In this week's Torah portion, God directs Moses in the building of the Tabernacle. This Ark of the Covenant protects the Ten Commandments. The structure acts like a portable synagogue. In other words, the Tabernacle serves as a holy suitcase. God very specifically describes how to design the Tabernacle. According to God's directions, gold covers the entire ark. Almost every inch of the Tabernacle shines with this regal color. Other features include cherub decorations, silver posts, and curtains of fine purple, blue, and crimson yarn. Most significantly, a curtain of these linens covers the commandments presented to Moses at Sinai. God proclaims this curtain separates the Holy and the Holy of Hollies.
Throughout the portion, God meticulously discusses the appearance of the Tabernacle, yet God abstains from expounding upon the significance or meaning of this holiest ark. It appears that the Tabernacle's physicality ranks higher than its meaning. By swapping the Tabernacle's gold for copper, does one deteriorate the meaning of the Ten Commandments? Perhaps, God intends to separate the Holy from the ordinary just as the Ark's most important curtain distinguishes the Holy and the Holy of Hollies. From a practical point of view, gold withstands corrosion better than any other metal, taking into account the Arab Peninsula's harsh conditions. While gold serves a purpose, it remains peculiar that God only physically describes the Tabernacle. What emotions does God intend for the Tabernacle to wring from the soul? Most holy places similarly look noble and luxurious. In theory, God recognizes and listens to all kind human beings, so praying in shack barely differentiates from worshipping at the finest synagogue in all the world. Although standards vary from culture to culture, humans all over the world praise beauty in buildings and people alike.
Whether we enjoy admitting it or not, we all occasionally judge based on appearance. In a theoretical world where every human looks and dresses in the same matter, personality remains as the only basis of our judgements. Of course, our world suffuses with diversity. A world without beauty seems to lack substance, for this elegance causes the most happiness on Earth. From a sunset over the Rocky Mountains or a bride on her wedding, our culture upholds beauty as a staple of society. It stands incorrect to denounce beauty, for it makes the world smile. The injustice of beauty exists in comparison. Throughout the Torah and the world, God creates beautiful people and sights. God never calls part of creation ugly. The Torah even describes one of its most repulsive characters, Esau, as skillful and hairy. The sin of beauty lies in its opposites. Teasing an ugly person insults both God and the victim, for all humans persists to appear beautiful in the eyes of God. Therefore, beauty should remain a celebrated aspect of society, as long as we celebrate all humans as somehow beautiful.
Westerners uphold musculature, light weight, nice skin and hair, facial symmetry, among other qualities as their guidelines of attraction. To a certain degree, all qualities of beauty become achievable through effort and determination. If one wants to lose weights, exercise and proper, non-extreme dieting lead them to beauty. However, confidence supersedes any product from the 13 million dollar cosmetic and 58 billion dollar weight loss industries in the United States. Unfortunately, the majority of romantic encounter end in ultimate rejection. Continual failures causes doubt in beauty, but by reassuring oneself, we launch ourselves on a much quicker rate of recovery. In our culture, beauty requires effort, but even the "ugliest" person in our society's eyes can shine like the gold of the Tabernacle.
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