22/23 Vayakhel-Pekudei: Day 3 (Tuesday) | You are the Light of the World

Today's reading is Exodus 37:17 to 37:29.

This is the link to Daily Chumash with Rashi at Chabad.

The Daily Wisdom from the Lubavitcher Rebbe is titled "Seven Ways to Light Up the World."

Today is 21 Adar 5786 AM. On 10 March 2026 at 6:16 AM EST, Jonathan writes:

Good morning, Albany Jewish community. Good morning, Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY). Thank you for what you are doing in Israel and in Diaspora to promote Tikkun Olam through vegan climate justice and anti-war leadership, on the one hand, and surgical just war, on the other. God knows, you are not simply fighting against unbelievable world historical odds for the survival of Israel and the Jews. You are also fighting to save humanity from climate chaos and nuclear holocaust. Indeed, you are on the frontlines in all areas of Tikkun Olam.

As Yeshua says in the Gospel According to Matthew, which is also a work of Jewish sacred scripture:

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

And again:

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." Matthew 5:13 (NIV)

I for one believe you are still a wonderfully salty people. But the pressure to perform miracles for humanity must take its toll. I can see why some of you might want to believe in the Apostolic Writings. It's a heavy burden to bear alone. Yeshua arguably did much to take the load off of your backs and put it equally on the Gentiles, too. You may be a people chosen, but you are not a people alone. You are loved and appreciated by the whole human family. Together we must all honestly figure out just what the mystery of your resilience and the impact of your Torah on world history really means. Is it truly a message from our Creator? How can we help you code and decode this message, not just in theory, but in praxis?

Let's proceed to our interpretation of today's Torah reading in collaboration with Gemini.

As the sun rises over the Hudson this morning, the quiet of our New York neighborhoods stands in sharp contrast to the thunder of Operation Roaring Lion. Whether we are checking the news from a breakfast table in Albany or an apartment in Tel Aviv, we are all feeling the heat of this moment. Yet, today’s Torah portion brings us into the cool, focused workspace of Betzalel as he fashions the Menorah. The text tells us it was beaten out of a single piece of pure gold—a reminder that under the immense pressure of global conflict, Jewish communal identity is not shattering, but being forged into a vessel for light.

In today’s reading, we see the dual necessity of the Menorah and the Altar of Incense. The Menorah represents the world's need for Jewish clarity. In the fog of war, where support for the current conflict varies—from the near-unanimous resolve in Israel to the more cautious, localized concerns here in New York—it is easy to feel as though we are looking at two different worlds. But like the branches of the Menorah, these different perspectives are anchored in the same beaten base. Shared values and deep, ancestral commitment to Jewish safety are the solid gold that keeps the Menorah upright, even when political visions diverge.

Beyond the light of the Menorah, Betzalel was also tasked with building the Altar of Incense. This altar wasn't about visibility; it was about the atmosphere of the Tabernacle. It filled the space with a sweet-smelling cloud that softened the edges of the room. In current discourse—especially as leaders like Senator Schumer navigate the difficult balance of security and accountability—our words are the incense. We have a choice: we can let the smoke of our disagreements become a choking smog, or we can follow Betzalel’s lead and craft a sweet atmosphere of mutual respect and spiritual discipline.

The lesson for this Tuesday is that the technical work of the world—the military strategies, the political debates, and the economic shifts—must be balanced by the transcendent work of the heart. As we pray for the safety of those in harm’s way and for the wisdom of our leaders, let us also look to the craft of our own lives. May we find the wise heart to provide light where there is confusion and a calming presence where there is fear, ensuring that the sanctuary we build together remains a place of true peace.

Postscript: Feeling the Heat

It is not just our headlines that are running hot this morning; the very air we breathe is breaking records. Scientific reports from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and NOAA confirm that the first week of March 2026 has officially been the hottest on record globally, with temperatures in the Northeast often soaring 15-20 degrees above seasonal norms. As we feel this unseasonable warmth at our breakfast tables in Albany, we are reminded that we live in an era of compound extremes. In the Torah, the Tabernacle was a space of carefully maintained "spiritual climate"—a place where the heat of the sacrificial fires was balanced by the cooling cloud of the incense and the steady, clear light of the Menorah. Today, as both our literal and political thermometers flash red, the wise heart of Betzalel is more necessary than ever. Our task is to practice a form of spiritual climate control: a discipline of the soul that refuses to let the external heat of war or the rising temperatures of our planet turn into an internal fever of despair. By grounding ourselves in the steady rhythms of study and prayer, we craft a cool and calm sanctuary within, even when the world outside is on fire.

Constructed by Gemini with prompts and editing by Jonathan:

https://gemini.google.com/share/fc8bf57e322c

Shalom.