On Tuesday we hosted students from Heritage Christian School for their annual crash course on Judaism. Each year for the past decade, a group of sixteen-year-olds, along with their awesome teacher Linda, come to the Chabad Center to explore Jewish beliefs and practice. Most of them have minimal knowledge about Jews and Judaism, certainly never interacted with a rabbi, and our ninety minutes together really helps shape their view of our people. I love their inquisitive questions and their shocked faces when I show them the Torah scrolls and tell them how much it costs to procure one.

In this week’s Torah portion, Pekudei, the last in the Book of Exodus, we read about the completion of the Mishkan’s construction. My dear friend Reb Moish Drelich of Riverdale shared with me a teaching of Rav Ovadia Sforno (Italy, circa 1475-1550) who says that the precious metals that went into the building of the Tabernacle paled in comparison to the wealth that went into the First Temple built by Solomon, which was itself eclipsed by the lavish Second Temple built by Herod. Yet, In the Mishkan, the humblest of the three, G-d’s presence appeared more constantly than in both Temples, because “the amount of wealth and the size of the building do not determine whether the Divine Presence will rest within Israel. G-d desires the souls and actions of those who are in awe of Him and will dwell in their midst.”

I love this teaching.

Jewish life should always be imbued with lively passion. Doing Mitzvos and praying is important, studying Torah and helping the poor is vital, but as the Tabernacle taught us, it’s our job to fulfil the Zoharic dictum “G-d wants the heart”. Bon Jovi once said that “nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.” It’s true. Being Jewish shouldn’t be an afterthought or internalized as a burden. Judaism is full of life, full of values, full of direction; we should enjoy the blessing that it is and share it, passionately, with everyone we meet.

Passion is contagious; let’s be super spreaders!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

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Our family spent this week of Spring Break in greater Chicago (Sorry Chicago friends that i didn’t reach out, I was focused on my time with the family). It was super educational; we learned about the history of coal mining while at the Museum of Science and Industry, discovered lots about engineering while looking over downtown from the 103rd floor of Willis (Sears) Tower, engaged with the arts at The Color Factory and Sloomoo Institute, and enjoyed a behind the scenes tour at the Shedd Aquarium. Zach, our knowledgeable tour guide, taught us so much about sharks, jelly fish, dolphins, beluga whales, and mostly about our effect on sea life. Every plastic bag consumed mistakenly by a turtle, harms them and is bad for the entire ecosystem.

China pollutes terribly, but my bag makes a difference too.

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel, we read about the production of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, in the desert, as part of the atonement for the golden calf sin. It was an artisan masterpiece with magnificent colors, attractive vessels, and Divinely ordained usage for majestic gems and coinage metals. As I studied the Parsha about the “fifty gold clasps” that “joined the tapestries to each other” connecting the “fifty loops” on the edge of each tapestry, I was reminded of the importance of details in the manufacturing of the entire structure. It was befitting, as we stayed on the 28th floor of a Chicago building and were grateful for the engineers who pay attention to detail when planning skyscrapers.

I feel like I need to make some personal changes.

A few months back Bozeman was having a heated discussion about plastic bags. It was even on the ballot. While I still don’t want a government ban on plastic, as I do count on those bags at times, I feel like Zach really educated me on the effect on my plastic usage. I want to pay more attention, I want to use more boxes than I already do, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll even start carrying some canvas bags in my car so that I treat our beautiful world properly and do better as its custodian. I know that certain issues raise “political” alarms, but let’s all take a deep breath and recognize that living in a world with clean rivers and oceans, and healthy turtles and falcons, is something we should all celebrate.

Details matter; let’s do our part!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!