Mi Yishkon B’har Kodshecha
Congregation Har Hashem Sanctuary, June 28, 2012
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel.
We enter Your house through Your abundant love. We bow down in awe at Your holy temple.
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Exodus 33:7-11
I noticed a while back that our Sanctuaries design “mimics” the Tent of Meeting.
Wood beams above that were made from Acacia wood - Back in the day they were covered in gold,
Way too expensive today.
Yet these beams above send us messages
of support as they look down upon us
Triangles of glass windows hovering in front and behind,
like the wings of Angels protecting us as we worship
Sending Light-even in the dark, To our hearts and minds.
This is the open tent that we aspire to.
The Hebrew words surrounding us from above
In the middle of the Wings of Glass;
Mi Yishkon
B’har kodshecha
Who will dwell on your holy mountain?
Why do we come,
Why do we pray,
Why do we send healing prayers,
Why do we say Kaddish for those who have come before?
As with “Moses’ climb” to the top of Sinai
To hear God's messages, that was not far behind.
We to come to our Boulder Sanctuary-to Har Hashem,
To climb our mountain(s) again and again -
Mimicking the original ascend.
So that we too can hear-
God’s messages being sent
In our vulnerability may we
Accept!
Our Ark with its incredible engraved Tree of Life-
ever present- waits for us all week.
Those doors longing to be opened,
Wanting to reveal what is behind.
The opening of the curtain (originally made of goat hair) -
A little to the left, a little to the right.
Our potential as Jews is right there!
Hovering on Friday night,
Showing itself on Saturday morning.
In our minds (and hearts) we kneel at the Bimah,
waiting for the insight and understanding
that is behind those doors.
Will we hear it,
Will we get the messages,
Will we live it this Shabbat and into the week?
Looking behind the Ark
We have mimicked
the second temple walls-
Originally built with Jerusalem limestone.
What we have built here in Boulder, at Har Hashem, in this tent -
It is a reminder that we continue to carry our legacy as Jews
That it is a reminder of who we are and where we come from-
Every day, every moment.
As spiritual, religious and compassionate beings,
Humbling ourselves as we enter our tent,
As we enter this Sanctuary;
We are lifted in song, we
contemplate in prayer,
We open our minds (and hearts)
Listening to the sermon shared.
We pray for those who have passed,
Maybe for yourself and for those in need
Hopefully you leave here with a little more ease,
A little lighter and even pleased.
Making a new friend, a new connection,
(at the Oneg) perhaps-what better way
To have a nosh - After all that!
There’s a moment of Grace
with that first bite of Challah.
We do this every week, year after year
In community, with friends-
Isn’t that just the best!!!!
Draw on the beauty we see,
Carry it as you leave,
As You enter your own tents-of-meeting
Wherever and Whenever that may be.
Bow to the Sanctuary that is already inside -
For that's where Grace and Blessings reside.
Acknowledge that you are a vessel for
Awe, Love and the Divine.
Spoken at Har Hashem
© Todd Greenberg 03/22/24
