Love the L-rd with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength (resources);
And love your neighbor as yourself. See Matthew 22:37-40
I was reading from the Chumash comments today: On page 444, we read this comment from Rabbi Sforno regarding the connection between the Golden Calf and the Tabernacle (Sforno on Ex. 20:21, 25:9, 31:18): "...the very construction of the tabernacle was made necessary only because of Israel's lapse into virtual idolatry. He maintains that ideally no "Temple" should have been needed after the Revelation at Sinai, because the entire nation achieved the leove of prophecy and every Jew was worthy of the Shechinah [Divine Presence] to rest upon him, as it later did on the Tabernacle and the Temple. Only after Israel toppled from that high level of spirituality, as a result of worship of the Golden Calf, did it become necessary for it to have a "central Sanctuary." Consider the implications of this: First, we believe that as vessels of the Holy Spirit, our spiritual lives are meant to be "little sanctuaries" for the L-rd. Because of Yeshua's death, resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit, this is possible in our lives. However, notice that there may be a limiting factor that worship at the tabernacle creates. Look at EX. 25. In this chapter, Moses receives the very elegant and holy descriptions of the items for the holy place and holy of holies. But contrast that with EX. 26. Once the holy items are created, then covers, walls, and barriers are created to keep the people OUT from being where G-d would dwell. Procedures for coming into the presence of G-d are established. No longer do people just approach G-d with a simple sacrifice (an "olah," which means "drawing near"), but now there is a process to come into G-d's presence. But His presence is RIGHT THERE, in the midst of the people. So here is my question for everyone to comment on: Why does G-d place Himself in the presence of His people, but then also create barriers and procedures to follow that actually LIMIT His interaction with His people? Was this because of G-d holiness, or becauase of man's lack of holiness? What do you think?
I was reading from the Chumash comments today: On page 444, we read this comment from Rabbi Sforno regarding the connection between the Golden Calf and the Tabernacle (Sforno on Ex. 20:21, 25:9, 31:18): "...the very construction of the tabernacle was made necessary only because of Israel's lapse into virtual idolatry. He maintains that ideally no "Temple" should have been needed after the Revelation at Sinai, because the entire nation achieved the leove of prophecy and every Jew was worthy of the Shechinah [Divine Presence] to rest upon him, as it later did on the Tabernacle and the Temple. Only after Israel toppled from that high level of spirituality, as a result of worship of the Golden Calf, did it become necessary for it to have a "central Sanctuary."
ReplyDeleteConsider the implications of this: First, we believe that as vessels of the Holy Spirit, our spiritual lives are meant to be "little sanctuaries" for the L-rd. Because of Yeshua's death, resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit, this is possible in our lives. However, notice that there may be a limiting factor that worship at the tabernacle creates. Look at EX. 25. In this chapter, Moses receives the very elegant and holy descriptions of the items for the holy place and holy of holies. But contrast that with EX. 26. Once the holy items are created, then covers, walls, and barriers are created to keep the people OUT from being where G-d would dwell. Procedures for coming into the presence of G-d are established. No longer do people just approach G-d with a simple sacrifice (an "olah," which means "drawing near"), but now there is a process to come into G-d's presence. But His presence is RIGHT THERE, in the midst of the people.
So here is my question for everyone to comment on: Why does G-d place Himself in the presence of His people, but then also create barriers and procedures to follow that actually LIMIT His interaction with His people? Was this because of G-d holiness, or becauase of man's lack of holiness? What do you think?