Time & space – B’har
Holy places are part of every religion. Temples, shrines, cathedrals – all figure on the tourist circuit wherever you go. The notion is that by seeing the buildings a people regards as sacred, you understand the soul and ethos of that people.
In Judaism too there is a concept of sacred space. The Bet HaMikdash in ancient Jerusalem was a magnificent edifice which was the focus of the nation’s existence. Its destruction, twice, struck at the heart of Judaism and of every Jew. Whilst it stood, it had to be treated with reverence; after the Romans finally destroyed it, its holiness lingered even in the ruins. In the time of the Mashi’ach it will, please God, be rebuilt.
But for Judaism sacred space goes with sacred time. This is what the sidra proclaims: “You shall keep My Sabbaths, and revere My sanctuary: I am the Lord” (Lev. 26:2). Just as the sanctuary is the physical centre from which inspiration radiates to the rest of the world, so is Shabbat the temporal centre which imparts quality and direction to the rest of the week.
It often happens that a member of our congregation brings a visiting relative or friend to the shule and proudly announces, “This is my synagogue. Isn’t it beautiful?” Wouldn’t it be even more wonderful if every member of a congregation, every Jew, took Shabbat more seriously and proclaimed, in deeds as well as words, “This is my Shabbat. It’s the centre of my life. Isn’t it magnificent?”
