This is our home. Treat it that way.

Before our son Moshe left for Israel to study for the year, Arielle and I wanted to make sure he was properly prepared. Like most yeshiva students, he would be spending many Shabbosim as a guest in other people’s homes, and we wanted to make sure he understood how to conduct himself. So one Shabbos afternoon at lunch, we ran him through a series of simulated scenarios to “test” whether he was ready.

What happens if the wife gets up to clear the table but the husband remains sitting? Do you get up to help, or do you remain seated so as not to leave the husband alone? What do you do when you finish eating? How do you make yourself helpful without being asked?

Baruch Hashem, he passed with flying colors. But it was important to us that he understand something very simple: when you are a guest in someone else’s home, you treat that home with respect. It got me thinking that we should expect the same of ourselves when we are guests in Hashem’s home.

I am so grateful that the Yom Tov season that just passed was so beautiful and inspiring. One of the things that makes BRS so special is how exceptionally vibrant our campus is. Every square inch is filled with davening, learning, laughter, children, programs, and community.

And because our building is used so heavily, especially until our new building is completed, the same spaces constantly transform. A room that hosts a minyan in the morning may host a shiur a few hours later, followed by a kiddush, a youth program, or a community event.  That is part of what makes BRS feel so alive.

But there is also a challenge that comes with having such a heavily used campus: it can be easy to forget that our shul is not simply a building. It is our mikdash me’at, a miniature Beis Hamikdash, and a place that is holy deserves our care, our pride and our respect.

The Mishnayos throughout Seder Kodshim describe the enormous amount of physical work that the Kohanim and Leviim did to maintain the Beis Hamikdash. The first chore of the day was Terumas HaDeshen, removing the ashes left over from the previous day. Remarkably, this was not considered an undesirable job that everyone tried to avoid. A lottery was needed to determine who would have the privilege of performing it because so many Kohanim would wake up early and line up for the opportunity.

There were Kohanim assigned to clean the Menorah, removing the burnt wicks and old oil, cleaning each cup and preparing it for that evening’s lighting. There were Kohanim and Leviim who stood guard in twenty-four different locations throughout the Beis Hamikdash every night. The Mishnah makes clear that this was not because the Beis Hamikdash needed physical protection; they were unarmed. Their presence was about kavod. Just as a king has an honor guard, the Beis Hamikdash deserved to be surrounded by people demonstrating its importance.

Even the floor of the Azarah required constant attention. As sacrifices were brought throughout the day, blood would accumulate on the floor. The Kohanim had a system for flooding the floor with water and then draining it, carrying away the debris and leaving the courtyard clean. And twice a year, before Pesach and Sukkos, the entire outer Mizbeach was washed by hand so that it would look pristine for the festivals.

The Kohanim and Leviim did not say, “That’s what the cleaning staff is for.”  They understood that caring for Hashem’s home was itself an act of serving Hashem. Perhaps that is an important lesson and reminder for all of us.

After davening, look around. Are there siddurim lying on the floor or scattered on the tables? Pick them up and put them back where they belong. After a kiddush, look down. Is there a wrapper or piece of garbage on the floor? Pick it up even if you didn't put it there. When you are playing with your children or grandchildren on the playground, notice if there is garbage. Pick it up. If you spill something, clean it up. And if you make a mess, take responsibility for it.  Don’t wait for someone else to clean up after you.

Of course, we are fortunate to have a wonderful custodial team that works incredibly hard to keep our campus clean. They deserve our gratitude and appreciation. (And not just in our hearts and minds. When you see them, be sure to thank them.) But their presence should never become an excuse for us to stop caring. We would never walk into our own living room, see garbage on the floor, and think, “Someone else will take care of it.”  And we would never leave our own kitchen looking like a mess and say, “That’s the cleaning person’s job.” We take pride in our homes because they are ours and our shul should be no different.  It is our communal home, and it is a place where we invite Hashem into our lives.

At the conclusion of Simchas Torah, the floor was covered with empty candy wrappers and crushed potato chips. The energy of the day had finally died down. People were tired, smiling, and ready to head home. Most of us, including me, were thinking about lunch and perhaps a much-needed nap.

But one person quietly grabbed a garbage bag and began walking around the room, picking things up.  Not because anyone asked him to do it or because he received any fanfare.  He simply saw something that needed to be done and he did it.  He understands that this is our shul, and our religious home and so it matters to us. 

Our beautiful new building will iy”H be completed in the coming months. It will be magnificent, and we are excited about what it will allow us to do.  But the way we treat that building will not be determined by the size of the rooms, the beauty of the architecture, or the quality of the furniture.  It will be determined by how much we care.

When Moshe left for Israel, we wanted him to understand that being a guest comes with a responsibility: you don't just enjoy someone else's home, you help care for it. Perhaps that is a lesson all of us can take to heart about our shul. We are all guests in this sacred home, but we are also its caretakers. The next time you see a siddur left behind or a wrapper on the floor, don't wait for someone else. Pick it up. Because when we care for our shul, we aren't simply keeping a building clean. We are showing how much we value the home we have built together.