Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: Ah, thank you, my brothers.
Speaker 3: Now spread the word among the camp. This place is
Speaker 3: to be called the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who wants
Speaker 3: to consult Our God to seek spiritual council can do
Speaker 3: so here.
Speaker 1: The first time Aaron saw Moses enter the Tent of Meeting,
Speaker 1: hope was rekindled in his heart. He had never seen
Speaker 1: anything quite like it. Moses would walk out to the
Speaker 1: remote tent, away from the rest of the camp, and
Speaker 1: people would stand at the entryways to their own tents
Speaker 1: to observe. Moses would enter the tent, and the pillar
Speaker 1: of cloud, just like the one that guided them through
Speaker 1: the desert after they escaped from Egypt, would come down
Speaker 1: and remain at the entrance to the tent. Moses would
Speaker 1: speak with their God inside the tent, just as he
Speaker 1: had done on the mountain.
Speaker 3: Let me see your boy.
Speaker 1: The stillness crept over the mountainside, and Moses's heart began
Speaker 1: to race.
Speaker 2: This was it. You have reminded me that I have
Speaker 2: called you and knowed you by your name. Now you
Speaker 2: will know me by my name, and you is see
Speaker 2: my glory. My name is Foway. I am a compassionate
Speaker 2: and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful
Speaker 2: love and truth, maintaining faithful love for a thousand generations,
Speaker 2: forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
Speaker 1: Tears of revelation sprang to moses eyes. His glory shone
Speaker 1: all around him. Moses had to squint his eyes and
Speaker 1: shield them from taking it all in, My.
Speaker 3: God, your weah. If I have indeed found favor with you,
Speaker 3: please go with us. Though we are stiff necked people,
Speaker 3: remember you rescued us from Egypt's iron smelting furnace. Be
Speaker 3: patient with us, as your name declares. Forgive our in
Speaker 3: equity and our sin, and accept us as your own possession,
Speaker 3: your inheritance now always.
Speaker 1: The figure approaching their camp was holding the same stone
Speaker 1: tablets Moses left with, and even dressed as Moses was
Speaker 1: usually dressed. But this being's face was radiant and shining.
Speaker 1: Poor approaches.
Speaker 4: You are not known to us.
Speaker 3: It is all right, don't be afraid. I've seen our God.
Speaker 3: My face shines with his glory.
Speaker 1: Moses were laid the renewed covenant, as he said he
Speaker 1: would do. He then told them the name of their god.
Speaker 5: How do you craft a dwelling for God, when God
Speaker 5: crafted the heavens Shelloh, my friends, from here in the
Speaker 5: holy land of Israel, i'm l extein with international Fellowship
Speaker 5: of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People.
Speaker 5: From Sinai's thunder to the Golden Calf's shadow. The Chosen
Speaker 5: People have stumbled through the desert, hearts as dry as land.
Speaker 5: Now they stand at the brink of something sacred, not
Speaker 5: another camp, but a sanctuary, a place where God will
Speaker 5: dwell among them. But can the Divine reside in what
Speaker 5: human hands have made? As the Israelites begin to build,
Speaker 5: Let's ask ourselves what does it mean to create a
Speaker 5: space for God in our lives.
Speaker 1: When Bezelel woke that morning, he sensed something different. His
Speaker 1: dreams had been strange, visions of building plans, rare materials
Speaker 1: in blues, purples and scarlet, designs of winged creatures, hammered
Speaker 1: gold sheets, and swirling clouds. He frowned at the memory.
Speaker 1: While listening to Moses teach what the Lord had told
Speaker 1: him in the tent of meeting. Standing with the tribe
Speaker 1: of Judah near the front, Bezelel knew his father Yuri
Speaker 1: wanted to maintain their family's standing, especially after Whoa's absence
Speaker 1: in Moses in a circle, Yuri kept them close to Miriam,
Speaker 1: who stood by Aaron and his sons. Bezeleel knew Yuri's
Speaker 1: view of Aaron's eldest sons, Nadab and Debaihu careless and arrogant,
Speaker 1: dulled by nepotism. Unlike his father, Bezelel had no interest
Speaker 1: to me politics and was haunted by HER's death. He
Speaker 1: hadn't been at the fires that day, but when news
Speaker 1: of HER's execution spread, his family hid, enduring the chaos
Speaker 1: that followed Moses's return, justice meeted out, and a plague
Speaker 1: that claimed many lives. The result was a captive and
Speaker 1: attentive audience to Moses every word.
Speaker 3: But on the seventh day, you're to have a holy day,
Speaker 3: a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord.
Speaker 1: Since the day Moses returned with the second set of
Speaker 1: stone tablets, he wore a veil to hide the glow
Speaker 1: from his time with the Lord. In the tent of meeting.
Speaker 1: Rumor had it the light wasn't as intense as after
Speaker 1: his time on the mountain, but Besilel supposed Moses wore
Speaker 1: it for the people's comfort. They were still wary of
Speaker 1: being too close to the Lord's presence and breaking the covenant.
Speaker 1: The glow reminded them of their god's supernatural power.
Speaker 3: This is what the Lord has commanded. Take up an
Speaker 3: offering among you for the Lord. Let everyone whose heart
Speaker 3: is willing bring this as the Lord's offering. Gold, silver
Speaker 3: and bronze, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, fine linen, a goat, hair,
Speaker 3: ramskins dyed red and fine leather, acacia wood, oil for
Speaker 3: the light spices for the anointing oil and for the
Speaker 3: fragrant incense, and onyx with gemstones to mount on the
Speaker 3: ephod and the breastpiece.
Speaker 1: Bezelel balked those were the items from his dream. Glancing around,
Speaker 1: he noticed no one else seemed fazed by the lists
Speaker 1: required by their god. As a craftsman, he assessed the materials.
Speaker 1: Acacia Wood was common in the desert, and animals provided skins, oils, incense,
Speaker 1: and linen. Gold, silver and bronze would be more complicated
Speaker 1: to find. The blue, purple and scarlet dyes were rare luxuries.
Speaker 1: Only the wealthiest Egyptians used, requiring great skill to produce
Speaker 1: and onyx. The precious stone was rarer. Still faint memories
Speaker 1: of childhood stories about the rich lands of Eden came
Speaker 1: to mind. What kind of structure was Moses commissioning?
Speaker 3: Now, let all the skilled artisans among you come and
Speaker 3: make everything that the Lord has commanded, the tabernacle, its
Speaker 3: tense and covering its clasps and supports, its crossbars, its pillars,
Speaker 3: its bases.
Speaker 1: Bezelel listened intently as Moses described the tabernacle's components and
Speaker 1: the garments for the priestly order. Though some names atonement
Speaker 1: lid the bread of the Presence were unfamiliar, vivid images
Speaker 1: from his dream flashed in his mind. The materials and
Speaker 1: structures Moses outlined brought clarity to the visions. Bezilel had
Speaker 1: an innate sense of how things fit together. He had
Speaker 1: never sought advancement as a craftsman, but back in Egypt
Speaker 1: his skills were highly sought after. Skilled in metal working, carving,
Speaker 1: and masonry, he excelled, surpassing older masters who oversaw the project.
Speaker 1: Whether gold, wood, stone or gems, he intuitively knew how
Speaker 1: to shape and fix them, and when a problem arose,
Speaker 1: he pursued answers tirelessly. A nudge from his father, brought
Speaker 1: him back to the present. As the crowd began to disperse.
Speaker 6: Will you answer Lord Moses's call?
Speaker 4: His call?
Speaker 6: Your humility baffles me, My son, you were the finest
Speaker 6: artisan in in our entire tribe. Moses is asking for
Speaker 6: artisans to build this structure called the Tabernacle? Will will
Speaker 6: you do it?
Speaker 7: I suppose if I am called upon, it will be
Speaker 7: a time of great importance. It will have to be
Speaker 7: very precise and considering the material it will be made of.
Speaker 7: This structure will be a sacred place with rich symbolism,
Speaker 7: a sanctuary of our own, like a temple.
Speaker 6: Rich symbolism. How do you know its purpose? Moses did,
Speaker 6: did not say what the tabernacle was to be.
Speaker 7: Well, there will be an altar, and then clothes for
Speaker 7: the priests, so it will be a temple of sorts.
Speaker 6: Surely here in the desert, Why build something permanent here
Speaker 6: at all?
Speaker 7: I think it will be a great tent, something that
Speaker 7: we can strike and dissemble as we moved. And didn't
Speaker 7: you hear the list of items poles. The items will
Speaker 7: be crafted so that we can transport them even without
Speaker 7: touching them.
Speaker 6: You discerned all that with the mention of poles. Yes, father,
Speaker 6: and you are still unsure that you should answer the call.
Speaker 7: If I am needed, I will serve.
Speaker 1: O Holab danced on his toes, craning to see the
Speaker 1: mountain of supplies being brought to Moses. He hadn't seen
Speaker 1: such wealth since his days as a weaver and gem
Speaker 1: cutter in Egypt. Who knew the Israelites had ordered so
Speaker 1: many treasures, gold, jewelry, rare gems, silver, bronze, fine leathers,
Speaker 1: goat hair, white linen, acacia, wood, oils, spices and incense
Speaker 1: piled up. But the dyed yarns, rich blues, purples and
Speaker 1: scarlets made his jaw drop most O Holyab nearly wept
Speaker 1: at the beauty and possibilities of the materials. The people's
Speaker 1: generosity was overwhelming, fervor spreading like wildfire. O Holyad felt
Speaker 1: it too, his heart captured by moses vision and the
Speaker 1: variety of materials, he was eager to pledge his skills,
Speaker 1: longing to weave exotic fabs, bricks and shaped stones.
Speaker 2: Again.
Speaker 1: His training laid the foundation that his imagination guided creation,
Speaker 1: and he could speak of his craft endlessly. Lost in thought,
Speaker 1: he was surprised by the quiet arrival of bezelel oh
Speaker 1: holy AB's heart nearly jolted out of his chest.
Speaker 4: You're Bezeleel, the greatest craftsman in the land. I am.
Speaker 4: I did a job in Pharaoh's palace once and saw
Speaker 4: the dining table you made up. The inlay work alone
Speaker 4: was the finest I've ever seen, oh I, And don't
Speaker 4: think I didn't notice the matching benches. I hope those
Speaker 4: high for looton Egyptian royals appreciate the work you put
Speaker 4: into that piece. But I suppose you and I know
Speaker 4: that's a fool's hope to have. The rich never seemed
Speaker 4: to appreciate what they have because it's so easy for
Speaker 4: them to get it. Not like us, well, not like
Speaker 4: me anyway. The names are Holy a son of Hismage,
Speaker 4: tribe of Dan.
Speaker 7: Thank you for your kind words of Holy Uh?
Speaker 4: So have you considered how many workers you want to
Speaker 4: appoint to the tabernacle?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 7: I have it. I'm not sure if I What I
Speaker 7: mean to say is I'm not sure that I.
Speaker 6: Will conform what?
Speaker 4: Why not? You're the most gifted grassmen among us. I
Speaker 4: just assumed you would be appointed to leadership over it all.
Speaker 4: Moses will need someone to guide the artisans who come forward.
Speaker 1: Judging by the look on Bezelal's face, the idea of
Speaker 1: leadership had not even crossed his mind. He looked like
Speaker 1: he was going to be sick.
Speaker 4: I suppose you're right to be apprehensive. The weight of
Speaker 4: the project will be a lot to bear, but you
Speaker 4: have to admit the opportunity to do real grassmanship again. Oh,
Speaker 4: I don't know about you, but repairing the hole's intent
Speaker 4: wall is not the same as weaving tapestries. Don't you
Speaker 4: miss being inspired? Truly creating something, something that's never existed before.
Speaker 1: Lord Moses suddenly shouted to get the crowd's attention and
Speaker 1: cut off whatever Bezeleeh was going to say.
Speaker 8: Nation of Israel, behold your generosity before the Lord. We
Speaker 8: will now begin the construction of the tabernacle. Our God
Speaker 8: has appointed a craftsman by name.
Speaker 1: Bezelel looked around, both nervous and curious. Had the Lord
Speaker 1: truly called somebody by name? What an honor it would
Speaker 1: be to be the craftsman chosen for such a task.
Speaker 1: Bezelel listened intently to Moses as he declared God's chosen
Speaker 1: craftsmen to.
Speaker 3: Build the tabernacle.
Speaker 8: The Lord has chosen Betheleel, son of yuri Her of
Speaker 8: the tribe of Judah.
Speaker 1: Besilel grew pale as the eyes of thousands stuck to him.
Speaker 9: The Lord has filled him with his spirit, with wisdom, understanding,
Speaker 9: and ability in every craft, to design artistic works in gold,
Speaker 9: silver and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to
Speaker 9: carve wood for work in every graft.
Speaker 3: The Lord has also selected Paholiab, son of a Hissamach
Speaker 3: of the tribe of Dad, to be with him.
Speaker 1: Now it was o Hooliab's turn to be shocked. Never
Speaker 1: in a million years would Oholiab have thought he would
Speaker 1: be assigned such a task and to be hand selected
Speaker 1: by their God. He had always known the desire to
Speaker 1: create and imagine came from somewhere, not only deep within,
Speaker 1: but somehow also from beyond. He felt akin to his God,
Speaker 1: his very creator. When he himself was creating, he found
Speaker 1: it difficult describe, as it was more something he felt.
Speaker 10: Now, all skilled artisans who feel compelled come forward for instructions.
Speaker 10: The Lord has placed wisdom in your hearts to create
Speaker 10: everything He's commanded.
Speaker 1: Hesitant craftsmen began to step forward, hard working humble men.
Speaker 1: Oh Holy A beamed at the stunned Bezlo beside him
Speaker 1: and practically dragged him forward to jar Moses and the others.
Speaker 3: Thank you for answering the Lord's call. I'll share the
Speaker 3: vision I received with your two leaders. Be precise and
Speaker 3: spare no expense. Verify your instructions when needed, for we
Speaker 3: are building a sacred dwelling for our God, for he
Speaker 3: desires to dwell among us.
Speaker 1: There were gasps of war at that forum. The gallant
Speaker 1: craftsmen Moses weigh their response, meaning you.
Speaker 3: Understand the importance of what we're building. Remember the glory
Speaker 3: and might of our God from the mountain, the sea,
Speaker 3: the fire. This same God who rescued and sustains us.
Speaker 3: He desires to dwell among us despite our sins. But
Speaker 3: his holiness must be protected. Our sin cannot exist in
Speaker 3: his presence. Nos, If agreement to that, the tabernacle will
Speaker 3: house his glory, So we must build a structure worthy
Speaker 3: of it. You will construct the seven components of the
Speaker 3: tabernacle and the seven items of the priestly garments. Bezilel
Speaker 3: and a holy ab will provide detailed instructions, but I
Speaker 3: will outline the plan so you understand its purpose. The
Speaker 3: first ohent is the courtyard where all Israel can gather
Speaker 3: for sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering the second component,
Speaker 3: and purify themselves at the bronze basin the third. This
Speaker 3: courtyard is like the foot of the mountain, the closest
Speaker 3: the people can approach God's holiness. It mirrors the land
Speaker 3: of Eden, where Man dwelt with God. Within the courtyard
Speaker 3: is the tabernacle containing the holy place, where priests will
Speaker 3: tend to the table of the bread of the presence,
Speaker 3: the lambstand and the altar of incense. The lampstand's life
Speaker 3: will always burn, the table will hold fresh bread, and
Speaker 3: incense will rise symbolizing prayers. Here priests will honor the
Speaker 3: legacy of Adam and Eve, who once communed with God.
Speaker 3: Beyond that is the most holy place, the Holy of Holies,
Speaker 3: housing the ark of the Covenant, the most sacred component.
Speaker 3: This is where the Lord will meet his representative as
Speaker 3: he did with me on the mountain. Only the high
Speaker 3: priest will enter once a year, guarding this sacred space.
Speaker 1: Like the tree of Life in Eden, Bezilel was surprised
Speaker 1: by how well he worked with o Holyab. Though different
Speaker 1: in temperament, their craftsmanship complimented each other. O Holiab's competence
Speaker 1: and ability to communicate Besilel's vision to the men made
Speaker 1: him invaluable. Despite his enthusiasm, he respected Besilel's leadership and
Speaker 1: never overstepped. They began with the tabernacle, dividing the most
Speaker 1: Holy Place and the Holy Place, with finely woven curtains
Speaker 1: decorated with cherubim guardians, symbolizing those in Eda. The rare blue,
Speaker 1: purple and scarlet threads adorned the curtains, while the innermost
Speaker 1: curtain depicted the sky, echoing moses ascent to meet God.
Speaker 1: The tabernacle was covered with a tent of goat hair
Speaker 1: and fine leather. The Ark of the Covenant became Bezelel's
Speaker 1: most cherished project. As Moses detailed its proportions. Bezelel thought
Speaker 1: of Noah's Ark, a vessel for God's chosen symbolizing Covenant
Speaker 1: and life. Made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold,
Speaker 1: the ark had golden rings for poles to ensure it
Speaker 1: could be transported without being touched Atop it sat the
Speaker 1: pure gold atonement lid guarded by cherubin symbolizing the protection
Speaker 1: of God's most precious gift, the Law. Bezelel and the
Speaker 1: craftsmen poured their skills into every piece, pushing their abilities
Speaker 1: to the limit. The table and altar of incense were
Speaker 1: carved and overlaid with gold, fitted with poles like the ark.
Speaker 1: The lampster and was formed from a single piece of
Speaker 1: hammered gold with almond blossom cups branching from its center.
Speaker 1: For the courtyard, they built the altar of burnt offering
Speaker 1: wood overlaid with bronze, and crafted a bronze basin. Once
Speaker 1: the tabernacle was complete, Bezelel turned to the creation of
Speaker 1: the priestly garments. Bezelel directed the creation of the garments,
Speaker 1: relying on Oholiab's expertise in embroidery and gem cutting. They
Speaker 1: had developed a seamless rhythm. Consulting each other as they worked,
Speaker 1: o Holiab valued Beazeleel's precision and vision, while Bezeleel admired
Speaker 1: o Hooliab's skill in bringing that vision to life. Together
Speaker 1: they crafted ephods, breastplates, robes, tunics, turbans, sashes, and the diadem,
Speaker 1: each rich with symbolism, from the pomegranates on the hem
Speaker 1: of the epods representing Eden's bounty, to the engraved medallion
Speaker 1: on the diadem declaring holy to the Lord. The garments
Speaker 1: transformed the wearer into a worthy representative before God. As
Speaker 1: he cut and shaped the gems for the breastplates, oh
Speaker 1: holy ab turned to besilel, voicing the thoughts that had
Speaker 1: been lingering throughout their work. Moses marveled at the beauty
Speaker 1: the artisans infused into the tabernacle and its components, bringing
Speaker 1: the vision God gave him on the mountaintop to life.
Speaker 1: It was as close as earthly materials could come to
Speaker 1: mimicking the heavens, a worthy space for God's glory to
Speaker 1: dwell among them. After the betrayal of the Golden Calf
Speaker 1: and his repeated pleas for reconciliation, this felt like the
Speaker 1: resolution Moses longed for. He set up the tabernacle, anointed,
Speaker 1: and consecrated it, following God's instructions. Precisely, the altar was
Speaker 1: made especially holy, translating offerings into smoke to rise to
Speaker 1: the heavens. A vital part of their worship. He clothed
Speaker 1: Aaron as high priest and his sons as priests, placed
Speaker 1: the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant, set
Speaker 1: up the perpetual flame of the lampstand, arranged the twelve
Speaker 1: pieces of bread on the table, burned incense, prepared the
Speaker 1: burnt offering altar, and filled the bronze basin for the
Speaker 1: priest's cleansing. With everything ready, the tabernacle awaited God's presence.
Speaker 1: When it was done, Moses stood with all Israel as
Speaker 1: the cloud descended from the mountain, covering the tent, and
Speaker 1: the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The people
Speaker 1: watched in amazement, and Moses felt thereof But even as
Speaker 1: they drew near, the veil of separation remained much like
Speaker 1: the veil he wore over his glowing face, a reminder
Speaker 1: of God's supernatural power that both drew them in and
Speaker 1: caused them to shrink back. The tabernacle would let them
Speaker 1: approach God and atone for their sins. Yet it was
Speaker 1: bittersweet for Moses. He was giving up his mountaintop encounters,
Speaker 1: his intimate face to face moments with God for the
Speaker 1: people's sake. This solution, while necessary, rendered him unable to
Speaker 1: enter the most holy place as he once had. It
Speaker 1: was filled entirely by God's glory, with no crevice to
Speaker 1: shield him. Now it would be Moses' task to prepare
Speaker 1: those who would one day enter that sacred space.
Speaker 5: The Book of Exodus, which we're getting close to finishing,
Speaker 5: is about the redemption of the Chosen people from in Egypt.
Speaker 5: But the Great Sage Nochmanidy says that even after the
Speaker 5: redemption from slavery, and even after the giving of the Torah,
Speaker 5: this Bible that we are studying together, redemption still was
Speaker 5: not complete. So I ask what will complete the redemption? Well,
Speaker 5: Nomanody answers the building of the tabernacle, this Israelites means
Speaker 5: of bringing God's presence down to earth and into the
Speaker 5: hearts of everyone. That action and that presence in the
Speaker 5: world of the tabernacle is what will complete this cycle
Speaker 5: of redemption. And that's why he said. The chapters describing
Speaker 5: the building of the Tabernacle are included in Exodus, the
Speaker 5: Book of Redemption. But this wasn't the first time that
Speaker 5: God commanded the Chosen people to build a tabernacle, the
Speaker 5: portable temple that they carried with them through their forty
Speaker 5: day journey through the wilderness. No, that first happened back
Speaker 5: in Exodus, chapter twenty five, verse eight. In the New
Speaker 5: International versions English translation and in most other translations, this
Speaker 5: is what it will translate those words as quote, then
Speaker 5: let them make a sanctuary for me, and I will
Speaker 5: dwell among them, as we say in Hebrew as suli
Speaker 5: miktash vishakanti betochm. Almost all translations to englishments a really
Speaker 5: important nuance that we find in this original Hebrew. You see,
Speaker 5: if the verse is translated more literally, it would say this,
Speaker 5: let them make a sanctuary for me, and I will
Speaker 5: dwell in them, not among them. It says that I
Speaker 5: will dwell in them. That reading made the Jewish say
Speaker 5: just stop and say, wait a minute. Shouldn't the verse say,
Speaker 5: the way it's translated in English, let them make a
Speaker 5: sanctuary for me, and I will dwell in it.
Speaker 3: Why does it say in them?
Speaker 5: The question is pretty clear. When a temple or shrine
Speaker 5: is built to God, he dwells in it. He dwells
Speaker 5: in the temple, right, But we have to ask, can
Speaker 5: any physical structure ever really contain God? The Bible itself
Speaker 5: in Chronicles two six says, but who is able to
Speaker 5: build a temple for him? Since the heavens, even the
Speaker 5: highest heavens, cannot contain him. And so the sages answer
Speaker 5: beautifully that the physical tabernacle that we build does not
Speaker 5: contain God, because the final goal is not for God
Speaker 5: to dwell there in the Tabernacle, but rather for God
Speaker 5: to dwell in us. When we build the Tabernacle, when
Speaker 5: we build the holy space, it enables God to find
Speaker 5: a home in us. We see it today, don't we.
Speaker 5: Beautiful churches or synagogues are just a means to an end,
Speaker 5: the end goal being that God dwells within us when
Speaker 5: we enter that space, not within the space. The only
Speaker 5: thing that makes a church or synagogue holy is the
Speaker 5: people in it. Isn't that a beautiful idea? Through our
Speaker 5: beautiful places of worship and all of the beautiful prayers
Speaker 5: and rituals and traditions that take place inside of them,
Speaker 5: God dwells within us. There's one last thing that I
Speaker 5: want to add to today's story about the Tabernacle. The
Speaker 5: roof of the Tabernacle was a layer of ramskin, but
Speaker 5: then that was covered with the skins of a very
Speaker 5: mysterious creature. In Hebrew, the animal and the Bible was
Speaker 5: called tarrash. The English translations range from dolphin to badger
Speaker 5: and even other animals, but nobody seems to know what
Speaker 5: this word means. What animal is it actually speaking about.
Speaker 5: The Jewish tradition teaches that the tahrash was an animal
Speaker 5: that was created by God only in the time of Moses.
Speaker 5: It had one purpose, and it was to be used
Speaker 5: for its skins, to use the skins for the outermost
Speaker 5: cover of the tabernacle, and then it immediately became extinct.
Speaker 5: And we've seen from the beginning of creation. Everything in
Speaker 5: God's creation is meant to give glory to Him, but
Speaker 5: everything in creation also does other things that make us
Speaker 5: forget this higher purpose. Everything except the Takash, whose only
Speaker 5: purpose was to cover the tabernacle, reminded all who saw it,
Speaker 5: and each of us today that there's only one true
Speaker 5: purpose for all things, to bring glory to God. This
Speaker 5: Bible story also got me thinking about the way we
Speaker 5: live today and about how we often take our daily
Speaker 5: routines for Granted, I couldn't help, but remember when I
Speaker 5: was growing up, I used to wonder if the point
Speaker 5: of Shabbat is to prohibit work, Then why can't I
Speaker 5: talk to my friends on the phone, or to put
Speaker 5: something in the mind ber wave, or to drive to
Speaker 5: the mall? Is that really work? But as I grew older,
Speaker 5: I not only gained understanding of the reason for this
Speaker 5: weekly cessation of work, but I also came to treasure it.
Speaker 5: I also understood what the definition of work is. It's
Speaker 5: to stop creating, to stop needing somewhere to go or
Speaker 5: something to do, to be happy and everything God gave
Speaker 5: us the tabernaclon. And as the story of the Tabernacle unfolded,
Speaker 5: the Israelites learned the same lesson that I learned as
Speaker 5: a child. It's not about the rules themselves, but about
Speaker 5: what those rules symbolize. Just as the people of Israel
Speaker 5: were asked to pause and create a space for God,
Speaker 5: we're asked to do the very same thing each and
Speaker 5: every week on Shabbat i'm Shabbat. When we seiz from
Speaker 5: milechret markshevit, which means creative work, we remind ourselves that
Speaker 5: God is the true creator. It's not about avoiding electricity
Speaker 5: or not lighting a fire. It's about stepping back from
Speaker 5: our need to control, to change, to create, and we
Speaker 5: acknowledge that God is the master of all things. During
Speaker 5: the week, he calls us to create, to create with fire,
Speaker 5: with technology, to create all the different things that will
Speaker 5: make this world a better place to live in. But
Speaker 5: an Shabbati, he says, stop creating, put the fire down,
Speaker 5: put the electricity down, put that creative spirit down, and
Speaker 5: just enjoy what I've given you. In building the Tabernacle,
Speaker 5: our ancestors weren't just constructing a sanctuary, but they were
Speaker 5: participating in a deep act of faith. They were declaring,
Speaker 5: we may make this space, but it is God who
Speaker 5: fills it. And when we honor the Sabbath, we're making
Speaker 5: the same declaration. We step back and let go, and
Speaker 5: we recognize that while we are made in God's image,
Speaker 5: we are not God and only God is the true
Speaker 5: source of all being, all creation. It's a powerful reminder
Speaker 5: that we too are called to create space for Him,
Speaker 5: not just in the world, but in ourselves.
Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein
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Speaker 1: possible by our dedicated team of creative Talents. Steve Gattina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosley and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paulineer, Robin van Ettin,
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