Va’asu li mikdash, v’shochanti b’tocham

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.

• Building The Holy Place Round  
• Building The Holy Place Descant  
• Building The Holy Place Mix  

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