We read in this week’s Torah portion (Pekudei), the story of building up the Tabernacle as a focal point for connection in the community as the Israelites journeyed through the desert. As part of the instructions, there is a description of stones on the breastplate worn by the High Priest, which is often seen today as a decoration on the Torah. There are four rows of precious stones, in gold fixtures, each inscribed with the name of a tribe.
Stones are a recurring theme in the Torah. They are most often places of connection, memory and holiness. We have several examples of stones being used as alters for worship, and expressions of gratitude. They mark the importance of a particular place, passing along focal points and values to future generations. Jacob gathers stones together as he journeys to meet his brother, and uses them for protection in the night. Tradition teaches that the stones he gathered became one single stone / rock to better protect him. And we have many rocks “gathered together” in Mt Sinai, the ultimate connection place and source of Torah. We continue to use stones today when we visit the gravesite of loved ones, leaving a lasting symbol of enduring love.
All stones, in addition to being solid, lasting objects, represent the beauty of creation. In addition, they inspire a way of thinking about time scales that are far outside what people can experience directly.
The Israelites were decorating the tabernacle as a necessary part of the transition from separate and wandering tribes to a united and fixed community. Using parts of nature (the stones in the breastplate) is an acknowledgment that the Jewish people are moving from direct experiences of nature, to symbols which connect back to nature.
In short, the stones bring nature in, to help all of us recall the dependable connections in our lives.
One of the guiding principles of Adventure Judaism is returning to nature as a source of connection: to community, to our best selves, and to our understanding of the Divine. Stones, rocks and mountains, help us focus on our relationship to the cycles of the natural world, to those who have passed, to connections we have to tradition, to our current community, and to our power to shape the world for our protection.
