Shabbat
Shalom.
Thank you for coming here to
celebrate with me and my family today.
My
portion of Pekuday concludes a LONG and detailed description of the
construction of the mishkan in the wilderness. This description actually began several
portions ago and it takes up half of the book of Exodus.
Then, at the end of the portion, it doesn’t just say
“Moses assembled all the parts and constructed the Mishkan.” Instead, it even
goes into great detail on how Moses put it together.
So the question we have to ask is, why so much detail?
I think it’s because the Torah is teaching us that God
is in the details. God’s in the big
picture too, but where you really appreciate God – and life – is when you are
close up, in the weeds, getting your hands dirty.
Here are some examples from one of my favorite things
to do: basketball.
Of course, homework is my favorite thing to do. But basketball is my second favorite. Well, actually, cleaning up my room is my
second favorite thing to do.
Then comes basketball!
So here are three ways that help me to understand –
from basketball – how God is in the details.
First, the game is so strategic. Lots of things happen that go unnoticed to
the standard viewer.
While I was growing up, my dad often told me the
phrase, “Stockton before Malone,” talking about the great guard and forward
combination from the Utah Jazz. It was
Stockton’s passing ability that allowed Malone to be such a great scorer. The pass that leads to the score. Or the pick that gets you open for a
layup. Or the rebound that can start a
fast break. The beauty of the game is in
those details.
Another way that God is in the
details is in the amazing ability of the human body to heal. I’ve come to learn
a lot about it, because I’ve gotten injured … a lot!
Just a few weeks ago, when I met
with the rabbi to begin working on this speech, he commented that he’s often
seen me with a cast on or braces on my hand.
Or the time I jumped off my sister’s bunk bed and fractured my leg.
Anyway, he suggested that I not play
basketball for a few weeks. Funny
enough, that weekend, I was playing and someone’s chin came down on my head and
it cracked open. The good news is that
is closed up pretty quickly and the better news is that Jews wear yarmulkes so
no one knew.
Fortunately, while I’ve gotten injured a lot, every
injury has healed. It’s amazing how
quickly my body recovers. It must run in
my genes – right Ruthie?
One more way that God is in the details – has to do
with my peculiar fashion interest. I
didn’t need to get a party dress for tonight, so instead I got a special pair
of sneakers for the party. I have many
pairs of sneakers and they are all different colors.
Just like the ancient cohanim, whose garments were crimson,
purple and many other colors, my sneakers are blue, black, red, white, green,
pink, and other colors. So since I’m
imitating the high priests, mom and dad, can I wear my sneakers to services
now?
There’s one more aspect of today that reminds us that
God is in the details. Today is the
second day of the second month of Adar.
That’s right, the Jewish calendar does an entire month over again. It’s complicated, but basically, leap years
fall 7 times in 19 years - we add a month each leap year so that Passover won’t
eventually fall in July. Makes perfect
sense!
For my mitzvah project, I’m donating to Sandy Hook
Promise, an organization that reaches out to communities, schools and students
and educates and raises awareness to help prevent gun violence. They also are
using funds to develop and deliver mental health and wellness programs.
Additionally, Sandy Hook Promise works towards passing sensible mental health
and gun safety laws. Over 2,000 children each year are killed from gun
violence.
I’m the same age as the 20 kids who were killed in
Sandy Hook – and in fact I know one of the kids whose lives was saved. This would have been the year when they all
would have attended bar mitzvahs or become b’nai mitzvah themselves. I’m
dedicating my mitzvah project to them.
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