The existence of our planet Earth in the universe is very improbable. Lots of hypothetical studies have been made and lots of numbers have been thrown around. Some have said that the likelihood of a planet such as Earth is 1 in a million millions chance (1 followed by 12 zeroes), others say it’s a 1 in 700 quintillion chance (7 followed by 20 zeroes). There are an estimated 700 quintillion planets in the universe but only 1 Earth. There were 700 quintillion chances to get the numbers right, but only once did (forgive me) the stars align.
Had gravity been any stronger, any weaker, we may not exist. Had we been any closer or any farther from the sun we may not exist. Had the amount of carbon dioxide been any higher or lower, we may not exist. You get it — there are lots of conditions that had to be juuuuust right for us to be here.
In the context of gravity, in the context of CO2 content in the atmosphere, in the context of our distance from the sun, the details matter. An extra decimal, an added zero and we start fading away slowly like Marty McFly if he hadn’t gotten to the dance in time (did I do that cultural reference right?)
Details matter, too, in this week’s parsha. B’nei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) are instructed to build the Mikdash or the Mishkan, a sanctuary for G-d to dwell in while B’nei Yisrael was in the desert.
“And let them make for me a sanctuary so I may dwell among them - וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם”
The Torah goes on to detail exactly now the Mishkan should be constructed, from the exact cubits of the Ark inside that will carry the luchot (the tablets, you know, from the Ten Commandments / Aseret HaDibrot?), specific design elements such as the fact that the menorah (lamp) for the Mikdash should be hammered out of a single piece of gold, not soldered from many pieces. And then for the tent covering of the Mishkan itself, with the specified colors of purple, blue, crimson, and embroidered with the likenesses keruvim (cherubim, delightful angel creatures).
There are SO many psukim, lines, in this parsha detailing how the Mishkan should be built. In a succinct, carefully worded text such as the Torah, these details are not extraneous. What is the message of the Mishkan? G-d wants us to be detail-oriented? G-d is a very strict interior designer?
Not to lessen the importance of this, but kind of? The Mishkan’s “point” is to be a reminder of Creation. Our Torah commentators compare the descriptions of G-d’s Creation to the descriptions of our building of the Mishkan. That our creation of the Mishkan is a microcosm of G-d’s Creation of the world.
My humble take is that G-d created the world, and the Mishkan (or any Sanctuary / place of holiness) is a reminder we are on Earth to create, too. We had a hand in the specifics of the Mishkan in the same way G-d had a “hand” in the specifics of our improbable universe. We have laws and ordinances and practices that help us to accomplish our creation, parallel to the laws and ordinances and instructions in building the Mishkan. The tiny details do not bog us down, they remind us that there’s a bigger picture. That we are *not* G-d, we are human beings. Human beings with sparks of holiness, created by the Most Holy, here to make the world more holy.
For full text, email me at shirajkaplan@gmail.com or join my email list here.
opening theme: reCreation by airtone (c) copyright 2019 Licensed
