How do we make a Mikdash​ Me'at and a Ner​ Tamid ​ when we aren't in the Sanctuary? - 5781 Source Sheet by Rabbi Marina Yergin ​ שמות כ״ז:כ׳-כ״ח:ג׳ ֞ ֣ ֣ ֗ ֨ ֜ ָ ֣ ֥ ֛ ְ ֖ ֑ ֥ ֖ (כ) ְו ַא ָּתה ְּת ַצ ֶוּה ׀ ֶאת־ ְּב ֵני ִי ְ ׂש ָר ֵא ל ְו ִי ְקחוּ ֵא ֶליך ׁ ֶש ֶמן ַז ִית ָזך ָּכ ִתית ַל ָּמא ֹור ְל ַה ֲעלֹת ֵנר ֣ ֩ ֨ ֜ ֣ ֗ ְ֩ ֨ ֧ ֛ ֥ ָּת ִמֽיד׃ (כא) ְּבאֹ ֶהל מ ֹו ֵעד ִמחוּץ ַל ּ ָפרֹ ֶכת ֲא ׁ ֶשר ַעל־ ָה ֵע ֻד ת ַי ֲערֹך אֹת ֹו ַא ֲהרֹן וּ ָב ָניו ֵמ ֶע ֶרב ֖ ֣ ֑ ּ ֤ ֙ ֣ ֔ ֖ ֥ ֡ ֣ ָ֩ ַעד־ ּבֹ ֶקר ִל ְפ ֵני ְיה ָוה ֻח ַקת ע ֹו ָלם ְלדֹרֹ ָתם ֵמ ֵאת ְּב ֵני ִי ְ ׂש ָר ֵאֽל׃ (ס) (א) ְו ַא ָּתה ַה ְק ֵרב ֵא ֶליך ֨ ֜ ָ ֣ ֔ ֛ ְ ֥ ֖ ֑ ֕ ֧ ֛ ֥ ֶאת־ ַא ֲהרֹן ָא ִחיך ְו ֶאת־ ָּב ָניו ִא ּת ֹו ִמ ּת ֹוך ְּב ֵני ִי ְ ׂש ָר ֵאל ְל ַכ ֲהנ ֹו־ ִלי ַא ֲהרֹן ָנ ָדב ַו ֲא ִביהוּא ֶא ְל ָע ָזר ֖ ֥ ֥ ֖ ֣ ֑ ָ ֖ ֗ ְו ִאי ָת ָמר ְּב ֵני ַא ֲהרֹֽן׃ (ב) ְו ָע ִ ׂשי ָת ִב ְג ֵדי־קֹ ֶד ׁש ְל ַא ֲהרֹן ָא ִחיך ְל ָכב ֹוד וּ ְל ִת ְפ ָאֽ ֶרת׃ (ג) ְו ַא ָּת ה ֙ ֔ ֥ ּ ֖ ֣ ֑ ֞ ֧ ֛ ֖ ְּת ַד ֵּבר ֶאל־ ָּכל־ ַח ְכ ֵמי־ ֵלב ֲא ׁ ֶשר ִמ ֵלא ִתיו רוּ ַח ָח ְכ ָמה ְו ָע ׂשוּ ֶאת־ ִּב ְג ֵדי ַא ֲהרֹן ְל ַק ְ ּד ׁש ֹו ְל ַכ ֲהנ ֹו־ ִלֽי׃

Exodus 27:20-28:3 (20) You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for​ kindling lamps regularly.​ (21) and his sons shall set them up in the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain which is over [the Ark of] the Pact, [to burn] from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a due from the Israelites for all time, throughout the ages. (1) You shall bring forward your brother Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and , the sons of Aaron. (2) Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. (3) Next you shall instruct all who are skillful, whom I have endowed with the gift of skill, to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.

The ​Ner Tamid is​ the only commanded practice associated with the ancient that we still use. What is the purpose of the ​Ner Tamid​​? Why do we still use it today?

A Ner​ Tamid is a symbol that is to be placed over the ark to bring us closer to Torah and ​ what is in it. It points us to the values found in Judaism. It brings many generations towards Torah, their knowledge of Judaism, and the values they use daily. Families have seen the values that the Ner​ Tamid points us towards and have raised their own children in its ​ guiding light. A ​Ner Tamid has stood before so many people, heard so many peoples’ prayers, ​ and, as the Torah tells us, draws us with its light towards its teachings and values, allowing us to structure our lives and families in its glow. (Text excerpted from Rabbi Marina Yergin's Sermon, February 22, 2013.)

During this time of isolation, we are not able to come together to be in the presence of the ​Ner Tamid​, so then what?

The ​Ner Tamid reminds us of life and light. It allows us to celebrate the joys and share the ​ sorrows that have surrounded this community. It has illuminated the emotions and connection between people. The Ner​ Tamid could boast its pride at being able to guide us ​ towards this revered, sacred item in our midst, but it doesn't. No matter what, a Ner​ Tamid represents life as it represents eternity, the eternity that we have given to it in our sadness and joy over the years. The Ner​ Tamid is to be lit “from evening to morning”. Sure, now we ​ have electricity so we don’t have to do that by hand, but this Ner​ Tamid has to be renewed ​ continuously. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a Ner​ Tamid, it would become a ​Ner L’famim, a ​ ​ sometimes light, not an eternal light. It can only be sustained by one of us renewing its bulbs, or in those times, actually lighting it with a flame. (Text excerpted from Rabbi Marina Yergin's Sermon, February 22, 2013.)

Sefat Emet1, Exodus, Tetzaveh 2 In the Midrash: "You command"... "Adonai named you verdant olive tree, fair, with choice fruit" (Jer. 11:16). There is a hidden point within the souls of Israel, of which Scripture says: "If you seek it as you do silver and search for it as for treasures..." (Prov.2:4). This inwardness reveals itself as a result of great effort, a struggle of the soul and the body, to purify the physical. Thus we are like the verdant olive tree: what an effort it is to bring forth that oil! Now Scripture also says: "For a commandment is a candle and Torah is light, and the way to life is the rebuke that disciplines" (Prov. 6:23). The souls of Israel are the wicks that draw the oil after the light. Thus we read: "Let them take olive oil unto you" (Ex. 27:20)--drawn toward the wick. The ​mitzvot are the lamps, vessels in which oil and wick are joined to the ​ light.

Rabbanit Jenna Englender2 Today, we do not have robes of gold or a mishkan, we do not have sacrificial services. If I want to serve God, I stand in shul, or even in my own home, and I pray. Yes, we have the Ark and the Torah, we have beautiful synagogues and special Shabbos clothes. But for the most part, we have simplified our service. We have let go of the physicality and narrowed in on the internal, spiritual experience. There is beauty in this. I can be anywhere in the world, wearing my normal weekday clothes, and just by standing in prayer, I can be in the presence of God.... Our challenge is...how... are [we] sure our prayer is a true service of God and not just an echo of it? It could be a physical reminder, a meditation, a sign we tape to our mirror. I’m not sure, and it is surely different for each person. But we need to ask ourselves- how do we as a community create a space in which each day of service holds the importance and level of focus that was required of the priests?

1 Torah commentary composed in (c.1860 - c.1900 CE) by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter of Gur (1847-1905, Poland). 2 Rabbanit Jenna Englender received her ordination from Yeshivat Maharat in 2019 and currently lives in Detroit, MI.