The parasha- portion reading of Terumah deals mainly with the
Mishkan-tabernacle and its components.
The table – shulchan was placed near the north wall of the Tabernacle's
outer chamber, had 12 specially baked loaves of ' show-bread' on it at all
times, in 2 columns of 6 each. Frankincense was placed on the loaves. They were
baked on Friday and put on the table on
the Sabbath. The old loaves miraculously remained fresh, were divided amongst
the priests- cohanim.
Like the Ark, the table had a
crown – the rim. The crown of the table symbolized the ' crown of kingship'.
God's material blessings flowed through the table and its loaves topped
up with fragrant frankincense, to the people and ensured material well- being
and abundance which came with ease and comfort.
The table had some complete measurements indicating that people can be '
complete' as far as their material needs are concerned and their ' inwards' be
blessed so a little satisfies a lot. But the height of the table- shulchan was
a broken measure 1.5 cubits warning against haughtiness and encouraging
continuous spiritual growth. The table was made out of wood depicting the
dynamic nature of economic growth and blessing. The wooden table was plated
with gold to remind us that our intentions in striving for material success must
be holy and pure and for the good of people. The protective rim or crown was a
barrier reminding us to keep out baser motives and that our material success
stands upon purity and holiness. The 12 loaves , representing the 12 tribes , were
shaped like a letter ' U'- a flat bottom
and ends turned upward with a
slight fold on the tops, so that the' arms' of each loaf seemed to support the
loaf above it. Each individual loaf was supported by metal tubes so that their
'outstretched arms' would be able to bear the burden of the other loaves. This
paints a picture of material success based on a commitment to the well- being
of the community as a whole as well as ourselves and other individuals. This
means attending to the needs of others, but at the same time making sure that
our own economic concerns and needs are being met.
The table is symbolic of material well- being and abundance based on our
commitment to ourselves and also the family, classroom or community. But when we look around we witness family
fights about who is going to sit where and when it comes to food – either it
looks like that some kids have never seen food in their lives or some kids are
such ' picky' eaters that can never be satisfied.
We can use the CPS – collaborative problem solving approach to ensure
that the spirit of the table – meeting the concerns of the group as a whole and
its individuals – can be expressed by our families.
Seating at the table. - Problems
should be solved in a pro-active way and not in the moment – in the heat of the
moment. We can arrange a family meeting to discuss the issue. The focus must be
first on ' concerns' - where I want to sit is a solution to a concern. Possible
concerns – the need to sit next to somebody who would offer help , feel left
out of the conversation because of the seating , need access to the kitchen ,
bathroom etc. We should try to speak in the plural – we and us. This helps kid
see themselves as part of the family and that individual choice per se may be
limited , but not choice itself , as there are so many more opportunities when
we work as a family .
Picky or gluttonous eating habits – We should try and encourage Mindful Eating where the focus is on tasting food
rather than filling one's stomach and cleaning the plate. Kids are asked just
to taste the food , they don't have to finish and clean their plates. It helps
to have small quantities but plenty of variety.
The taste of food is considered the spiritual part of food. Mindful
eating helps kids focus on the process of eating, and this has enormous
benefits for the digestive system and obesity . Kids also develop a taste for
different foods. It is also helps people to practice mindful eating when there
is no talking while people are eating.Mindful eating thus facilitates God's blessing - our insides are blessed so a little goes a long way.
When the holy temple existed , the altar would be an atonement for the
people of Israel. Today , as the temple and the altar no longer exist , our
tables atone for us. They atone for us when we use our tables to feed the poor
or needy , and for families to connect in a way , that shows caring and
dialogue which is filled with words of Torah.
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