THEY STAND FOREVER

“And Moshe said to the Children of Israel: See, God has called by name Betzalel, the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah; and he has filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight and with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship; to combine ideas, to work them out in gold, in silver and in copper; to execute them in the cutting of stones for setting and in the carving of wood, in every manner of craftsmanship. And He has also put into his heart the ability to teach; both he and Oholiav, the son of Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to execute all manner of work, of an engraver, weaver and embroiderer, in sky-blue and purple wool, in scarlet wool and in linen, and in general weaving, executing all manner of work and combining ideas.” (Shmot 35:30-35)

A few weeks ago, there was a team of workmen painting the inside of our house. By all accounts they did an excellent job and we were very satisfied with their workmanship, friendliness and professionalism.   Unfortunately, while moving furniture in the dining room, one of the workers accidentally caused our sideboard to fall, breaking two of its legs. The painting company was gracious and agreed to cover the cost of the repair. This week, the sideboard was returned. I looked upon it with a new eye, admiring the craftsmanship of the original carpenter. This piece of furniture is more than sixty years old and was inherited from my in-laws. When we cleared it of its contents before sending it to be repaired, we found a note with the initials Z.B. inside one of the cabinets. The letters stand for Zelik Bedell, an extremely talented carpenter in Johannesburg who fashioned hundreds (if not thousands) of unique pieces for his customers. Besides this sideboard, my late in-laws also commissioned a dining room table and chairs and a smaller sideboard.  Other than the chairs, all of these pieces are still in use in my home and have stood the test of time.

Mr Bedell, like the master craftsman of the Tabernacle, Betzalel, took great pride in his work. When he made an item of furniture, he made it to last a lifetime, if not longer. Every detail was carefully considered: what type of wood would be used; what colour the item would be painted; what locking mechanism would be included. Mr Bedell even placed mirrors in one of the sideboard’s cabinets so that when one used it to store wine bottles, one could easily read the label of one of the bottles at the back. I imagine that the cost of such ‘bespoke’ items of furniture would be prohibitive to most newlyweds today. We are indeed fortunate to own such beautiful heritage pieces.

In contrast to Mr Bedell’s masterpieces are the items of furniture and appliances, especially small appliances, which have come and gone since we were married in 1998. I have lost count of the number of irons, toasters, kettles, vacuum cleaners and fridges we have replaced. Although we have a busy house and we frequently host guests, I do not attribute the short lifespan of these items to mere wear-and-tear. Rather, they seem to have a type of built-in redundancy. Things are not made to last. They are made to operate for a few years and then die, after which one is forced to buy a new one. We have become habituated to this cycle but every now and again, I meet someone who proudly shows me their Toyota Corolla from 1980 or their Defy fridge from the 90s or their first-generation Nokia “brick” smartphone that can still make calls and has a week-long battery life.

When Betzalel crafted the structure of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, he was making them to last forever, notwithstanding the fact that the Tabernacle was a temporary structure. The Sages hinted to this when they commented on the verse (Shmot 26:15), “And make the beams for the Tabernacle from acacia wood, standing upright (omdim)”. The simple meaning of the word omdim, standing, is that the beams must be placed in a vertical position, one next to the other, rather than in a horizontal position as one would do with layers of bricks (Rashi). However, the Talmud (Sukkah 45b) has an additional level of interpretation: “’Standing’ teaches: Lest you say [that after the destruction of the Tabernacle] their hope is lost and their prospect is abolished, [and they will never serve a sacred purpose again, therefore] the verse states: “Acacia wood, standing,” meaning that they stand forever and for all time [and will yet be revealed and utilized again].” Elsewhere (Sotah 9a), the Talmud states: “When the first Temple was built, the Tabernacle was sequestered, including its boards, its clasps, and its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets. Where is it sequestered? Rav Chisda says that Avimi says: Beneath the tunnels of the Sanctuary.”

It appears from these sources that the Tabernacle will make an appearance again in the future when the Third Temple is built. This is a fascinating idea because it indicates that the future Temple will be a blend of the new and the ancient. I am sure that the Third Temple will have all the necessary modern conveniences including an integrated water supply ( a great deal of water was needed in the Temple); intricate lighting for the Cohanim who will work on night shift; elevators and escalators for those who may have difficultly ascending the Temple Mount and many other modern-day conveniences. But at the same time, one will behold the original Ark of the Covenant that was fashioned by Betzalel, the beautiful seven-branch Menorah and the very same gold-plated beams that made up the superstructure of the Tabernacle. In our prayers, when returning the Sefer Torah to the Ark, we say (Eicha 5), “Turn us back, O Lord, to You. And we will return. Renew our days as of old.” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, comments (Koren Siddur page 534), “In Judaism – the world’s oldest monotheistic faith – the new is old and the old is new. The symbol of this constant renewal is the Torah, the word of the One who is beyond time.”

 Lee, Chani Merryl & Naomi join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom!   

Rabbi Liebenberg.

This week’s YouTube message: https://youtu.be/JbJMQfCOvUM?si=QvQlm1kakXyI2-TO

*PARASHAT HACHODESH

This Shabbat we read the last of four special parashiyot (portions) that began with Parshat Shekalim. The parasha is called HaChodesh, literally “the month,” and describes the mitzvah to sanctify the new moon, in particular the month of Nissan, as well as the preparations for the Seder and the Exodus from Egypt. This is an appropriate reading as we enter the month of Nissan and the run-up to Pesach. 

**Thursday 19 March – Rosh Chodesh Nissan Nissan contains the festival of Pesach. It was also the month during which the Tabernacle was dedicated over a twelve-day period in the wilderness (see Bamidbar chapter 7). Due to the festive nature of the month, the Tachanun prayer is omitted as are eulogies and fasts, other than the Fast of the First-Born on Erev Pesach. For more on Pesach, please consult the Pesach Newsletter. The Molad (appearance of the new moon) for Nissan is on Wednesday 18 March at 16h34 and 13 chalakim (a chelek, literally a “portion”, is a Talmudic measure of time equal to one-eighteenth of a minute, or 3 and 1/3 seconds).