Parshat Terumah is an elaborate description of how to design the Tabernacle, which is the blueprints for the Temple itself.  It is fabulous and fancy – a curtain made of pure gold, bowls, ladles, jars and jugs, a lamp of pure gold with cups in the shape of almonds, cloth of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and copper sockets… a grand vision (or hallucination?) in the middle of the desert.  Here, G-d speaks to Moses and outlines to him the commandment to build the Tabernacle in great detail. 

If you are not an architect or interior designer, you might find the details a bit tedious.  However, there is a certain detail that stands out throughout the portion.  In every aspect, G-d's command is v'asita – and you shall do, speaking in the singular to Moses.  There is only one detail that G-d says V'asu li – and they shall make me, speaking to the entire people.  It is written (Exodus 25:10), "And they will make an ark of acacia wood whose length is two and half cubits and whose width is one and a half cubits and whose height is one and half cubits."  The ark is to sit in the middle of the Tabernacle and in it will be placed the Ten Commandments engraved on stone which Moses had brought down from Mount Sinai.

Why is the ark commanded in the plural but everything else from the menorah to the table is commanded only to Moses?

The Midrash answers this question (Shmot Rabba 34:2), "The Holy One Blessed Be He said, 'Every one will come help build the ark in order so that everyone can merit the Torah.'"  In other words, while the rest of the parts of the Tabernacle will serve the ritual of G-d which is really the realm of the priests, the ark symbolizes the Torah and the Torah belongs to everyone.  The Midrash continues, "Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai said, 'There are three crowns – the crown of kingship, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of Torah…the crown of Torah is the ark…. Why does it say of the rest [of the items of the Tabernacle] "And you shall make" whereas of the ark it says, "And they shall make"? To teach you that the crown of Torah stands above all. When one has acquired the Torah it is as if he has acquired all the rest."

Later on, King Solomon builds the Temple, following the blueprints of the Tabernacle.  In an awesome ceremony and display of grandeur, he brings the ark to be placed in the Temple and it is written that (I Kings 8:9), "There was nothing inside the ark but the two tablets of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb (Sinai)."

The prophet Jeremiah, who was a witness to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the people to Babylon, presents an optimistic vision of the future, consoling the people that they will return to Jerusalem and they will again prosper.  In this vision, however, he speaks enigmatically of the ark, saying (Jeremiah 3:16), "…in those days, declares YHWH, men shall no longer speak of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH, nor shall it come to mind.  They shall not mention it, or miss it, or make another."  Rashi (11th Century France) interprets this to mean, "Every time you gather together, there is holiness, and I will dwell (in your gathering) as if it was the Ark."

According to this, the simple fact of our being here together tonight – and every time we gather whether it is a holiday, a congregation journey, a cultural program, a social gathering – we are living Torah and we are establishing G-d's presence in the world.

In the building of the Tabernacle, there is a strong emphasis on material wealth – gold and silver, precious stones, and intricate furniture.  This aspect of the Tabernacle is about stuff, about gathering things to show the outside world what I am worth.

However, the ark itself is a simple box and its contents are words engraved on a stone.  Here, say our Sages, is the real worth of the Tabernacle and, subsequently, the real worth of the Jewish people.  This, teaches G-d, is the real message of Torah.  If we want fabulous buildings and grand halls, that's fine.  But never forget what is the essence and the values that stand behind those impressive structures – cooperation, creating a sense of community, trusting each other and having faith in our abilities, treating each other with dignity and respect, and bearing witness to spiritual moments as we support each other.  Because without these values and ideals supporting them, our monuments will crumble and fall.

The location of Ark of the Covenant and its tablets has been a source of speculation and mystery for thousands of years (think: Indiana Jones).  Whenever I lead a group at the Western Wall (the egalitarian side at Robinson's Arch, of course) and I talk about praying in the direction of the Holy of Holies, my mind tries to penetrate the wall and see inside the layers of rubble under the Temple Mount site, wondering if they are buried somewhere in there. 

Of course, it doesn't matter that much really.  What matters is that we are here together, we are bringing to life the words of Torah, and together we will ensure that the Torah that continues in the world will be a voice of ethics, tolerance, and inspired renewal for thousands of generations to come.

May this be G-d's will.