Chapter 3:9-10
King Solomon built a pavilion
From the cedars of Lebanon,
He made its columns of silver,
Its cushions of gold,
Its couches of purple linen,
And the daughters of Jerusalem
inlaid it with love.
When I love, I build a palace. Relationships come and go through the ruin of divorce, the tragedy of Death, the misunderstandings that come with being human. Yet the palace of this love withstands every storm, every earth-quaking change. Each day that my heart rejoices in love, I inlay another precious stone on the steps of the palace. With each song I sing from this pure love, I weave another tapestry with my memories, dreams and desires.
In the Fever of Love ©2008 Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.
Practice
Chant: Inlaid with Love
Commentary
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by filling the cracks with a golden lacquer, thus making the bowl even more unique and valuable by illuminating rather than hiding its imperfections. The Daughters of Jerusalem, our companions on the spiritual path, can help us perfect this art, as we navigate this world with our broken hearts.
There is a danger of hiding those cracks or filling them with shame or despair.
Instead, our practice is to enter deeply into the depths of our heart, acknowledge its flaws and brokenness, and then fill those broken places with the gold of love: pouring compassion, tenderness and kindness into those vulnerable places.
Bridge to Torah
Solomon’s palace, built of all the finest materials, is like the Mishkan of the wilderness. Yet even the finest materials used by the greatest artisans, need the attention of those daughters of Jerusalem, who see the broken places and bring their love to that brokenness. The story of the Golden Calf is a cautionary tale of what happens when the broken promises of idolatry, dare, with flashiness and pride, to supersede the mystery of formlessness. To build the Mishkan, each of us, as the daughters of Jerusalem, must contribute our unique, precious and humble half-shekel of love.
Click to see Exodus 30:11–34:35 in Hebrew and English (JPS 1985) or the associated Torah Journeys page.
Questions for Contemplation
Can I touch the most vulnerable and broken place within me with tenderness and fill those spaces with love and compassion? Can I do this work in the light of friendship with my companions on the path?
Resources
View Love at the Center Resources.
Click to see Song of Songs Chapter 3:9-10 in Hebrew with the English JPS (1985) translation.