Architecting time

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel likens the Sabbath to a ‘palace in time.’ Often overlooked in this elegant metaphor is the specific nexus between the Tabernacle and Sabbath observance that is solidified in the opening verses of Parshat Vayakel. The Tabernacle assembly process determines Sabbath habits. The 39 major categories curbing Sabbath behavior (weaving, plowing, sifting, writing, etc) are all derived from the activities involved in assembling and disassembling the Tabernacle. The sages transpose Torah’s highly intricate architectural grid for the structure in space to govern the way we structure the period of time, the Sabbath. This represents something more than a convention calling our attention to the space/time continuum. It points to Judaism’s gradual shift from being a religion of consecrated space toward becoming a religion of hallowed time.

Holiness resides not in locations, zip codes, area codes, but in moments, experiences, and memories. A few weeks ago (Parshat Terumah), we considered the Torah’s relationship-friendly language associated with the nuts and bolts of the Tabernacle – indicating that holiness thrives in relationships too. The sages, thus, telescoped the Torah’s extensive focus on the Tabernacle into holiness in time and relationships. May we mine for and multiply holy moments and holy connections as we continue to build our lives.