The Work of a Weaver in Colors
Selections from Names/Shemot in Vayakhel Exodus 35.1-38.20
Selections from Names/Shemot in Vayakhel Exodus 35.1-38.20
This is the title I have given to a series of scripture selections from the book of Exodus, which in Hebrew is called Shemot, Names.
Six days work, but make the seventh day holy
Throughout your habitations enjoy a Sabbath of complete rest
Kindle no arguments (fires. Instead) take gifts to God
God is advising the children of YisraEl (Israel) how to pattern their lives in order to cross the wilderness on a journey from bondage to the promised land of liberation. It is also a map for all spiritual seekers today.
Whoever is moved by an inner spirit to make wave offerings
Before God, come forward bringing your offerings
Think of this scripture as a powerful dream, and a mirror. We are invited to bring offerings to the feet of the Lord.
The leaders bring lapis lazuli, onyx stone and other gems
As we bring freewill offerings, we become royalty
We are the precious stones for setting
In this part of the timeless story we are about to construct a movable tabernacle or sanctuary in the wilderness, like a mobile Lotus Temple. We bring our precious stones as offerings. On another level, through such devotion it begins to seem like we ourselves are the precious stones.
Yah (God) calls Betz’l-el’s name
Filling that name with ruah Elohim, divine spirit
Full of wisdom, understanding and knowledge
In all craftsmanship for teaching others
Meditate on these letter symbols: B Tz L A L
Drawing forth the skillful artist within
Bayt Tzade Lamed Alef Lamed
God singles out two spiritually gifted artisans to construct the sanctuary accouterments. Betz’l-El and Oholibama. Mystics say the entire Torah is one long sacred name of God. Certain configurations of letter symbols, when focused on, are quite empowering, such as the letter symbols making up the names of these gifted artists.
Morning after morning we continue to bring freewill offerings
Each according to our own calling
Sunset and sunrise are auspicious periods of the day. We are directed to make our offering in the mornings – for this blesses our day. We are each called to offer what we are naturally good at. We may also offer up our foolish habits.
Our gifts offered up are more than enough for all the service needed
In the realm of the miraculous there is always more than enough
The Torah reports that the people kept coming forward bringing free will offerings, so many that Moses had to say, “Stop, stop – there’s more than enough here to construct this sanctuary.”
With gold clasps (love), couple all the units to one another (us)
So that the Sanctuary becomes whole and one (a hole in 1)
Under God’s directions we are shown a design, a meditation- visualization for constructing a sacred temple and meeting place with God in our own hearts. In the devotional consciousness that arises from making sincere offerings to the Beloved, and in the midst of our visualizations, we sometimes go into Samadhi. In such superconscious states it seems like we ourselves are the very partitions and instruments of this amazing sanctuary.
Make a wooden ark overlaid with pure gold within and without
And cover it with pure gold (infinite compassion)
Kabbalists use images and language in scripture as a code indicating certain pathways to and from various realms of refined consciousness. Gold, for example, indicates loving compassion, one of ten infinite depths on the tree of life.
Let us make (of ourselves) vessels of pure gold to offer libations
The bowls, ladles, jars and jugs in the sanctuary (are we)
We are already a stand of seven lights, of seven chakras or centers of energy and consciousness. As we become ever more compassionate, our light is ever more illuminating.
Make also an altar of incense and sacred anointing oil
Setting a crown of gold round about
The incense is our praises and prayer
The anointing oil comes from meditating on the oneness
Thus we are crowned with love
Sages say the heartfelt prayers we make are a sweet savor before God. And our inner meditations create the invisible oil of silent service as priest and priestess for the people.
Let everyone in whose heart Yah has put wisdom and skill
To carry out God’s words – come near and do it!
The screen for the gate of the court is the work of a weaver in colors
Of blue, purple and scarlet revealing the cherubim design
With all the colors, beauty and pathos of this world
God creates a veil of illusion
The weaver of colors is, of course, the one who has created us. During selfless service there are certain colors of majesty that appear in one’s aura. In Psalms, the Shepherd David sings: “Enter God’s courtyard with thanksgiving.” The scripture points to the gate of this courtyard and says that it’s covered by a screen, the work of a master weaver who also weaves images of cherubs into this vast panorama. Such sacred forms and images, moortis (in Sanskrit), are also entrances into the courtyard of God’s sanctuary.
