Doors going in & out – Tzav
The sidra says, “Assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting” (Lev. 8:3).
The question we address is why the door was the assembly point.
Doors have two purposes – for entry and for exit. We go into the building through the door; we go out of the building by the door.
Why did the Israelites meet at the door of the sanctuary? To show their eagerness to enter the sanctuary itself, and their determination to carry the message of the sanctuary out into the world and to try to transform the world in accordance with the message.
If all we had was the command to enter by the door, we might imagine that we could use the Tent of Meeting as a place of refuge to which to flee to escape from the world. The world is often dark and cruel and it’s a relief to have a haven from its menace.
The sanctuary gives us safety and comfort. But we dare not stay there and refuse to leave. The world is not always such a nice place but we have to emerge into it and face the challenge.
The door is needed as a means of egress, sending us back into the world but arming us with the courage to venture forth as well as the means of making the world better.
