Pekudei

Calling from the Cloud

Adapted from Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Moshe could not enter the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud had settled upon it and the Presence of the Lord filled the Mishkan (the Tabernacle).

Rabbinic commentators were quick to notice a contradiction within the Torah. Whereas this verse says that Moshe was unable to enter the mishkan because it was full of God's presence, elsewhere the Torah states "Moshe went inside the cloud."

How is it possible that sometimes Moshe could enter in the midst of God's Presence, and at other times he could not? The great medieval commentator, the Ramban, explains that "God would call Moshe and [only] then would he enter into the midst of the clouds."

The image of a cloud filling the mishkan can be seen as a metaphor for the way personality fills a human being. We all have self-absorbed times when our personalities are impenetrable, as well as times when we call out for relationship. When our personalities are most self-absorbed, no one can join us inside our cloud. To create and sustain friendship, two people must first call to each other. They must be willing to give, receive, share, make mistakes, and work through them together. On a deeper level, navigating through our friendships with others invites us to become transparent to ourselves: to explore our own prejudices, passions, habits, and opinions.

Friendship can be experienced as a manifestation of God's presence, a call from God to support others and also to know ourselves. We are not always ready to call or be called, but when we are, magic happens!

Return to Reb Laura's "Taste of Torah" list.

Return to "Teachings from Our Rabbis and Friends" list.

---

[ Home ]	[ Asiyah ]	[ Yetzirah ]	[ Briyah ]	[ Atzilut ]	[ Calendar ]
	( Doing )	( Feeling )	( Knowing )	( Being )