terumah

parasha terumah exodus chapters 25—30

In ancient times, when the earth was flat and covered by a dome that held back the waters in the firmament above, the hand of God was everywhere. Miracles abounded. It was God Who harnessed the sun and faithfully drove it across the sky every day, God who caused the rain to fall and the crops to grow.

Of course, we now know this is false. The earth is round and space is not wet. The sun is a stationary star, and the earth and her sister planets revolve around it, held in orbit by an invisible force called gravity. The science of meteorology explains the weather.

But was it really false? The ancients were right—miracles abound everywhere. The hand of God is involved in it all, moment by moment. In fact, when one understands the complexities of the way the universe works, it’s way more impressive than a chariot for the sun.

But, there were always brilliant, intuitive minds who knew at least the basics of that truth, long before it was confirmed by scientific method. Then again, those who were vocal about it in the Middle Ages of Europe were often executed for contradicting the bible, which was only understood one way—that being literally—by those who didn’t know how to read it…What’s a meta-for?

Magic, or supernatural, are words we ascribe to the unexplainable, and so what constitutes as magic changes over time. Resurrect someone who was following Moshe on that trek through the desert. Imagine their reaction when you flick a switch on the wall at midnight and the room is suddenly filled with light. Surely, this must be the work of a sorcerer!

In truth, there is a logical explanation for everything, even if we don’t have the tools to make sense of it in this moment, and knowing that fills me with awe and excitement over the anticipation of new discoveries to come.

This week’s parasha focuses on the construction of the Mishkan. HaShem is very precise in how it’s to be done. Every detail matters including every detail of the high priest’s garb. No element of design is left up to the discretion of the artisans doing the work.

Why? Why does it matter what color the loops on a tapestry are? Why acacia wood? If it’s going to be covered by gold, what difference would it make what kind of wood is beneath it?

HaShem is not random, and HaShem is not designing a space to be photographed for Architectural Digest. So, I repeat, why?

I think that in order to begin to answer, we first have to identify what the purpose of the Mishkan is.

It’s not just a place for meetings. It’s not just a storage facility for ritual objects and the stone tablets. And it’s not even just a place for communal worship.

It is all those things, but its overarching purpose is to be a dwelling place for the Shekhinah, so that the Divine Presence can dwell among the Israelites.

Can a building contain the Divine Presence, which is omnipresent and transcendent? Can HaShem be here and not there? The answer is obviously, no. In Isaiah 66:1 HaShem says, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be?”

So what’s the deal? Let’s explore.

I’ve always intrinsically known that the universe is structured by mathematics and that mathematics is the glue that holds it together. But I’ve never been much good at math, and that was the extent of my understanding. Even considering what the actual equations might be gives me a headache.

It seems that I’m not wrong. According to Sir Martin Reese, one of the world’s most prestigious scientists, my thoughts here are absolutely correct, but the truth of it is much more mind blowing than what I suspected. He explains that there are six mathematical constants that shape the universe, and if any of them had varied by a trillionth of a degree, it would have resulted in no universe at all, or at least one with no life. Wow.

When I think of the number six I immediately think of the six points of the Star of David. But that’s a subject to ponder further, later.

So, back to the purpose of this structure. The construction of the mishkan by human beings was intended to mirror HaShem’s creation of the universe.

The specific sizes of every element of the Mishkan are based on the same mathematical system that the universe is based on. HaShem’s dwelling place is both beyond HaShem’s creation and within it—it’s every-thing, every-where, and in every-time. But for the sake of humanity, HaShem seeks a dwelling place among humans, one that humanity can access. This dwelling place needed to to be made by human hands, and also mirror the universe created by HaShem.

As a tool to draw down the Shekhinah, the Mishkan also needed to be a conduit, a lightning rod of sorts.

Everything in nature has it’s own vibrational frequency, just as every radio station has its own frequency that you can tune into by turning the dial. These vibrations can be expressed mathematically.

And what’s the deal with these mystical gemstones on the high priest’s breastplate?

There’s science behind the use of crystals to bring various energies into a person’s aura. Amethyst vibrates at a different frequency from emerald which is again different from selenite, and introducing those vibrations into our own personal vibration can affect our physical health, our mental health, and the energies that we draw to us.

With focus and practice, it’s possible to experience this phenomenon on a conscious level.

Perhaps the easiest way to become aware of this for yourself is through color. Think about how different colors affect you emotionally. When we get dressed for the day or decorate our homes for the long haul, the colors we’re drawn to are the energies that we need at that given moment.

The Mishkan needed to vibrate at exactly the right frequency to pick up the signal.

The sum of the vibrational frequency of every item within the Mishkan had to add up to the precise wavelength that was necessary for it to be a conduit for the Divine Presence. This is what accounts for HaShem’s careful and exacting instructions for every material, every measurement, and every color used.

Some people scoff at the idea of “magical crystals.” But it’s not magic. It falls under the heading of “Kol ha’neshama t’hallel ya!” Everything in creation praises HaShem in every moment, by nature of its very existence, at the rate of its own vibrational frequency. If you could hear this great cacophony, this ceaseless chorus, and you managed to not be driven mad, you might be able to make out the words to the infinite anthem—"Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Adonay Tzevaot, melo kol ha'aretz Kevodo.” Holy Holy Holy is Adonai, Commander of Legions, the whole world is full of God’s Glory.

Every object and every atom lends its own voice to the song.

So what shall we eat?

Mystics of every culture have long talked about the vibrations of various foods and how they affect us spiritually. We finally have the Big Bang Theory to support the ancient Kabbalistic notion of TzimTzum, and now science has developed Vibrational Spectroscopy to analyze the effects of the vibrations of the individual chemical components of various fruits and vegetables on our health.

Foods that vibrate at high frequencies are high in life force energy. There are many contributors to the vibrations of the things that we eat. Choosing foods close to their natural state, rather than those that are highly processed is paramount, but there’s a lot more to it.

As I’ve said before in previous posts, thoughts are energy and energy slowed down is matter. This means that everything we interact with is affected by what we’re thinking and feeling in the moment.

Other factors in a food’s vibration are the manner in which the food is produced—is it organic, or are there pesticides and other additives that are not natural involved? Are the workers, the people who plant, tend, and harvest the produce we’re eating treated ethically and paid a living wage? If we’re omnivores, are the animals we eat raised in conditions that are natural to them, or are they living miserable lives in factory farms? This includes the animals that produce the eggs and dairy that we consume. Suffering, whether of the being we’re eating (animal or vegetable) or of the people who produce it, lowers the spiritual vibration of the food, lowering our ability to ascend to the higher worlds when we eat it.

To live an attuned spiritual life is to live every moment with kavanah, with intention. What is our thought process while we’re preparing and serving the food? Our own vibration will transfer to everything we act upon, and that will transfer to the people who eat the food. Believe it or not, it even affects the way food tastes. Try preparing something when you’re angry or agitated and then prepare the same thing at another time, when you’re heart is feeling expansive. You will absolutely taste a difference.

I want to keep all of this at the forefront of my mind while I design the menu for Parasha Terumah, and while I cook these beautiful Shabbat dishes. And I want to introduce a variety of vibrations by bringing lots of colors to the table as well. We’re going to choose foods that grow underground—foods that root us and ground us, and other foods that grow upward towards the sun—to help us feel light and increase our vitality. But in addition to these lofty goals, I also want a dinner with delicacies that are fitting for Shabbat. The trick here, at least for me, is to keep to the theme of higher vibrations without becoming an ascetic. By nature, I’m more of the joyful noise type. It’s all in the balance, my friends.

I’m going to include fish in this menu, but if you’d rather go vegetarian, you can replace the Chilean Sea Bass with this Crispy Tofu with Creamy Roasted Garlic and Lemon Sauce. It will also work perfectly with the other elements on the plate.

I will be making my standard Golden Shabbat Challah. There are challah recipes that use no refined flour and no refined sugar, but in my opinion they’re not very good. If I’m going to use those ingredients, there are other breads I could make that happily follow those guidelines. I will, however, be sure to use organic unbleached white flour. I’m also using fair trade cane sugar rather than a major brand. It’s still a processed cane sugar, so it’s not as healthy a choice as would be honey, but different sweeteners behave differently in different recipes and sometimes cane sugar is the way to go. By investing in fair trade sugar, I’m supporting companies that comply with decent working conditions and living wages for their workers.

With the challah, before the soup, I’ll bring a few dips to the table. I’m going with this vibrantly magenta roasted beet dip and this bright green spinach and herb dip.

In thinking about a soup with a beautiful color, my lavender velvet cabbage soup is the first one that comes to mind. It’s gorgeous. And the flavor is amazing.

The hardest color to bring to the table is blue. As George Carlin said, “Why is there no blue food? I can’t find blue food – I can’t find the flavor of blue!” But George probably never experienced blue butterfly pea flowers. I’m afraid that they don’t answer the flavor part of the question, because they don’t really have a flavor. But they are very blue and make for some spectacular drinks and desserts. They’re also the signature ingredient in Nasi Kerabu, a Malaysian dish of blue rice surrounded by various vegetable salads and a fish sambal. That dish inspired this beautiful blue rice. It will look—and taste—fabulous next to a creamy white chunk of Chilean Sea Bass, some whole roasted carrots, and some charred broccolini.

And now that I have Malaysia on my mind, I’m going to bake this Pandan Cotton Soft Cheesecake for dessert. The taste and texture are nothing like American cheesecake. In fact, I can’t compare it to anything else. The best way I can describe its flavor is to say that it tastes like…more please! It’s made in two layers, with Kaya, a Malaysian coconut jam, between them. Kaya can be purchased in many Asian markets or online, but I made my own and it was totally worth the trouble. What you don’t use in the cake can be used on toast or biscuits for breakfast. I could eat the entire thing with a spoon in one sitting. But I won’t… The cake takes two days to make, as it works best if the layers are refrigerated overnight before assembling. It keeps in the fridge several days, so you could even start it on Wednesday and finish it on Thursday to serve it for dessert on Friday.

terumah

parasha terumah exodus chapters 25—30

menu

and thoughts…

Terumah

offering

Menu for Parasha Terumah

Golden Shabbat Challah

Roasted Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Za’atar

green herb and za’atar dip

Lavender Velvet Cabbage Soup

crispy silken tofu

or

pan seared chilean sea bass

in a creamy roasted garlic and lemon sauce

blue butterfly pea flower rice

Whole Roasted Carrots

sautéed Broccolini in Garlic and Oil

pandan cotton soft cheesecake

with kaya

shaBBAT SHALOM!