Close your eyes for a moment. Go ahead, you have been staring at your computer screen for way too long already. Go ahead, close your eyes. Close your eyes and imagine the following scene: Six hundred thousand Jews are encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Smoke swirls about the volcanic peak. An air of awe and wonder permeates the place. One after another, the Children of Israel come forward, bearing gifts to their God. The midrash tells us they brought earrings of gold, bracelets of silver, and brilliant jewels. For their leaders, they brought tunics of fine cloth and embroidery. One by one they step forward to bring their gifts until the line stretches back to the horizon.
All this from Moses’ single simple request: “take from among you gifts to God; everyone whose heart so moves shall bring them – gifts for Adonai: gold, silver, and copper.” (Exodus 35:5-9) The bringing of voluntary gifts to build the Tabernacle – the sacred Place of Assembly in the wilderness – is the central theme of this week’s Torah portion, Vayak’heil.
OK, now open your eyes. But keep clearly before your eyes that beautiful image of a community working together to build something greater than themselves. It is a binding image, an image of our first task together in the making of our common faith. It is a wondrous thing, what we can build together, in common cause, in common faith, together there is quite literally nothing we cannot overcome.
So what shall we build? Let us build together a world of justice and peace.
Parsha Vayak’heil – וַיַּקְהֵל Torah Summary:
Moses teaches the rules of Shabbat. (35:1-3)
Moses asks the Israelites for a donation of gifts and those who are skilled help build the Mishkan [Tabernacle] under the direction of Bezalel and Oholiab. (35:4-38:20)
Vayak’heil – וַיַּקְהֵל
As part of the hiring process, The Temple Clergy Search Committee created a video to showcase our Temple. Here is the video they prepared that helped us recruit and hire Cantor Lauren Adesnik.
Message from our Temple President with the announcement:
Dear Temple Members,
As you know, our congregation made the decision two years ago to hire a cantor as the next clergy person upon the retirement of Rabbi Rapport. After an extensive search process by our search committee, I am thrilled to announce that Cantor Lauren Adesnik will be that person. She will start her new position here in Louisville in July 2022. Cantor Adesnik is moving here from the Atlanta area with her husband Moshe, nine-month-old daughter Lavender, and their beloved poodle, Wally. She and her husband are thrilled to move to Louisville and start a new chapter in their lives. They cannot wait to join our Temple family and I expect they will be an excellent fit.
The Cantorial Search Committee was overwhelmingly impressed by Cantor Adesnik’s many talents and warm, engaging personality. Her evaluation process included several Zoom interviews, many phone calls with our committee chairpersons and staff, references, and a three day in person visit to Louisville in early January. At the end of her visit to our congregation, the search committee met and universally chose to offer her our cantor position. I am pleased to announce that her contract was formally signed last Wednesday evening.
Many thanks to our committee chairpersons, Margie Kommor and Steve Shapiro. Their leadership has been exceptional. I would also like to thank the entire Cantorial Search Committee for their dedication and professionalism. It has been a grueling and time consuming process but I truly believe we got the best candidate.
A transition team is already in place and planning for Cantor Lauren’s arrival. We expect to hold many events in the coming year to help bring them into our family and introduce them to the community. I encourage all of you to participate in welcoming them to their new home.
Thank you, Michael Salamon, President
Message from Cantor Lauren:
Dear Temple Members,
Wayfarer there is no path Wayfarer, the only way Is your footprints and no other. Wayfarer, there is no way. Make your way by going farther. By going farther, make your way Till looking back at where you’ve wandered, You look back on that path you may Not set foot on from now onward. Wayfarer, there is no way; Only wake-trails on the waters
-Antonio Machado (Proverbios y Cantares)
I wrote these words to my current synagogue as a part of my beginning goodbyes and announcement of my thrilling and humbling acceptance to be your cantor at The Temple. I imagine the poet contemplating his journeys in life as he is walking along a beach, or rowing a boat amidst a crystal flat lake. In front of him lies open space, no trail, no markers or signs directing him where to go. Each path in life he forged by imprinting his footprints forward, farther and farther until such point he turns to reflect and savor one moment or another and notices the indentations his feet have left in the sand grains, or the ripples extending outward behind his boat. And then, quite simply, he continues on his way, knowing he will stop here and there to collect his thoughts and stay awhile before continuing forward once again.
Throughout this placement journey, I have felt like that wayfarer. I stop, recollect, and see the line of markings in the sand, the ripples in the water extending back in time to 2013, when I became an ordained cantor and Moshe and I came to our first home in Atlanta. They extend through my time in seminary, to Israel, and to the moment I heard my call towards the cantorate. A new ripple is forming now, as Moshe, Lavender, Wally (our standard poodle) and I begin to make our way to our new home, with all of you at The Temple in Louisville, Kentucky.
As I stop in this moment I hold the thrilling and humbling joy and gratitude I am experiencing in becoming your cantor. Our first conversation began just a little over three months ago. I have truly loved moving along with each one of the clergy, staff, lay leadership, and search committee in this process. I think we have a beautiful shidduch (match), and I am looking forward to all of the moments we will share together in prayer, healing, laughter, learning, singing, and building upon this fantastic community I feel so lucky to be a part of. I look forward to weaving the colors of music through our connection, to God, and back down again surrounding each of us.
“Wayfarer”explains that we may look back and review our journey, however, we may not step backwards into that path we forged. The only way to continue the journey is to move farther forward. I am blessed to have built a beautiful journey from California, to Israel, to New York, Atlanta and now I am so excited to be creating new ripples, journeys, imprints, and memories with all of you and with the extended Jewish and greater communities of Louisville. Each step of guidance, mentorship, partnership, collaboration, and leadership along the way has shaped my life and cantorate and the abundance of our future together is so very bright. I cannot wait to create amazing “wake-trails on the waters” together.
This week’s Torah Portion, Ki Tisa tells the tale of the two sets of Ten Commandments. The first set were carved by God and given to Moses to bring down from Mount Sinai and present to the Children of Israel. But in the forty days of waiting for Moses to return, the Israelites had lost faith and built for themselves an idol of a Golden Calf to worship. Moses breaks that first set of Ten Commandments in anger before the people of Israel for their lack of faith and for their sin of idolatry which breaks the very commandments which God had placed in his hands.
The people repent, God’s anger is cooled, and once again Moses climbs Mount Sinai, carrying in his hands two blank tablets upon which God inscribes again the words of the Ten Commandments just like the first. The words are the same but the tablets are different in that Moses is commanded to make this second set of tablets himself unlike the first which were made by God.
There is a lesson here for us to learn. The commandments we keep – they need to be, at least in part, the work of our own hands. We need to own them, to make them, and to take them into our heart. Because Moses made the tablets upon which God inscribed the words, we can cherish them as divine and yet see them still as the work of our hands. As it says in the song we sing after the Torah is read:
וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל פִּי יי בְּיָד מֹשֶׁה. “This is the Torah, which Moses placed before the Children of Israel, from the mouth of God, and by the hand of Moses.”
Parsha Ki Tisa – כִּי תִשָּׂא Torah Summary:
Moses takes a census of the Israelites and collects a half-shekel from each person (30:11-16)
God tells Moses to construct a water basin and to prepare anointing oil and incense for the ordination of the priests. Bezalel and Oholiab, skilled artisans, are assigned to make objects for the priests and the Tabernacle. (30:17-31:11)
The Israelites are instructed to keep Shabbat as a sign of their covenant with God. God gives Moses the two tablets of the Pact. (31:12-18)
The Israelites ask Aaron to build them a Golden Calf. Moses implores God not to destroy the people and then breaks the two tablets of the Pact on which the Ten Commandments are written when he sees the idol. God punishes the Israelites by means of a plague. (32:1-35)
Moses goes up the mountain with a blank set of tablets for another 40 days so that God will again inscribe the Ten Commandments. Other laws, including the edict to observe the Pilgrimage Festivals, are also revealed. (34:1-28)
Moses comes down from the mountain with a radiant face. (34:29-35)
Ki Tisa – כִּי תִשָּׂא
Whose job is it to keep the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light, burning? In ancient times, the responsibility for kindling the Ner Tamid belonged to the priests alone. Each night the seven branched menorah was kindled and the flames were tended from evening until morning, as an Eternal covenant between God and the Children of Israel.
Whose job is it to keep the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light, burning in our age of electrical power, backup batteries, and LED lamps – when no one will need to tend its flames for a decade of light and more? There is more to the Ner Tamid than the light it continually casts forth. It is a symbol of the covenant between God and the Jewish people.
Whose job is it to keep the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light, burning? It is your job, it is my job, this job belongs to us all.
Parsha T’tzaveh – תְּצַוֶּה Torah Summary:
The children of Israel are commanded to bring pure olive oil for the ner tamid “a constantly burning light,” above the sanctuary. (27:20-21)
Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar, are chosen to serve as priests. (28:1)
God instructs Moses to make special clothes for the priests. (28:2-43)
Aaron and his sons are ordained in a seven-day ceremony (29:1-29:46)
Aaron is commanded to burn incense on an acacia altar every morning and evening. (30:1-10)
T’tzaveh – תְּצַוֶּה
“Make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” Exodus 25:8
We need to make God a sanctuary (both in our hearts and a physical structure for gathering) and God will dwell in our midst.
Parsha T’rumah – תְּרוּמָה Torah Summary:
God asks the Children of Israel to donate gifts (t’rumah) for the building of the Tabernacle so that God may “dwell among them.” (25:1-9)
Instructions for the construction of the Ark, table, and menorah are provided. (25:10-40)
Detailed directions are given on how to build the Tabernacle. (26:1-27:19) T’rumah – תְּרוּמָה “Make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” Exodus 25:8
We need to make God a sanctuary (both in our hearts and a physical structure for gathering) and God will dwell in our midst.
T’rumah – תְּרוּמָה “Make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” Exodus 25:8
We need to make God a sanctuary (both in our hearts and a physical structure for gathering) and God will dwell in our midst. God asks the Children of Israel to donate gifts (t’rumah) for the building of the Tabernacle so that God may “dwell among them.” (25:1-9)
Instructions for the construction of the Ark, table, and menorah are provided. (25:10-40)
Detailed directions are given on how to build the Tabernacle. (26:1-27:19)
