Passover 2012 - Important - Read All

Dear 2012 Passover Villagers,

If you are receiving this via email space has been reserved for you and your party at this year’s Passover Village retreat. We are now full with a wait-list so, if you haven’t sent in your contribution, be sure to do so (or make other arrangements) by April 1st. We cannot guarantee your space otherwise.

Maps & Directions are being sent to attendees only for privacy.

Following are very important items. PLEASE READ ALL BELOW:

* VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!

* CARPOOLING

* YOU ARE INVITED to bring Offerings of Ornamentations

* AGREEMENTS

* SCHEDULE

* WHAT TO BRING - PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY!

* SEDER PORTIONS

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!

· * help transporting any gear to site and back (mileage reimbursed if needed)

· * Seder plate organizer (reimbursed, contact Marc)

· * wine coordinator (reimbursed, contact Larry)

· * parking coordinator

CARPOOLING

Parking at the campsite is limited. We strongly encourage carpooling; let us know if you can offer or need a ride.

After unloading your gear, you may be asked to move your vehicle to an off-site location. We will have to work together to get you back to camp, and then to pick up your vehicle at the end of the weekend. We may have to pack up on Sunday in shifts.

YOU ARE INVITED THIS YEAR, with no obligation,

to bring Offerings of Ornamentations of beauty and symbolism

Every year we decorate the tent/Mishkon to imbue it with specialness and invoke Holiness therein. We again intend to do just that, with a special emphasis on this process, because our study focus this year is Community Building. We are drawing on a powerful example of community working together from:

Exodus 25:5-8 “And this is the offering which you shall take of them: gold, and silver, and brass, and blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goats’ hair; and rams skins dyed red and sealskins and acacia-wood: oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense, onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breast plate. And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.”

And if you are not inspired no blame, no shame. We all have various talents and inclinations to offer, if it be only good attention and participation! These can be a loaner of something precious just for the weekend, or a gift given to Passover Village to use year after year. Because, it says:

Exodus 35:22-29 “The men and women, the leaders, all of willing heart brought for the work that HaShem had commanded through Moses...”

Exodus 35:5 “…everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring it…”

Exodus 35:10 “…every wise-hearted person among you shall come…”

From this year’s Kavanah at http://tinyurl.com/7emvuld:

“This was not conscripted labor, this was not a command but an instruction. Only those whose heart was moved by wisdom, chochma, would come….. the heart contains all the wisdom of Torah (or vice versa?). These are the people that would come to build the Tabernacle.”

The Torah also implies a limitation, and so we will, of necessity, have to sort out what to use and how. If so inspired, bring what works for you, knowing we may not be able to use it all.

Exodus 36 “the people are bringing more than enough . . .”

Consider, as you envision bringing your offerings:

Floor space: We want to keep the Mishkon space uncluttered so that we may dance and move around unhindered, so: items that take up floor space are not a good idea unless they can be used outside, perhaps adorning one of the Meditation Walk stations.

Good ideas: Things that are small or can be hung

Things that can be easily packed and carried

Things that can be placed on an altar and/or exposed to the elements.

(don’t bring priceless or irreplaceable items you are not preprared to lose!)

SOME SUGGESTIONS: Don’t take these too literally: Be Inspired !!

Fabrics and ropes of all colors and especially blue, purple, scarlet, green

Stones: jasper, amethyst, onyx, emerald, diamond, turquoise, sapphire, ruby topaz , agate

Sacred Metals: gold, silver, copper, brass,

Scented oils and incenses, animal skins, tapestries

Symbols: angels, eagles, Ox/water buffalo, Lion, serpent, olive tree, antelope/deer, ram- Egypt, Sun, Moon, Ship, Military items, Wolf, humans, mandrakes.

Candlesticks, bottles, vases, bowls, trays, Chalice/Cups, ???, ???, ???

AGREEMENTS

Be sure to read these agreements so that we all understand what to expect from each other:

We agree to respect and care for ourselves, each other, the community and the land. To safeguard the freedom and sanctity of time and space in the Passover Village, the Leadership Council has endeavored to balance the needs of individuals with those of the community. To that end, the following updates are effective with Passover Village 2012. By registering for this retreat, attendees also agree to the following:

Photography and Recordings:

Please:

· * When we are gathered In Community with a common focus or, "In Session," put away cameras and recording devices.

· * When we are not gathered as a focused community – for example, having lunch, talking with others, etc., – photos and recording are allowed within bounds of respect, privacy and permission: Be discrete, non-intrusive, and respectful of all participants when taking any photographs or recording; some may prefer not to be photographed or recorded at all.

· * Do not publish photos or recordings in public media

* If unsure about a photo or recording, do not take or publish it.

Personal Displays and Self Promotion:

In the spirit of a retreat, so that we might leave behind the things of the day to day world, please do not bring personal displays or promotional items into community areas.

SCHEDULE Arrive anytime after Wed Noon or Thu but by no later than Fri 7 am to set up camp & join opening circle Fri at 9 am

Thursday:
Arrival by dinner, informal campfire gathering

Friday

9:00 10:30 Tent raising


10:30 12:00 Council: Connecting Community


12:00 1:00 Lunch


1:00 3:00 “Mishkan-ing”: Tent decoration and other set-up

Tent decoration: inside, courtyard

Baking matzah

Preparing Maror and Haroset

3:00 5:00 Free time - encourage visit to Meditation Walk

5:00 6:30 Community Shabbat Dinner


7:00 9:00 Council: Kadesh & Kabbalat Shabbat

Saturday

7:00 9:00 Breakfast


9:00 10:30 Council: Urhatz -Karpas -Yahatz

(Washing – Green Plants – Split Matzah)

10:30 11:30 Maggid


11:30 1:00 Lunch


1:00 2:00 Maggid (con’t)


2:00 5:00 Break


5:00 5:30 Tent Entry

5:30 6:30 Rachtzah, Motzi-Matzah, Maror, Korech

(Second washing, motzi-matzah, bitter herb, Hillel’s sandwich)

6:30 8:00 Shulchan Orech (Meal)

8:00 9:30 Tzafun (Afikomen)

Barech (Blessings after meal; Elijah’s Cup)

Hallel (Songs of Praise) 


Sunday 


7:00 9:00 Breakfast and personal pack-up

9:00 11:00 Nirtzah: Closing Circle


11:00 12:00 Take down community tent

12:00 Departure: N’siyah Tovah!

WHAT TO BRING PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY!

Individual Needs:

Recommended items for each person (adults and children)

• Water and bottle (suggest 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and cooking, plus more

for washing; nearest tap water is 1 mile from site en route to camp)

• Tent (rainfly and groundcloth if required)

• Sleeping bag and pad

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• Clothes layered for warm/cold, wet/dry/windy conditions (gloves, hat, thermals, etc.)

• Hiking boots or sturdy shoes

• Hat with wide brim for shade/protection from sun

• Umbrella or poncho for (rain or shade)

• Pocket knife

• Personal “medicine” (necessary prescriptions plus any spirit needs)

• Personal hygiene items (incl. biodegradable soap or Campsuds!)

• Sunscreen!

• Large towel(s)

• Firewood (minimum 1 bundle per person)

• Camp chair, carpet, or pillows to sit on. Space around the perimeter of our tent is limited; try to avoid wide chairs or that have flaring arms or legs. We encourage you to bring rugs or pillows so you can sit close to the earth and recline.

Per Family or Household – for individual/family meals and prep

• Cooler and ice

• Camp stove and fuel

• Pots, pans and cooking utensils

• Dinnerware: Plate, Bowl, Cup, Utensils (reusable please, no paper)

• Cloth napkin

• Food and Drink: Friday Shabbat dinner and Saturday Night Seder dinner are catered. Bring all other food and drink for yourself and household. Sharing is encouraged.

• Please leave bread and bread products (“Chametz”) at home. Bring matzo instead!

Optional and Encouraged

• Sunshower (water heated by sun)

• Drums, shofarot, and other musical instruments

• Brightly colored cloth, etc. to decorate camp and tent

• Your own Haggadah, Teachings about Pesach, Shabbat, and Nature

• Candles or lantern. (Flames should be in glass or metal container to resist tipping or contact with combustibles.)

• Songs, stories, poems

We have a special request of all who will be attending this year who are of willing heart: bring an offering that will be used to decorate our Mishkan tent, the dwelling place for Spirit that we create each year together. See more above or in Kavanah.

Important

• There are some restrictions on use of these campsites including vehicle length. If you are planning to arrive in a long RV, bus or truck, contact National Park Service for limits and any restrictions.

• Car pooling is strongly encouraged, parking in camp is limited.

• Make arrangements for family pets to be cared for at home (not in camp)

SEDER PORTIONS

The following portions of our seder ritual are still available for anyone who would like to lead them. If you haven’t ever done this, it is a great opportunity to explore more deeply the meaning of the particular ritual, and teach your community through your leadership. If you would like to lead or co-lead any portion, please contact Marc at weigensb@usc.edu to get more info.

Seder Portions still available to lead

1. Maggid
 (1.5-2 hrs total time): choose to lead all of Maggid, or any individual portion listed below.

a. Avadim Hayinu – Sandra/musical people?

b. The 4 Questions

c. The 4 Children

d. The 10 Plagues – Rob

e. Dayenu – Sandra/musical people?

f. B’chol Dor V’dor (in each generation)

g. Second cup of wine

h. 3 Symbols

i. Other parts of Maggid from traditional seder, if you feel a connection to them and want to add them

2 Motzi-Matzah (10-15 min) (includes making matzah in afternoon)

3. Tzafun (10-15 min) – afikomen/hiddenness

4. Barech (10-15 min) - Blessings after meal - ? Sandra/musical people?

Other needs for our ritual events:

1. Wine Keeper. We need someone to bring wine for the seder, usually ~10 bottles and ~2 bottles of grape juice for kids/non-wine drinkers. Also plastic cups (though we encourage everyone to use real cups). As the Wine Keeper, you will also help organize getting the bottles opened and pouring the wine at each of the 4 cups during the seder ritual.

2. Someone to be in charge of organizing the seder plate. For this you need to either bring and prepare, or coordinate the bringing and preparation of the following:

a. Charoset. Need someone to volunteer to make and bring the charoset for the seder

b. Lamb shanks – anywhere from 1-4

c. Matzah – ~8 boxes for the seder ritual

d. Hard boiled eggs

e. Bowls of salt water

f. Other seder plate staples: orange, romaine or green onions, parsley, horseradish root

Which portion would you like to lead? How else can you contribute to the Passover Village?

Any questions, updates, etc., call or write ASAP.

As always, for complete information and to SUBSCRIBE to the blog, please visit http://passovervillage.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to being together!

Dan

c 310-396-0706

Carpool and Parking - Update

Parking at the campsite is limited. We encourage carpooling; let us know if you can offer or need a ride. 

After unloading your gear, you may be asked to move your vehicle to an off-site location. We will have to work together to get you back to camp, and then to pick up your vehicle at the end of the weekend. We may have to pack up on Sunday in shifts.

2013 - Save the Dates

Planning is already ongoing for our 2013 encampment, tentatively scheduled from Friday 2013-March-19 to Sunday 2013-March-31.

Kavanah 2012: Building Sacred Community

Each year, the Village creates a Kavanah, an intention, to help guide our Passover Village. Here is one from a few years ago.
 
Shalom Chaverim,

It’s that time again . . . time to start thinking about our upcoming 17^th annual Passover Village retreat. This year we will again be returning to Joshua Tree, where the rocky amphitheater of the land is calling us to another year of earth-based ritual, prayer, camping, and being together.

Once again, our community remembers that Pesach is a time to renew our connections with our ancestors as we explore our ancient roots in ritual fashion. We are instructed to tell the story of the communal Exodus from Egypt as if we ourselves had gone out from that “narrow place” over 3000 years ago. It is a time to reflect on the meaning of slavery and freedom, oppression and transcendence, repression and growth. We celebrate what it means to be a people dedicated to service of Hashem/Elohim, and renew our connection with the story and the people with whom it all began.

In addition to these general themes of Passover, our community seeks to explore the connection to our people’s past as an indigenous people. That is to say, what does it mean to be a Hebrew - an Ivri, a boundary crosser - one of the Children of Israel, an indigenous, tribal, aboriginal people who lived day to day connected intimately to the land and to nature? This was our initial motivation way back in 1995 for holding seder on the land, in the desert, much as our ancestors must have experienced it.

 
Each year we establish our Passover Village for an extended weekend, where we enjoy each others’ presence and spirits in a cooperative, and heart-felt endeavor. Our vision is to create a place in which we all dwell together as Brothers and Sisters, in which each Soul is fully seen, recognized, and acknowledged: creating a lattice of contribution in which each person serves a different role, a vital role in the community, aligned as much as possible to his/her core self.

Kavanah

Every year we also add a bit of additional kavanah (spiritual intention) to our weekend, to help us explore more deeply our tribal history together. This year, our spiritual intention will be “Building Sacred Community”. To fulfill this kavanah we invoke the words of our great sage of the first century BCE, Hillel the Elder:

• If I am not for myself, who am I? Im ayn ani li, mi li?
• If I am only for myself, what am I? U’c’sheh’ani l’atzmi, ma ani?
• If not now, when? V’ im lo achshahv, aymatay?

Hillel’s words speak directly to the need to balance the needs and desires of the individual with those of the community. These are words by which to build sacred community. This year our intention is to gain insight into what our tradition teaches us about building conscious community through the exploration of our people’s early journeys through the Sinai wilderness after leaving Egypt:

• How did we acquire community consciousness?
• What served as the common focal point of the community?
• How did we delegate duties and responsibilities?
• How did we find the proper balance between community and personal pursuits?
• What processes did we use to resolve conflicts?

These are just some of the possible teachings that might flow from a study of the nascent days of the Hebrew nation. We hope that learning the lessons of the formation of B’nai Yisrael (Children of Israel) may guide our efforts at building heartfelt community in our current, chaotic times. In our Western “culture of the individual”, can we remember what it is like to bathe in community consciousness? We look forward to what we will discover together at Joshua Tree under the sun and moon of the month of Nissan, through our prayers, discussions, songs, rituals, and general interactions as modern-day builders of community in the wilderness.

A very special request this year:

Following the lead of our ancestors in the wilderness of Sinai, who were just getting their bearings on what to do to create the foundation of the Hebrew community, we have a special request of all who will be attending this year who are of willing heart: bring an offering that will be used to decorate our Mishkan tent, the dwelling place for Spirit that we create each year together. This request stems from the following verses:

Exodus 35:5: everyone of willing heart shall bring it (materials to build the Tabernacle)

Exodus 35:10: . . . every wise-hearted person among you shall come

As in the days of Moses, we ask you to bring – if your heart so moves you - any of the following: items of gold, silver, copper; fabrics of purple, scarlet, and turquoise cloth, white linen . . . and any other items of beauty that can be used to decorate our community tent and surrounding spaces, or that can be used in ceremony.

From our Torah study this year:

The materials required to construct the Mishkan – gold, silver, copper, fabrics of turquoise, purple, and scarlet – are at the same time royally ornate and yet very mundane. These are materials that were known, that the people had with them, having left Egypt with gifts of jewelry and gold and all sorts of implements. Copper, a mineral symbolizing passion, was used to fashion mirrors. The scarlet was no doubt an earthy red dye. This was to be a tent for a chieftain, no ordinary tent. Still it was not magical and miraculous, but was to be built of known stuff, not beyond the grasp of common folk, of stuff they already had. This is in line with our overall tradition: elevate the worldly around you to its spiritual level. The people would turn this tent made of small bits of precious yet worldly items, into a sanctuary, which would continuously recreate the experience of Mt Sinai, where HaShem would constantly dwell and dialogue with us. Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov Mishkanotecha Yisrael . . . . (how wonderful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel . . . )

We are indeed a fortunate People to have so much of our ancient history written and available to us in our sacred texts. Gratitude to the scribes!

As we gather this year among the stone beings of Joshua Tree, among the memories that we have built over the preceding 16 years, we will celebrate the freedom that we hold so dear, and again learn from one another what it means to be a community connected to the earth, to our ancestors, to Spirit, and to the best within each of us and each of our fellow human beings.

Please feel free to E-mail with any questions, comments, etc. If you want to read over the notes from our studies this past year on the topic of building sacred community, visit our blog at http//passovervillage.blogspot.com.

Shalom U’L’hitraot – see you in Joshua Tree!

Marc

Save a seat at our seder table

Spring is rapidly approaching. Soon it will be Purim and then Passover will be upon us.  We look forward to greeting friends, both returning Villagers and newcomers.

Passover Moon

Passover begins on a full moon. This year, however, we begin our seder at the end of Passover week, and will be camping under a waning moon. In the desert, it will still be bright and wonderful.

The size of our community is limited. This is to protect the fragile desert landscape and to allow to allow us to get to know each participant. We especially encourage young adults and families with children to join us this year.

Look at the START HERE section of this blog to learn more about our gathering. Several new policies have been advanced; be sure to read them.

We look forward to renewing our liberation with you.

In the First Month of the Second Year

In the First Month of the Second Year

1-07-12

After extensive check-ins where we all caught up with where we now found ourselves in the new calendar year (pursuing job changes, being esteemed, non-collision collisions, relationship growth and change, much more . . .) we turned to Torah. Intending to study today’s actual parashat Vayehi, where Jacob blesses his sons and establishes the character of the future 12 tribes, we were turned instead to complete our study of the Tabernacle at the end of Exodus.

Exodus 40:17-18 “In the first month of the second year . . . the Mishkan (Tabernacle) was erected. Moses erected the Mishkan. “

Reflect for a moment on how much had happened in that one short year since leaving Egypt: the crossing of the Sea, the sweetening of the waters of Marah; the revelation at Sinai; the incident of the Golden Calf; the giving of the Tablets; the extensive preparation of the Mishkan. The people were now poised to establish the dwelling place for God’s Presence to travel within the midst of their encampment – a perpetual, movable, Sinai. “Moses spread the Ohel (tent) over the Mishkan” : the significance of the “Ma Tovu” that we sing on Erev Shabbat became evident - the ever-present combining and living in both the spiritual realm and physical realm simultaneously. Ohel - here specifically referring to the coverings of the Mishkan made of woven fabric (purple, turquoise, and scarlet) and linen, goat’s hair, and animal hides – refers to the physical structure. Mishkan – literally meaning the place of dwelling – has the connotation of the spiritual awareness contained within the physical structure.

Exodus 40:22-24: “He put the Table in the Tent of Meeting on the North side . . . he placed the Menorah opposite the Table on the South side”

That there is significance of the placement in the specific directions is evident. Having just left urban Egypt, the 4 directions were no doubt of critical importance to the Children of Israel, to orient themselves in the wilderness. Tzafon (North), Negba (South) – what is the significance of the 4 Directions in our indigenous tradition? North, the place of mystery, Eagle, fire . . . South, the place of clarity, Speaking Beings, water. There are many deep teachings in our tradition regarding these directions, the qualities they contain, the meaning of their qualities, the place in our lives in which they manifest. Through our discussion today, it was evident we wanted to bring the intention of Direction to Joshua Tree this year, to really seek an understanding of our place within those 4 Winds, of being firmly grounded and surrounded in the foundation of these spiritual directions as we move into the period of personal and societal challenge we all feel coming. Ways to utilize this Kavannah at our seder: awareness of the time of day and it’s relation to the directions; specific rituals being held with awareness of the direction involved (e.g. Rahatz – the laver was placed to the East of the Mishkan); placement of the tribal banners to the 4 directions as we’ve always done, but connect them with posts and string to invoke the courtyard around the Mishkan; have our Mediation Walk stations at those banners, carrying the meaning of the directions with us on the walk.

Exodus 40:36: “When the cloud was raised up from the Mishkan, the Children of Israel would embark on all their journeys.”

How do we know when to move in a new direction, when to start a new project, when to make a change in the direction of one’s life? The Torah teaches us here to pay attention to Spirit, and let spirit guide us on such journeys of import. This concept is repeated throughout our sacred teachings. As when David inquired of HaShem as to the right time to attack the Phillistines and was told to wait until he heard the wind move through the tops of the trees, the sound of HaShem moving out before them (Samuel 2, 5:22-25). How often do we move forward based only on a momentary thought, a whim of the ego, without a deeper knowledge of the timing of our action? Though we can’t always be perfect, Torah tells us to pause for a moment before acting, listen for the wind, the sound of HaShem moving before us, watch for the cloud to lift – then our way is clear and our success assured. Of course our ability to really do this is flawed, limited by the quality of our connection to Spirit. It’s when we try too hard, jump the gun, even with good intentions, that sometimes things don’t work out. But to work to develop ourselves and our connection to spirit, seeking to attain the level of connection of David or Moses, is a worthwhile goal, as long as it always remains held by an ever-present humility.

Free-form discussion continued into more ideas about April:

· Set up the welcome tent again to bring us into that mindset of walking in both worlds simultaneously from the moment we step out of our cars and onto the desert floor;

· What does it mean to be in the Mishkan? Why have a Mishkan? What are we trying to do?

· We may be at a new state of cohesive spiritual development of the community

· Not so important what we do, as that we do something with the intention of “community-making” – that we come together by sharing Kavannah

· Reconnecting with the Great Mother, Earth, so important in all we do

Chazak! Chazak! V’nish’Chazeyk!

(Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!)

Shamoah Tish’mah l’Kol HaShem Elohecha

(Really listen for the voice of HaShem, the Source of your power)

Next gathering:

Time and Location: To be determined

How Awesome is this Place!

How Awesome is This Place!

12-03-11

This week’s parashat being Vayeitzei, we started by chanting the words Jacob spoke in awe upon awakening from his dream of the ladder: “Surely, YHVH is in this place . . . How awesome is this place!” Acknowledging what it feels like to be in “The Place” (HaMakom), we picked up our study of the building of the Tabernacle.

Exodus 35:22-29 The men and women . . . the leaders . . . all of willing heart brought for the work that HaShem had commanded through Moses . . .

They brought fabric of turquoise, purple, and scarlet, linen, gold, silver, copper, stones – at least those of willing hearts brought the materials needed to build the Mishkan. But what of those who didn’t feel inspired in their hearts? A drash, conceived in the moment:

The people withdrew from Moses. Then those who were willing came forward with gifts of materials for the sanctuary and used their skills for preparing and creating materials.

Not all came forward, only the willing. Were those who did not come forward excluded from the community? There is silence on this question. Certainly one might expect that such a drastic resolution would have been mentioned were this the case. So we may assume that failure to contribute did not result in exclusion or excommunication.

However, as has been commented, that which is freely given returns to the giver more than that which is given upon command or mandate. So, the fullest benefit of membership in the community goes to those who willingly step forward. As some have pointed out, some members of PV community are more actively involved than others. This does not exclude those who only show up sporadically from the community, but it does provide greater return to those who do.

But then, there is a point at which enough – indeed, more than enough – has been given for the work to be done. Is this perhaps the source of Hillel’s first question? Yes, give. But we are not asked to give without limits. We are not commanded to give everything. Giving makes us not just for ourselves, but we must also be for ourselves, and recognize that neither service to the community nor service to the One – if there is a difference – does not require giving everything. We must also take care of our own selves, and recognize when enough giving is enough.

Are there times when we give so much – in a manner that we think we are doing willingly – that we begin to resent how much we have given? Is this because we do not remember that there is actually a limit on how much we are really asked to give? How do we find the balance between giving ourselves to the community and preserving and protecting ourselves? If not now, when?

Exodus 35:30 Moses said: See, Hashem has called by name, Bezalel . . .

Bezalel and Oholiab are named as the master craftsman to build the Tabernacle. God called Bezalel by name. Did He call him, as He had called Noah and Abraham and Moses before him, and had Bezalel answered “Hineni” ? Bezalel’s resume for the position: he had the Spirit of Elohim, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge – in essence we are being told he had full connection and balance of the upper Sefirot of the Tree, with a direct connection to the Infinite Power source. He was from a good family – his grandfather Hur had held up the arms of Moses in the battle with Amalek (Exodus 17:10). Two other key qualifications of Bezalel and Oholiab: they were both of wise heart, chocam lev, a requirement for leadership in the community, and they were both excellent teachers. These are leadership skills that are critical in community: to be wise from a place of heart-connection with Spirit, implied by the word Chochma, and to be willing to share that wisdom by mentoring those who will work under you – ie. Teach. Do our current political leaders, or wannabe leaders, show either of these qualities? These 2 leaders were craftsmen of every art and craft who could direct others to accomplish the goal: build the Tabernacle. It would seem that a project so-directed has within it an inherent capacity for building community.

Exodus 36:: “the people are bringing more than enough . . .”

The wise people performing the work determined that they had more of the materials needed for the work than necessary. Thus Moses set limits, telling men and women to bring no more gifts. There are limits, even when acting of willing heart, to what can and should be given. To maintain community and reach common goals, even the loving kindness of willful hearts wanting to give must be tempered with what is truly needed to meet the goals of the enterprise. This is further illustrated by the method of building the Menorah. This was hammered out of a single block of gold, which required the limit-setting of an expert goldsmith to know just where to hammer, just where to shift the metal, how to limit it in one direction or another, gradually molding a blob of gold into a 7-branched lamp representing the structure of the universe. How leaders apply limits, how they are received and responded to by the individuals to whom they are applied, are critical elements of community building. It is perhaps part of human nature to bridle at any limits, feeling them a personal obstruction to freedom and desire. And clearly, overexpression of limits can result in oppression and suppression, and subsequent resentment if not rebellion. Yet limits applied with wise heart are critical to maintain the wholeness of the community. This is the principle of Hesed balanced by Gevurah to synergize in the harmony and beauty of Tiferet. The struggle to reach this balance is manifested most clearly in our work by considering the question of what is, and what is not, in service to the Passover Village.

Next gathering: Saturday, January 7

· Location: To be determined

All of Pure Heart

All of Pure Heart

11-04-11

It was a chilly morning in Encino, as we met together to continue our exploration of learning the ways our ancestors built their sacred community. We wrapped ourselves in blankets to stay warm, Oteh Or K’Salmah – wrapping light like a robe. There was a strong impulse to chant: Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov, Mishkanotecha Yisrael. The chant shifted our study from Parashat BaMidbar to Parashat Vayakhel, and we began.

First was some confusion – are we reading Exodus Chapter 25 or 35? Chapter 25 describes God telling Moses how to build the Tabernacle. Chapter 35 describes Moses relaying this information to the people. It’s just like the process of building anything – the building exists fully in intent before any work ever begins. It is in line with the kabbalistic description of the 4 Worlds: Atzilut – inspiration, initial spark of an idea; B’riyah – Creation, the blueprint, the full building in intent, God telling Moses what to do; Yetzirah – Formation, the gathering of the supplies, mobilization of the forces to build, Moses telling the people what to do; and finally, Assiyah – Doing, physical reality, the construction of the actual physical building.

Exodus 35:1 Moses assembled the entire assembly

To put things in context, we first noted that in the immediately preceding chapter, Moses had just come back down from Mt Sinai with the second set of tablets, his face aglow from his elevated spirit, and what followed were the first instructions he would give the people from this new enlightened state.

If he gathered the whole assembly, some 600,000 men along with the women and children, how did they all hear what Moses had to say? Did they use “Stentorian speech”, a Roman technique of projecting one’s voice? Or did they use the “human microphone” method of the Occupy Wall Street movement, with waves of people repeating verbatim what the speaker says until all have heard? If the latter, can we imagine the captains of 1000s, and captains of 100s that were described in Parashat Yitro radiating out in semi-circles at different distances from Moshe, relaying the information? And what about the ability to listen? Perhaps by then the assembly had developed their listening skills, as we do through the practice of Council. Maybe there are traces of this remaining in the modern liturgical practice of responsive reading.

Exodus 35:2 Six days you will do work . . . you will not kindle a fire on the Shabbat day.

Before getting into the instructions to build the Tabernacle, Moses relates the prohibition to work on Shabbat. Why? As any builder or architect will tell you, before the physical work begins, the conditions are set. This way the workers know the parameters by which their work will be done.

Why is the word m’lachah used for work, rather than avodah or some other word? We note the root of the word is the same as for Malach, messenger or angel. Maybe then the type of work being described indicates specifically work that could be characterized as “messenger-like”, working as an agent for someone else. In this case working on things that are divinely decreed, meant to bring God’s presence actively into this world.

And why the prohibition specifically against kindling fire on Shabbat? Fire is the element associated with the North Wind, which comes from the place of mystery, or hiddenness. And fire begins with the letter Aleph, the silent letter that precedes all that happened in Torah (since Torah starts with the second letter, Bet). So the prohibition would seem to be against creating something from nothing, creating from the place of mystery. Just don’t create. There is a teaching that this also means don’t start a “fire”, as in an argument or conflict, with your husband or wife or anyone else close to you, on Shabbat.

Exodus 35:5: everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring it,

The description of the materials that will be used reads like a checklist to an upscale Home Depot. The materials required – gold, silver, copper, fabrics of turquoise, purple, and scarlet – are at the same time royally ornate and yet very mundane. These are materials that are known, that the people have with them, having left Egypt with gifts of jewelry and gold and all sorts of implements. Copper, a mineral symbolizing passion, was used to fashion mirrors. The scarlet was no doubt an earthy red dye. This was to be a tent for a chieftain, no ordinary tent. Still it was not magical and miraculous, but was to be built of known stuff, not beyond the grasp of common folk, of stuff they already had. This is in line with our overall tradition: elevate the worldly around you to its spiritual level. The people would turn this tent made of small bits of precious yet worldly items, into a sanctuary which would continuously recreate the experience of Mt Sinai, where HaShem will dialogue with us. Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov . . .

Exodus 35:10: . . . every wise-hearted person among you shall come

This was not conscripted labor, this was not a command but an instruction. Only those whose heart was moved by wisdom, chochma, would come. Sefer Yetzirah teaches that the world was created from 32 paths of Wisdom, so it could only be those who were in this flow of the forces of creation who would join in the effort. The word for heart is Lev, Lamed Bet. This has the numerical meaning of 32, the 32 paths which were used to form the physical universe. Lamed Bet are also the first and last letters of the torah, teaching that the heart contains all the wisdom of Torah (or vice versa?). These are the people that would come to build the Tabernacle.

Exodus 35:21: Every man whose heart inspired him came; everyone whose spirit motivated him

Again, this was a labor of pure love and wholeness. Or was it? The Children of Israel had just experienced the incident of the Golden Calf, and thousands had been killed. Maybe they were coming out of fear? But if so, we would expect the Torah to use the word L’vav for heart, indicated a heart that was divided. The use of Lev implies that the people were truly of pure heart and intention.

This verse led to a discussion of how we can draw lessons directly to our experience of building community at Passover Village. We may put this verse on our invitation to come to PV this year, emulating the events described in Torah that only those attend who come from a fullness of heart. But what happens, and how do we deal with those who do not come, or at least do not act, from a place of full heart? Sometimes we have tasks to do, and we just need everyone on board to get it done – such as when we raise our big tent. Having structure, process, and, at times, sternness, is necessary to accomplish the tasks and is not inconsistent with the desire for working with people with hearts of wisdom. It may be likened to dealing with a kid who messed up and crashed your car – when he wants to drive again after being fully contrite and learning from his mistake, you may allow him to do so, but only under very specific rules or circumstances. Similarly, the Children of Israel are being instructed in building the Tabernacle shortly after the incident of the Golden Calf, the smashing of the divinely written set of tablets, and Moses’ return with the second set. Come with an inspired and motivated heart, which understands the need to work with others within a defined set of boundaries.

Next gathering: Saturday, December 3

· Location: To be determined

· Time: 10-2