Half of the participants were then randomly assigned to watch intact versions of the slideshows and half were assigned to watch degraded versions. Following the slideshow, participants completed questionnaires about their general emotions, awe experiences, and pro-social responses. Fascinatingly, although the level of degradation between the slideshows had little effect on participants’ responses, participants did report significantly less stress, more positive mood, and stronger awe experiences after viewing the beautiful night sky scenes than after viewing the geometric figure scenes! The results from this study support the research that shows how stargazing can have a very positive psychological impact on a person.

Dr. Richard Tresch Fienberg, press officer for the American Astronomical Society said, “The stars remind us that we are part of a larger universe. Half your world is overhead, so why not look up and get to know it better? Our world is increasingly stressful. Looking up at the night sky in quiet and contemplation is a wonderful way to find inner calm.” When we look at the beauty and vastness of the stars, it provides us with a positive mood boost and channels our brain to live in a state of awe, an emotion that is crucial for our physical (and spiritual!) existence. In fact, Albert Einstein famous said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

One of the many messages of the Mishkan is to learn how to live and experience the mysterious; to be awe inspired in the service of the Divine. The Torah tells us (26:6) that there were 50 hooks – קרסים – that connected the tapestries atop the Mishkan. The Gemarah in Shabbos (99a) reveals to us something startling: these hooks had the appearance of stars in the sky – ככובים ברקיע. Against the backdrop of the blue loops, the golden hooks would glisten and sparkle, giving the appearance of stars (see Ritva).

The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 35:6) says מה למעלה כוכבים אף למטה כן – just as there are stars above in the heavens, so too there are stars below. There is a powerful message here. 99% of the world associates stargazing with going outside and observing the awe-inspiring night sky. However, as yidden, we are taught that we can always go stargazing. Not only are there stars in heaven above, we are told that there are also stars right here, below. 

Perhaps the visual of the stars inside the Mishkan are meant to remind us of our greatest blessing, namely, that we are compared to the stars. Let’s look up and see the stars, and then let’s take a good look within – what I like to call internal stargazing – and see ourselves as holy, precious, and valuable. No matter what we do in our lives, we must strive to connect to the stars, to stay mysterious, to live with a sense of awe, and never become complacent in our service of Hashem.

Have a holy Shabbos!