Jewish Texts

God instructs Moses to collect gifts from the Israelites in order to build a Tabernacle so that God can dwell among the people; God describes to Moses the vessels and structures that comprise the Tabernacle.

The clothing of our religious leaders communicates our perceptions of our relationships to God and each other.

Bezalel's wise-heartedness was his ability to merge the practical with the contemplative.

The incident of the Golden Calf challenges us to consider how we respond to tzedakah that comes from questionable sources.

The image of Israelites, whose hearts moved them, donating gifts to the Tabernacle, inspires us to consider the meaning of having a heart that is moved.

The collection of the half-shekel teaches us the importance of working together as a community.

The incident of the Golden Calf teaches each of us the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and inspires us to make our communities homes of sacredness.

The prohibition against making an idol warns us not to fix our image of God, but rather to allow our conception of God to evolve.

In constructing the Golden Calf, the Israelites attempted to create a mediated, safe relationship with an awesome and consuming God.

Our communal responsibility to ensure the immortality of the Jewish people depends on our commitment to supporting Jewish education.