Terumah
Exodus 25:1-27:19
I Kings 5:26-6:13
When I was a college student, I spent three wonderful summers as a counselor and staff person at the Reform Movement’s Camp Swig in Saratoga. One evening, I had a talk with an olderstaff person for several hours — and I haven’t seen that person for 40-plus years.
But that one encounter, and the evening of conversation, was influential in pushing me toward a decision I had been considering — becoming a rabbi. A chance encounter pushed my life in the direction it was meant to go.
Such an idea is already found in the Bible. Joseph became lost in his attempt to find his brothers. “A certain man found him and behold, he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him, what do you seek. And he said, I seek my brothers” (Genesis 37:15-16). The man pointed Joseph toward his brothers, who threw him into a pit, leading to a series of events that would result in the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt.
A chance encounter with a stranger changed the course of Jewish history.
There are many who firmly believe that there are no coincidences; whatever happens is what was meant to happen. We meet whom we need to meet at each particular moment in life. Sometimes I deeply believe this to be true. Other times, I’m not so sure; however, I do believe there is a touch of truth to the idea of spiritual encounters.
Rabbi Michael Gold, who is knowledgeable about the Jewish mystical tradition, points out that there are certain souls to whom we are connected in a profound way. Perhaps it is the soul of our spouse or lover, the soul of our parents or children, or some other family member. Perhaps it is the soul of a close friend and confidant. Or perhaps it is the soul of a person we meet by a chance encounter, who helps us correct the trajectory of our lives.
God sends such people to us to help our soul fulfill its particular mission on earth. Perhaps there are people we meet because, on some spiritual level, we are meant to meet them. We are already connected to them on a spiritual level.
In the book “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” by the best-selling author Mitch Albom, there is the story of an elderly man killed in a tragic accident, who then meets a series of people in the next world. Each person explains his or her role in the life of this man. In heaven, he learns the purpose of his life and the meaning of his encounters with a series of individuals.
Have any of you experienced what this man discovered — a spiritual connection with other people that goes beyond this physical life? According to the Torah, humans are created from the dust of the earth, and then animated by the breath of God. Each of us has a physical reality, a body that is born, lives for a certain period, and eventually dies. But each of us also has a spiritual reality, a part of us that goes beyond the physical.
It may be possible that we encounter other people on this spiritual level. We have soul mates, people who are connected to us in a way that goes beyond the physical. We encounter certain people in our lives, sometimes for a moment and sometimes for a lifetime, who are connected to us in a deep and profound way. They have the ability change our lives.
This idea is shown symbolically in this week’s portion. “There I will meet with you and I will commune with you, from above the ark cover, from between the two Cherubim which are upon the ark of testimony” (Exodus 25:22).
It is in the ancient tabernacle that two Cherubim were built, golden statues of two humans facing one another. Some saw the Cherubim as two children, while others saw them as a man and a woman. God would speak from between the faces of the two Cherubim.
The symbolism is clear; there are moments when two humans meet face to face. In the presence of such a human encounter, God dwells. The philosopher and theologian Martin Buber teaches that God exists in relationships. The spiritual dimension is most present when we connect to other humans on a spiritual level. Our lives are filled with deep spiritual connections when we open our eyes and see them.
Rabbi Larry Raphael is the senior rabbi of Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco.