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“When the Jewish people journeyed, the Gershon family transported the Tabernacle tapestries, veils and coverings, while the Merari family carried its structural components, such as the beams, boards and pillars.”
The beginning of the Torah portion of Naso seems to speak about something relevant only to the past: the tasks of the Levites while traveling through the desert. It details the jobs of each family and describes how the Tabernacle was dismantled, transported and set up by each of the stops.
For thousands of years, we read and reread this description of the Jew’s journey in the wilderness. This helps us understand our own task in life.
As is known, the purpose of creation is that G-d should be revealed and "dwell" in this physical world. This seems impossible. Many people live in the world and do not think about G‑d at all. We don’t see G-dliness in everything around us. G-d is usually hidden from human perspective.
And yet, the purpose of Creation is that instead of being hidden, G‑d should be revealed: here in this physical world, a world not of angels but of human beings, cars, shops and computers. And it’s up to us to change the world so that instead of hiding G-d, it will reveal Him. We have to prepare the world to be a “dwelling” for G-d.
The Jews started off the job. Through traveling through the empty desert, and setting up the Sanctuary at every place it stopped, they were preparing the world to receive the ultimate Sanctuary, the Temple in Jerusalem. And now, we continue their journey, thousands of years later. We set up Jewish homes everywhere where Jews might be to prepare the entire world, not just Jerusalem, to be filled with the glory of G-d.
How do we prepare the world? By keeping the mitzvot, including Torah study and prayer, wherever we might be. Wherever we are, and every moment, we achieve the transformation of the world so that G‑dliness can be revealed in every aspect of life for everyone, fulfilling the purpose of creation.
Shabbat Shalom!
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