Parshat Ki Tisa, 6th Portion, Exodus 37:17-29, March 4, 2016

Integration

“And he made the menorah of pure gold; of hammered work he made the menorah, its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers were [all one piece] with it.
And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side.” (Exodus 37:17–18)

As Eve came from Adam's rib so do the branches come from the stem of the menorah. We assemble the menorah from parts. These parts are not the menorah. They are just parts. It is when they are integrated that they become sacred, emitting light onto the world.

I went to three doctors today. Better said, I took my body around to be probed and analyzed. By the end of this ordeal, I started to resent this body that was not perfect. At one point, a doc said that the good news for me was that there was nothing wrong. I commented that it was not good for his business.

I was in a conversation later with eight others. I watched how animated they all were, even when they were not talking. I realized that we aren't separate parts, but an integrated and sacred whole like the menorah, made of parts, yet not only a collection of parts.

Just watch someone listening or watching. All their parts are engaged. All their parts are one. Like the menorah, though they are made of parts they are no longer parts—they are a community.