Building the Holy Place: Vaasu

Va’asu li mikdash, v’shochanti b’tocham
Vaasu Hebrew Text
Make for Me a Holy Place so that I may dwell within, among, between them. (Exodus 25:8)

For me this is a central commandment of Torah. It is my life’s purpose. I know that when I make my heart, my body, my energy field, my relationships, my communities, my world into a Mishkan: a dwelling place for the Divine Mystery. Then God will indeed be invited to dwell within. My heart becomes a holy place when I bring attention, care and healing to its unending capacity for love and connection. My body becomes a holy place when I honor its rhythms, listen and respond to its messages, and know its perfection. My energy field becomes a holy place when I attend to its integrity, transparency and resilience. My relationships become holy places when I meet others with compassion, curiosity, openness and truth. My communities become holy places when we connect with each other in service, humility, joy and friendship. My world becomes a holy place when I open my eyes to beauty and my heart to meaning and purpose.

When I chant I am building a holy place so that in the silence after the chant, Shechina (God’s indwelling Presence) can enter. Each chant becomes a model for how I might build and strengthen the Mishkan of heart, body, energy field, relationship, community and world.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a part, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Building the Holy Place PDF. For the musical notation, click Vaasu Li Mikdash Music.