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The Zoo Minyan will be meeting next shabbos, March 19th, to begin Sefer Vayikra, the book of Leviticus. Nonetheless, the pot-luck meal will still be vegetarian. We will be meeting at Erica Sager's apartment north of Van Ness, look for details in next week's Zoo Mail.

We need: Leyners! Daveners. Davenning treats. Zoo Minyan veggies. A vehicle and escort for the holy torah. Volunteers? Email yes-me@ZooMinyan.org (or the usual info@ZooMinyan.org )

The Zoo Minyan will *also* be meeting (or at least co-sponsoring) on Erev Purim:

Purim Celebration Thursday, March 24th at 6:45 pm Includes food, spirits and entertainment with live Jazz and Klezmer Sponsored by Am Kolel, Capital Kehillah, Jews United for Justice, Yedid DC, Hill Havurah, Fabrangen Cheder, and, of course, Zoo Minyan.

Location: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Suggested Contribution: Zoo Minayn Members-$5 (if you get this email, you're a member!).

All profits donated to Tsunami Relief. RSVP: Telephone 301-309-2310 or e-mail info@am-kolel.org

3 (just 3!) volunteers are needed for set-up at 6th and I. And one of them is Gwen. If you can arrive one hour early to help get everything ready for the Purim celebration, please email gwenrr@yahoo.com. And if anyone can read Megillah, there are still slots available!

Tefillin: Mikdash and all-encompassing space

(From a teaching at the recent "Seeking the Light" spiritual retreat with Capital Kehillah - From the Zohar on Parshat Terumah, expansively interpreted with the help of Tikkunei Zohar, Ohev Yisrael the Apter Rebbe, Sfas Emes the Gerer Rebbe, Art Green, and Mark Kirschbaum.)

 This week we conclude Sefer Shmot, the book of Exodus. The entire second half of Shmot is concerned with building the Mishkan, the holy tent in the desert. The opening to this five-parsha-long section, way back in Parshat Terumah, gives ha-Shem's reason:

“Let them make me a Sacred space (Mikdash), and I will dwell in their midst" (Shemot 25:8).

The Zohar tells us that this verse refers to the mystery of the tefillin. To go from Sacred Space (Mikdash) to tefillin takes some mystical interpretation. We start with the idea that "Mikdash" represents the “aleph” of the four worlds. In gematriyah (Hebrew numerology) "Mikdash" = 444 (mem-40, kuf-100, dalet-4, shin-300), while "Aleph" = 111 (aleph-1, lamed-30, fey-80). The four mystical worlds of creation (asiyah, yetzirah, briah, and atzilut, all the different forms of creation) are always simultaneously present in any given place, at any given moment. All this is to say, ha-Shem's sanctifying presence is ever-present in all spaces at once.

Yet we don't deal with unified, undifferentiated space. When we make Sacred Space, we create enclosures, an inside and an outside, to dwell within.

This is true for the Mikdash, and it is true for tefillin, which consist of an enclosure, a little black box. Within this "bayit" (house, as in "beit ha-Mikdash") are four more enclosures -- each of the four texts of the tefillin is housed in its own separate chamber. We then partially enclose *ourselves*, when we wrap ourselves in the tefillin. This process of enclosure is alluded to in the our original verse -- “and I will dwell in their midst (betocham)”. The Zohar tells us not to read the last word as "betocham," in their midst, but rather as "betoch mem": in the midst of the “mem” -- the four sided final letter, which creates a fully enclosed, sacred space.

The Tikkunei Zohar, a near-contemporary of the Zohar, gives an additional analogy. We wrap ourselves in tefillin as the bride wears a wedding ring. The ring, a complete circle, is again creating an enclosed, sacred space. And it harks back to the idea of the revelation at Sinai as permanent, loving covenent, with the torah as our ketubah. Through this process of enclosure, of defining and creating and encircling Sacred Space, we can make -- even today -- a Mikdash (sanctuary) for ha-Shem to dwell within. Or as the Zohar reads that word, a “mem” kadesh, a sacred “mem”, a sacred all-encompassing space.

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Don't miss the annual Latke-Hamentasche Symposium: Tuesday, March 22, 7-9 PM

The Latke-Hamentasche Symposium is a humorous event at which speakers debate which is the superior Jewish food. Each speaker presents an argument on the relative merits of each traditional food using justifications from across the academic spectrum. Scholars come from all areas of the community academically, professionally, and socially, and after the debate is completed, the participants and the audience have the opportunity to decide for themselves with a Latke and Hamentaschen taste-test.

We are looking for speakers and volunteers for the event, so please contact us at Jewishsc@starpower.net or (202) 332-1221 if you are interested. This will be the 15th Annual Latke-Hamentasche Symposium and will be held Tuesday, March 22nd from 7-9:00 PM at GW Hillel, at 23rd and H St, NW. For more information, please visit www.jewishstudycenter.org or call us at (202) 332-1221.

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Zoo Minyan dates through the end of June.

The Zoo Minyan cannot be held responsible if you fail to post these dates on your refrigerator (or its electronic equivalent):

30 April -- Shvi'i shel Pesach, 7th day yontiff, in Woodley Park

21 May -- In Cleveland Park

25 June -- In Woodley Park

The Zoo Minyan is completely open to anyone who's interested in coming. As always, if you know anyone that you think would like to come or be added to the mailing list, feel free to forward this message (while copying info@zoominyan.org). And if you'd like to be removed from the list, just let us know.

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