Shabbat Shalom! Dad talked about Parashat Vayakhel, but I want to talk about the second part - Parashat Pekudei. In this Torah portion, Moses acts like someone who has to count everything, every single little thing. He makes a huge list for the Tabernacle and counts every piece of metal, every board, and every thread they used.
So I thought to myself - what would happen if Moses made a list like that, a “Pekudei”, for our gear, after more than two years of traveling the world?
His list would probably look something like this: “These are the Pekudei of the suitcases: two wool hats, even though we are right now in the peak heat of Costa Rica. One snorkel that we actually bought in India, two coats from Hong Kong, and three charger cables that no one remembers which device they belong to, but Dad absolutely refuses to throw away. And zero, an absolute zero, of hair ties. No matter how many we bought along the way, they all just disappeared”.
But when you think about it, there is also something beautiful about it. Just like in the Tabernacle, where every thread, every nail, and every board was important to build something big and complete - it’s the same with our suitcases. Every funny item we have in our bags, even if it has nothing to do with where we are right now, holds a memory and tells a part of our story.
And the most special thing about this journey is that we have the opportunity to reach new places, meet a wonderful community like you, and share all these stories together around the table. Shabbat Shalom!