Chabad Research Unit Friday Night - Parasha Terumah 5781

Friday 19 February 2021 - 7 Adar 5781 Sedra Terumah - Shabbat Zachor WAKING UP

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ODERN SCIENCE TENDS TO SUGGEST THAT THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE is in some way unified. Especially with the opening of intriguing fields of discovery such as quantum mechanics, everything in existence seems to be connected together in a truly remarkable way. This raises an interesting question, which is not usually treated by scientists but is the essence of a spiritual perspective on life. Is there a conscious dimension to existence? What does this mean? Let us try to understand.

The difference between consciousness and unconsciousness can clearly be seen in a human being. The unconscious person is alive, breathing, with his or her heart pumping as it should and most of the organs functioning healthily. However, although everything in his body is interconnected, it does not actually express anything. The face of the unconscious person does not properly convey his or her character; the limbs are uncontrolled. The person achieves nothing, creates nothing, communicates nothing - except, possibly, pain or even anguish.

When this person regains consciousness there is suddenly a remarkable change. Now everything he or she does becomes an expression of their inner personality. There is no longer a blank enigma when you look at his face. The person smiles at you at once and relates to you directly, from the heart and from the essence.

At this moment in time, can we sense the conscious dimension of JUDAISM FOR TOMORROW’S WORLD www.chabadresearch.net - cru@LubavitchUK.com

existence? For many people the world seems simply in a state of chaos, of unease, disharmony. It is unified, in the way that modem physics describes, indeed, wondrously so. But it is not clearly expressing anything. It is like an unconscious body, acting without direction or purpose.

Through most of the history of the world, this has been the situation. However, the Sedra l tells us about a major step towards consciousness: the building of the Sanctuary, the prototype of the Temple. One can consider the Temple as functioning as a kind of ‘mind’ of the universe. In the deepest interior of the Temple, in the Holy of Holies, there was the Golden Ark containing the Tablets of the Law given by G-d on Sinai. Here in the Holy of Holies is the focus of consciousness of all existence, which ultimately has the power to bring a sense of unity of purpose and direction to every detail of life.

The full realisation of this will be in the time of Moshiach, when the Temple will be rebuilt and the whole world will suddenly ‘wake up’ and express the harmony and joy of its inner essence and reality: the infinite Divine.

This moment of awakening is the key to the Scroll of Esther read on Purim - this coming Thursday evening and Friday day. “On that night, the sleep of the King was disturbed...” (6:1). King Ahasuerus could not sleep and the book of chronicles was read to him, in which he heard how Mordechai had saved his life. This led him to force the evil Haman to honour Mordechai, and within a few steps there is a wonderful turnabout and the Jewish people are saved. The Sages tell us the King is actually G-d, and what was taking place was the arousal whereby existence ‘woke up’ and revealed its Divine reality.

This will also take place with advent of the Messiah. Instead the world being unconscious and largely uncommunicative, as it is now, when the Temple is rebuilt everyone will be able to see clearly what life means. Every human being will respond from the heart, by doing their utmost to keep G-d’s laws, the 613 Commandments for the Jew, and the Seven Noachide Laws for the non-Jew. It will be a time of light and joy, of peace, and of awareness of the Divine in every aspect of life2.

1. Exodus 25:1-27:19. 2. See Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s Tanya I chs.51-53 and Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Schneersohn’s Sefer HaMaamarim 5700, pp.5-10.

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SEDRA TERUMAH CHEESECAKE AND THE SEDRA Rebecca opened her eyes, and squinted as the sunlight streamed into her room. Looking at her nightstand, she saw the time was already 10:37!

Rebecca jumped out of bed, to pick out one of her favourite Shabbat dresses whilst she thought about the delicious cheesecake her mother had prepared for Shabbat morning breakfast.

After getting dressed, she walked downstairs grinning as she heard the sound of laughter and chatter coming from the kitchen.

“Good morning sleepyhead! Come have some cheesecake darling,” Mrs Davidson called out from her perch at the kitchen table, as she saw Rebecca walking into the kitchen.

“Hey Rebecca! You’re finally up,” her older brother Isaac said with a smirk.

Rebecca laughed, “Good morning! Yum, I’d love some cheesecake,” she said sliding up a chair next to her father.

He looked up from the Torah book he was immersed in and with twinkling blue eyes he said warmly, “Rebecca, Good Shabbos!”

“Good Shabbos Daddy. You know it’s still so funny to me that you aren’t in Synagogue on a Shabbat morning! It feels so odd,” Rebecca said thoughtfully. “Not that we don’t enjoy having you around at home!” she finished with a laugh.

Mr Davidson chuckled. “Well Rebecca it’s a little odd for me too. My whole life I went to Synagogue every Shabbat morning, and suddenly now I stay home every single Shabbat and pray myself and make my own little Synagogue here!

With Isaac and you.”

“Hey this reminds me of my Sedra class on zoom school” Isaac piped up.

“Let’s hear sweetie! Tell us about this week’s Sedra,” Mrs Davidson said encouragingly.

“Well in Sedra Terumah, the Sanctuary is built. The Sanctuary was a special place where G‑d's presence actually dwelt - it was a place where G‑d could actually rest on this lower world.

My teacher was saying how nowadays, we can also build a Sanctuary!" Isaac explained.

"What does that mean, like we build an actual sanctuary?"

Rebecca asked in disbelief.

"No, it doesn't mean a Sanctuary with planks and curtains like they had in the desert. What it means is that we have to make our Synagogues, and our homes, especially now during Covid, into a dwelling place for G‑d,” Isaac said thoughtfully.

"Oh I learnt this! We can do that by doing good deeds, Mitzvot, by following G‑d's commandments and by learning His Torah - through all these we make our Synagogue, home or room into a little Sanctuary." Rebecca added excitedly.

“So now during Covid, when we can’t go to Synagogue, it can feel hard to build that Sanctuary but we can turn our homes into mini Sanctuaries by praying here, and talking about this week’s Sedra, and having a Shabbat meal,” Mr Davidson ended off with a grin.

Mrs Davidson stood up to put away the cheesecake, “Well, talking about praying, I think we’d better do that before it’s too late!”

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