just a Tabernacle” until people and God occupy it, and use it to talk with each other. It is a machine, like a camera or a computer. It is precisely made, and has a precise form for its use. But it has no life of its own. It can't make a picture or write a poem. That is are purpose. Our hearts, souls and skills combine to build it, and now we use it, along with classrooms and schools, and all other institutions, to connect with one another, and to connect with the mystery of life beyond what we know. As the Tabernacle gave the Israelites a home when they were away from the promised land, so do we find institutions, like the corner bar, where we are at home away from home.
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Thanks for commenting. One cannot study the Torah alone.