That feeling’s deeply rooted in Jewish tradition.
Midrash Tehillim, our window into the book of Psalms, connects this idea of purity with the very act of approaching God. It says, "I will wash my hands with cleanliness," emphasizing that our actions, our means, must be legitimate, never rooted in theft or violence. As the Mishnah in Sukkah (3:11) teaches us, even something as seemingly small as a stolen palm branch renders a ritual invalid. It's a potent reminder: we can't be a prosecutor one moment and then expect to be seen as innocent before the Divine the next.
Only after this cleansing, this commitment to ethical living, can we truly "surround Your altar, O Lord," as Psalm 26:6 declares. This circling of the altar isn't just a physical act, but a spiritual one. Each day in the Temple, the altar was encircled, accompanied by the plea from Psalm 118:25, "Please, O Lord, save us now!" It’s a constant, desperate yearning for connection and redemption.
But what does it truly mean to "love the Lord?" Midrash Tehillim offers a stunning answer: it's equivalent to the very creation of the world! Think about it. The midrash draws a beautiful parallel between the six days of creation in Genesis and the construction of the Tabernacle, the Mishkan, in Exodus.
On the first day, God created the heavens and the earth. In the Tabernacle, we have the curtains of goats' hair (Exodus 26:7), representing the covering and foundation. On the second day, God separated the waters with a firmament. In the Tabernacle, we have the partition, the divider between the holy and the most holy. The third day saw the gathering of the waters. In the Tabernacle, we have the bronze basin (Exodus 30:18), filled with water for purification.
And so it continues. The luminaries of the fourth day find their echo in the golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31). The creatures of the sea on the fifth day are mirrored by the cherubim (Exodus 25:18). The creation of humankind on the sixth day corresponds to the ordination of Aaron as High Priest (Exodus 28:1). Finally, the completion and consecration of the seventh day find their parallel in the completion of the Tabernacle (Numbers 7:1).
It's a powerful idea: the Tabernacle, this portable sanctuary, wasn't just a building. It was a microcosm of creation itself, a physical manifestation of God's presence in the world. By loving and dwelling within it, we, in a sense, re-enact and affirm the act of creation.
Rabbi Avin, as quoted in the Midrash, points out that this Psalm contains both "elements of the past and elements of the future." It's a reminder that our relationship with God is not static. It's a continuous cycle of creation, purification, and connection, always drawing us back to the beginning, and always pointing us towards the future. It’s a call, as Psalm 106:1 says, to "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good."
So, what does all this mean for us today? Perhaps it's a reminder that holiness isn't confined to grand gestures or ancient rituals. It's woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Every act of kindness, every honest transaction, every effort to purify our intentions, is a step towards creating a more sacred world. Maybe, just maybe, that's how we truly wash our hands with cleanliness and draw closer to the Divine.