Community Torah Corner, March 21, 2025

There is a story about a mechanic who was called in to try to fix a cruise ship that stopped working. Surveying the situation, he took out hundreds of tools. He proceeded to tighten one single screw and then announced that the ship was repaired. His bill arrived a few days later, for $10,000! How could he charge such a hefty sum for minimal work? The cruise operator requested an itemized invoice. It stated: $1.00 for turning the screw; $9,999 for knowing which screw to turn.

Seeing the big picture instead of getting caught in all the details is one of the keys to living not just a successful, but more important, a fulfilling existence. With all the deep learning you do in the GOA community, the details of dates, times, places and numbers may be important, but understanding the ultimate lessons behind the numbers is the stuff that will help us decide what and who we want to be in the world. All of us tend to set our mind to taking in information and then regurgitating it on an exam. I did also. Of course, we want to get the highest grades possible. But ultimately, it’s internalizing vital ideas that help us form our identities.

In this week’s Torah portion, V’yakhel, we learn of Moses calling the Israelites to bring materials to build the Tabernacle, our first ever communal gathering space, a place to connect with one another, a place to commune with God. The details of the verses are dizzying, replete with every single material needed, every detail of the architectural plan to be implemented. So much information that we can easily forget the lesson behind it all.

I would suggest that anytime a piece of Torah loads us with what can sometimes feel like monotonous detail, that is exactly when we are called to figure out the more significant message. The details in this case are imperative because we are creating a sacred space; one where we connect, learn, talk about what we care about most, navigate how to speak civilly about complex issues. It is the place where we celebrate, mourn; learn who is sick; in need of extra love and compassion. The details only count because it is in the Tabernacle that our relationships with each other and with God are centered.

So, yes, let’s take in the details, but let’s never lose vision of what counts most. Holy centers are needed more than ever today. And we are the ones who must build and nurture them.