Parshat Vayak’hel/Shabbat Sh’kalim

In this week’s parashah, Vayak’hel, the community of Israel carries out God’s instructions for building the mishkan, God’s portable home on earth. Moshe begins by calling on everyone with a willing heart to contribute materials for the project. “Take from yourselves an offering for God.”

Moshe could have simply said “Take an offering.” Why did he add “from yourselves”? According to the Slonimer Rebbe, Moshe meant to teach that the most important part of any gift is the part of ourselves that goes with it. The Talmud teaches that “God wants the heart.” It is when we give of ourselves that we feel most deeply that our lives have meaning and purpose.

In the work of building spiritual community, the most important gift that we can contribute is an open heart — an openness to searching and growing together in prayer, in learning, and in caring for each other and the larger world. It is in that shared openness that God finds a home on earth. May we all find joy in giving that gift to God, and to each other.

• The New Shul’s Shabbat morning service is from 9 am to about 11:45 am. In accordance with the latest Covid guidance from the CDC, we require all those over the age of 2 to wear a mask while in our building. Our kiddush-lunch is outdoors, so masks are not required.
• This Shabbat morning, February 26, the kiddush-lunch will be sponsored by Phil Sheinbein and Ora Zutler in memory of Phil’s father Mickey Sheinbein, and in honor of the anniversary of Phil’s bar mitzvah.
• Weekday minyanim at The New Shul are on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm, and on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am. Kabbalat Shabbat is on Friday evenings at 6 pm at our rabbis’ home (please contact us for directions).
• The annual meeting of The New Shul community will be on Sunday March 6 at 10:30 am. All are invited.
• Purim begins on Wednesday evening March 16. Join us in The New Shul parking lot at 7 pm for our megillah reading and shpiel.