Why Assemble Everyday?

This week’s Torah portion describes the manner in which the Jewish people traveled through the desert. Whenever the Cloud of Glory, which hovered over the Tabernacle, started moving, that was a sign that it was time to disassemble the Tabernacle and pack it up for transport. The entire Jewish camp would then follow the cloud to their new destination, and when the cloud stopped moving, the Levites would reassemble the Tabernacle at that spot, and the rest of the Jews would set up camp around it.

There were times that the Tabernacle remained in one place for several years, sometimes for several months, weeks, or days, and there were even instances where they set up camp for just one day. However long the camp lasted, the Tabernacle was set up with all of its details. Just because there was a chance that they would have to take it down tomorrow didn’t mean that today should be any less perfect.

We face a certain parallel nowadays as we hope and pray for the coming of Moshiach and the return of all Jews to the Promised Land. Although we believe with complete faith that it may happen at any moment, that doesn’t prevent us from establishing Jewish communities and infrastructure wherever we live. We build synagogues, schools, yeshivas, mitzvah tanks, etc., with a sense of permanence because when Moshiach comes, everything we built will be transported miraculously to the Holy Land and become part of the truly permanent Temple in Jerusalem.

May it happen today!

Shabbat Shalom!

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