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If You Call Them, Will They Come?
How wonderful that the Mishkan project was one in which there were both obligatory ‘donations’ – the Hatzi Shekel – as well as an outpouring of generosity through the voluntary donations. In fact, that spirit of giving was so great that we read in last week’s Parashah that Moses was forced to instruct the people to stop bringing. And in Parashat Pekudei, when all the items had been prepared, just before their assembly, Moses confirmed that not only had the artisans done their work as instructed, but the entire people, and he blessed them all. (Exodus, 39:42-43)
If we look at the wording carefully, the text says that no more gifts were to be brought. The Hebrew word for bringing is “l’havee” and remarkably similar to the Hebrew for coming forward, “Lavo.” We read that all the artisans engaged in the various tasks came forward and approached Moshe, saying that more was being brought than necessary. The people are instructed to stop bringing. But they are not instructed to stop coming forward or approaching.
One might ask, why would they come forward if no more gifts were required? They might have wanted to observe those artisans doing their work and creating all the various unique and beautiful elements to be used in the Mishkan as well as the items to be worn by the priests. They may have wished to share their apparent enthusiasm for the project with those same artisans; support them and spur them on in their tasks. They may have simply sought the company of others whom they did not see with any regularity in the precincts of their tribal and clan encampments.
So it should be with community – the inspiration and dedication to be with one another when there is a need or when we wish to share an experience together. As you are all well aware, we have struggled over the past couple of years - following COVID, but not solely due to the pandemic - to appreciate and renew that value of gathering together in person. While there has been much success in a variety of programs and weekly services, the weekday evening minyan has been a challenge. It was decided not long ago to cancel those services due to our inability to form a minyan with dependability and sufficient frequency.
This week, as well as last week, we may have felt something of the beautiful spirit of enthusiasm and giving as our ancestors felt thousands of years ago in the desert. Members of our congregation who wished to experience an evening minyan in their own building for the observance of a yahrzeit took the initiative of calling together their friends and family to ensure there would be a minyan for a weekday evening service. It was wonderfully moving to hear the chapel resonate with the voices – whether liturgically or socially inspired - of those who wished to be together, support one another, and share.
This is a model we would like to adopt in the coming months. We may not be ready to ensure that a minyan will be present every weeknight, but we offer to any of our members who wish to have that minyan here at Beth David, to gather their friends and family and to inform us in advance so it can be publicized to all members in a timely manner in our weekly bulletins, so they have the opportunity to help with those ‘minyanim on demand’. As part of that effort, we would like to put together a list of 30-50 members who are willing to be called / contacted occasionally, in advance, and invited to these minyanim to support those who have initiated it.
Those of you who are willing to be on such a list are asked to contact me directly by phone or email and indicate that willingness.
It may be unlikely that we will ever be in circumstances when so much tangible material donation will have been brought that a request will go out asking you to cease from bringing / sending them in. However, wherever we call home, we will never stop asking you to come forward, approach, and seek to gather to continue to be part of a caring, supportive, and viable community.
Shabbat Shalom
Michael Rubin
mrubin@bethdavid.com
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