Reach in. Reach up. Reach out. SHABBAT WITH LEO BAECK TEMPLE Parashat Terumah Exodus 25:1-27:19 And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:8 Shabbat at Home Guide February
EXPERIENCE 25 Hours is Leo Baeck Temple s initiative to help our community experience Shabbat in a completely transformative way reaching in, reaching up, and reaching out. Shabbat at Home is just one of the unique ways we invite you to incorporate 25 Hours into your life. While we welcome you to create Shabbat at Home your way however that may be we also want to provide you with resources should you want or need them. Please feel free to use this guide as just that a guide to help you navigate your Shabbat at Home experience. Now, take a pause and experience the beauty of Shabbat at Home. PARASHA: TERUMAH Exodus 25:1-27:19 What are the gifts we bring? In your home, who are the artists? the designers? the souls with the most creative energy? And, which gifts do we bring to each other that are unseen by the eye? Parashat Terumah describes in detail the design for the mishkan, the portable tabernacle that will become God s dwelling place among the Israelites. This description, the plans for its construction, and the assembly instructions for all the intricate elements of the mishkan take up one third of the Book of Exodus. The project is a major undertaking and begins with a contribution from each individual, whose heart so moves him/her. (Ex. 25:2) What gifts are you moved to bring to your family, your community, and your synagogue? 1. Blessing over the Candles, had l kat neirot CANDLELIGHTING Place two candles on the table; gather friends and family members around. First light the candles, then bring the light towards you three times with your hands. Cover your eyes and recite: Blessed are You, Adonai, Our God, Ruler of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the lights of Shabbat.
2. FAMILY BLESSINGS 3. FAMILY SINGING God Prepare Me God prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I ll be a living sanctuary for You. Hebrew version: v asu li mikdash, v shachanti b tocham (ex. 25:8)
4. KIDDUSH Kiddush Blessing over the Wine Fill at least one kiddush cup with wine or grape juice. Some families choose to pour small Kiddush cups for each person at the table as well. The leader should raise the cup in the air and recite the following blessing: Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe who finding favor with us, sanctified us with mitzvot. In love and favor, You made the holy Shabbat our heritage as a reminder of the work of Creation. As first among our sacred days, it recalls the Exodus from Egypt. You chose us and set us apart from the peoples. In love and favor You have given us Your holy Shabbat as an inheritance. Praised are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Shabbat.
5. HAMOTZI HaMotzi Blessing over Challah Uncover the challot. It is customary to have two challah breads in order to represent the double portion of manna that the Israelites received on Shabbat while wandering in the desert. Touch the challah and recite: Blessed are You, Adonai, Our God, Ruler of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth. Blessed are You, Adonai, Our God, Ruler of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth. The prayers included on this and previous pages are from Mishkan Tefilah: A Reform Siddur
6. HOME DISCUSSION & STUDY For Home Discussion and Study: In this week s URJ Ten Minutes of Torah publication, Rabbi Beth Kalisch shares the following: In the text of our Torah, Moses seems to take God s instructions [to embark on the building of the Mikdash] without a second thought. But in a striking midrash, Moses questions the very premise of the project, pointing out just how theologically strange the very idea of the Tabernacle is for a religion that views God as transcending all time and space, and having no size, shape, or form: When the Holy One of Blessing said to Moses, Make for Me a Tabernacle, Moses reacted with astonishment, and said, The glory of the Holy One of Blessing fills the upper and lower realms and yet God says, make for Me a Tabernacle?! Moreover, Moses looked and saw prophetically that Solomon would arise and build a Holy Temple, which would be larger than the Tabernacle, and that Solomon would say before the Holy One of Blessing, Would God truly dwell on earth? [Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You, and surely not this Temple I have built!] (I Kings 8:27). In response to this vision, Moses said, If Solomon says this regarding the Temple, which is so much larger than the Tabernacle, then how much more so could it be said about the Tabernacle!.... The Holy One of Blessing said to Moses: Not as you think do I think. Rather, a structure formed by twenty planks on the north side and twenty planks on the south side and eight planks on the west side suffices for Me! And not only that, but I shall descend and contract My Presence within the tiny space of one square amah. (Midrash Sh mot Rabbah 34:1)
Continued from previous page... The image of God self-constricting to fit in such a small space is reminiscent of the idea of tzimtzum described in Lurianic Kabbalah, a school of thought based on the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572). It posits that God, who is infinite, filled all space at the beginning of Creation. But the Creation of the world necessitated empty space, so to make room for the world, God self-constricted, taking up less than infinite space for the first time. So while we typically think of creation as a process of making more of something, we see in God s act of tzimtzum, drawing in, that sometimes making less is the first step to enabling creation. Question to Consider Where in your lives do you find the saying less is more to be true? What does God s contraction (tzimtzum) tell us about the Jewish understanding of God s role in the world? While the space of the Mishkan is small, the description of the Mishkan includes a high level of detail and intricacy. What does this convey to the people about God? Think about your house or home. What details have you included in your decor or design? How do these characteristics describe you and your values? If your house were small, like a tiny house for example, what are the essential elements you would be sure to include? What makes a space holy enough for God s presence to be able to dwell inside?
INTENTION Setting Your Intention: This Shabbat when you are out resting and re-creating, we hope you can include some of the following intentions on your way: Rabbi Yochanan said, in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, All commandments [that] the Holy One gave to Israel, God gave publicly, except for Shabbat, which God gave privately, as it is said, It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever. (Exodus 31:17) Babylonian Talmud Beitza Shabbat is your opportunity to explore your personal and family relationship to God, Judaism, Shabbat, etc. How is your Shabbat celebration private? How is your Shabbat celebration public? Are either of these aspects of your Shabbat celebration more meaningful? FOR HOME DISCUSSION AND STUDY FOR GATHERING WITH THE FAMILY During Shabbat dinner take turns sharing both a mitzvah that you have done since last Shabbat and a good thing that has happened to each person since last Shabbat. Consider saving new clothing for its first wearing on Shabbat. It gives more meaning to the acquisition, and it enhances Shabbat. On Shabbat morning make Challah French toast! Ask the kids to set the table with the most special and decorative place settings you have. Make name cards for everyone, and each person gets their own set of candles to light. Set aside special toys or games for use only on Shabbat. They will become family traditions. On Friday afternoon start listening to Jewish music in the house instead of the normal stations, it sets the mood. Begin a ritual of a special Shabbat Snack that you only eat late on Saturday afternoon. Make something really special, like the best chocolate chip cookies, or brownies. Gathered from Reform families across our movement
FOR A HIKE The world of matter has six dimensions all measurable, weighable, East, West, South, North, up and down, Shabbat adds a spiritual seventh dimension, Sanctity. (Rabbi Judah Loew, Maharal of Prague) Where do you find sanctity in nature? How do you identify the dimension of sanctify in your life? On a hike you move within many physical dimensions, what ways can you move in the dimension of sanctity? The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world. (Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel) In the face of expansive nature we often feel small how would we feel in relation to expansive time? Take a moment to breathe, hear the waves, feel the sun. Allow your body to relax. FOR THE BEACH FOR YOGA What brought you to this place and time? Review the week, day by day. What went well? What could have gone better? Where are you, physically, emotionally, spiritually? What is it you need this Shabbat? LEO BAECK TEMPLE