A Sanctuary is a place of holiness, a spiritual oasis.
Sometimes the word can refer to a Synagogue. Sometimes to the
Tabernacle which the Jews constructed in the desert.
It can also mean you.
The Torah (Exodus 25:8) records that G-d told the Jews to "make Me a
Sanctuary and I will dwell within them". The language is odd: Why
within “THEM”? Why not within “IT”? Our Sages point out that the
Divine blossoms within each and every one of us, if only we transform
ourselves into Sanctuaries.
So, how do I turn myself and my life into a Sanctuary?
Let’s first understand how to construct the Sanctuary in macro, so we
can appreciate how to create it in micro.
What does it take to build a Sanctuary?
A. One needs to identify the construction’s objective, consciously
establishing sanctity as the structure’s purpose.
B. One needs to actually build the building, its ‘nuts and bolts’.
C. One needs to behave in a way that’s compatible with the Holiness we
seek to draw into this special place.
The same applies to your personal Sanctuary:
A. When we awake in the morning, we don’t just surrender to the
prevailing winds which will buffet us hour to hour. We grab hold of
our day and designate it as a Day of Meaning, a day that will be a
Sanctuary for the Divine.
B. We consider the day‘s basic structure. Is there anything built into
my day ahead that would contradict a day of meaning [going to work to
earn money for your family and help society move forward is hardly a
meaning-free act. The question is: Is there anything I can see in my
day ahead that contradicts Divine morality?]? If so, our structure
needs some renovation.
C. Do Mitzvos. And this is in two dimensions:
A. Actively do good things. Every Mitzvah is a lightning rod for
Holiness in your life.
B. Just sit still. No matter how you spend your day, there will be
opportunities and impulses to act in an un-G-dly way, e.g. gossip,
anger, etc. By refraining from un-G-dly behaviors, by pushing our egos
to the side for the sake of something higher, we create Holy space in
our lives, which is a magnet for the most transcendent Divinity we can
experience. The Divinity of a [personal] Sanctuary.
Mikael wrote...