Two Minute Torah Podcast

P'kudei (Shabbat Shekalim) 5771 by Scott Littky

Shabbat Shalom. My name is Scott Littky and I am the Education & Youth Director at Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, VA. Welcome to KOACH's Two Minute Torah, a project of the Department of Youth and Young Adult Activities of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

When I was younger I loved to see movies in the theatre.  As I have gotten older and my life has become more complicated I seem to see movies at least a year after they are released and then always on DVD.  Recently, I saw A Serious Man.  The movie seemed to have many different levels and plot twists to it and some have even said that it was a modern version of the Book of Job.  I have done a bit of thinking about it but that is for another D'var Torah.  What did hit me in relation to this week's Parsha P'Kudei was the perceived formality of the Synagogue.

In the Parsha this week we find ourselves dealing with more details on the construction of the Mishkan.  We learn about the furnishings, Priestly vestments, completion, inspection and finally dedication of our portable house of worship.  I would like to center my remarks on the area known as the Holy of Holies. 

I often wonder how a Jew in 2011 would relate to the Holy of Holies.  The main issue that I see is its exclusiveness.  Now there are those who love the idea of being exclusive in their lives.  They want to belong to the right country clubs or own the limited addition of this or that.  This to me is a troubling way to live.

The Aron Kodish in many ways has become the Holy of Holies for us today.  In most congregations if not all congregations the Aron represents an open and inclusive environment. When the Torah is taken from it and paraded through the congregation, men, women and children alike take the opportunity to touch and kiss it as a sign of respect and a feeling of closeness to it.  I'm happy to say that this is a major change from the synagogues of the 1960's.   When I was a young man this was not the case and I think one of the main reasons many adult Jews will not give the synagogue of today a chance.  I hope that one of the lessons we take from P'kudei is the need for the synagogue of today to be an open and friendly place for all in the Jewish community.

We do though need to realize that this openness needs to go both ways.  Where the synagogue needs to be accepting so to do those who enter the doors of our institutions need to be open to the standards and teachings of what it means to be a Conservative Jew.  It is then through this partnership that we will grow and prosper as a people.

May you enjoy a restful and meaningful Shabbat.