Shabbat Shalom Weekly
Torah Portion: TERUMAH
God Dwelling on Earth Below
by Rabbi Yehuda Appel
Some years ago, while teaching Jewish Ethics at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, I gave my students a difficult assignment: They were to go through an entire day without talking. (In classical Judaism, this is called a “taanit dibur” — literally, a “talking fast.”) During the day, they were not allowed to speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary.
When the students reported back their experiences, they expressed shock at what they discovered about interpersonal relationships. For example, one woman named Stephanie said she had held a “conversation” with a friend for over an hour. The friend, unaware that Stephanie was on the “taanit dibur,” just kept on talking. At the end of the “conversation,” the friend thanked Stephanie for “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had!”
Many people would rather hear themselves talk than listen to what others have to say. However, Judaism teaches that hearing – going beyond oneself – is more important than self-expression. This is one reason why Torah study is deemed superior to prayer. While prayer is an expression of our thoughts, the Torah is the embodiment of the Almighty’s thoughts.
In contrast to many other religions where the primary dynamic of the religious experience is man finding God, in Judaism the major focus is the giving of the Torah, where God made Himself known to man.
This dwelling of the Almighty among the Israelite encampment was manifest in many ways. For example, it was from between the Cherubim (the golden figurines atop the Ark) that Moses and Aaron would hear the voice of the Almighty. The Midrash says that God’s presence which came down upon Mount Sinai, then contracted and moved itself to the Mishkan where it rested on top of the ark. In this way, the Mishkan was a permanent manifestation of the revelation at Sinai.
This is particularly significant in light of the sin of the Golden Calf. After that tragic event, the Almighty withdrew Himself from the Jewish People. His return to the Mishkan, however, signaled reconciliation between the children of Israel and their God.
Another Midrash, however, gives an entirely different reason for God’s presence in the sanctuary. The Midrash describes a king who loved his only daughter dearly and never wanted to be separated from her. In giving his daughter’s hand in marriage, the king stipulated one condition: that the young couple agree to build a small portable guest-house, so he could travel with the young couple wherever they might go.
The Midrash explains this was the intention behind the building of the Mishkan. Anxious to maintain proximity with His only daughter, the Torah, God had constructed a Mishkan in which both He could also “dwell.”
The nuances of this Midrash are of course many. But an essential point is that through the Torah, the Almighty gave that wisdom to the Israelites which was dearest to His heart.
The View From Above
by Rabbi Ari Kahn
As Parashat Terumah begins, we are somewhat taken aback: Out of nowhere (or so it seems), instructions for a major construction project are handed down. Coming on the heels of the very practical list of torts that makes up much of Parashat Mishpatim – laws that serve as the framework for a just and elevated society – the instructions conveyed in Parashat Terumah seem to be of a different order altogether. Here, the people are given extremely precise and detailed instructions for building an edifice. The focus has clearly shifted from building society, to the service of God. While these concepts need not be mutually exclusive, the dramatic shift should not be overlooked.
In fact, the shift between these two different spheres is not as abrupt as we might think. The concluding verses of Parashat Mishpatim contain an important segue that alerts us to the shift in focus that will follow; it is a short, and thus easily overlooked group of verses. Following the Israelites’ commitment to observe and uphold the laws they have just been taught, Moshe climbs the mountain in preparation for his rendezvous with God. The mountain is covered by a cloud that represents God’s presence, and Moshe waits there until, on the seventh day, God calls out to him and invites him to ascend into the cloud itself. This is the final scene of Parashat Mishpatim, which is immediately followed by the communication Moshe receives at the summit of Mount Sinai: Parashat Terumah, the instructions for building the Mishkan (Sanctuary or Tabernacle).
Despite the fact that our tradition of weekly Torah reading separates these two sections, they are intrinsically of one and the same piece: Moshe’s ascent continues with the instructions to build the Mishkan. Perched in the ethereal clouds, from a vantage point closer to heaven than to earth, Moshe is instructed to teach the people how to build the Mishkan, a structure that would serve as a link between heaven and earth.
In a sense, this scene is reminiscent of Yaakov’s vision of the ladder, with its feet on the ground and its head in the sky, creating an image of the connection between heaven and earth. How fitting, then, that when Yaakov awakens from his dream he vows to build a sanctuary: His vow is the logical conclusion of the vision he has just seen.
Yaakov awoke from his sleep. He said, ‘God is truly in this place, but I did not know it.’ He was frightened. ‘How awe-inspiring this place is!’ he exclaimed. ‘It must be God’s Temple, for this is the gate to heaven!’ (Bereishit 28:16,17)
Yaakov sees angels ascending a ladder that reaches up into heaven. He sees the view from above; apparently, he sees exactly what Moshe saw: The place at which heaven and earth meet, The Temple.
Sinai was the place where the people experienced unparalleled unity. Only because of this unity were they able to receive the Torah. This is reflected in the laws regarding the Torah scroll: If even one letter is missing or incomplete, the Torah scroll becomes invalid, “un-kosher.” The Torah itself represents the totality of the Jewish people. Thus, in a very real sense, when we lack unity, we deny something fundamental about the Torah, perhaps even destroy it, as it were.
The Temple also represents the unity of the Jewish People. When the nation is divided, the very walls of the Temple crumble; the edifice cannot stand. The Temple, the Beit HaMikdash, was destroyed because of “unwarranted hatred” between Jews. Perhaps this is why Yaakov was unable to fulfill his vow and build the House of God: The hatred that sprung up among his sons made it impossible for his vision to be brought to fruition.
At Sinai, the Children of Israel stood as one and accepted the Torah. They entered into a covenant that would bind them to one another and to God, and they accepted upon themselves the rules that would create an elevated society. Only then, as they stood united and accepted the Torah, a new opportunity arose to build a Temple. “They shall make Me a Mishkan, and I will dwell among them.” (Shmot 25:8)
Their newfound unity had taken generations to achieve, and it was the very bedrock of the Mishkan. The experience of peoplehood at Sinai was what gave them the ability to accept the Torah, and to live with God in their midst. Without unity, the Mishkan could not exist, nor would God’s presence be among them. Both the Torah and the Mishkan are given to the Jewish People as a whole; both are contingent upon unity, both represent unity, and both are means of fostering and nurturing unity.
Standing above the clouds, half way between heaven and earth, everything became perfectly clear: We have the ability to connect the sacred and the mundane, heaven and earth – but before we do so, in order to do so, we must connect ourselves to one another, as one united People. The first step is not the building of a temple; it is the building of the bonds between us. Only with unity as its foundation will the ladder of Yaakov’s vision become a reality, allowing us to link heaven and earth and to bring God’s presence into our lives.
For a more in-depth analysis see: http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2015/02/audio-and-essays-parashat-terumah.html
Making A House A Home
by Nesanel Yoel Safran
From this week’s Torah portion:
Kim stomped into the living room like dark thundercloud. “Look at all this snow — again!” she said, pointing out the window, “I’m so bummed out!”
“Bummed out over a day off from school?” her younger brother, Andy, laughed.
“You bet,” Kim said. “I just called every single one of my friends and there is nobody who can come out to do anything.”
“No?” her brother asked.
“No!” Kim said glumly. “They’re snowed in – just like us. Mom can’t drive me anywhere either.”
“Hey, you’re right. I didn’t think about that,” Andy said. “That means I can’t go out too.”
“Bingo! That means that you, me, the whole family are in for a boring, snoring day stuck at home!”
Just then, the lights began to flicker and went out.
“Hey, what happened?” Andy asked.
“Nothing to worry about, guys,” their mother said, walking out of her home office. “I just heard on the news — before the electricity went out – that they were expecting some temporary power outages because of the storm. But they should fix things soon.”
“That’s awful!” Kim moaned.
“It’s not so bad,” her mom assured her. “Meanwhile it’s still light out, our heating system runs on oil so we’ll be nice and warm, and we can still cook on our gas stove.”
“No, I mean…” Kim said, “since I’m stuck at home, I was planning to pass the day on the computer – now I can’t even do that. What in the world am I going to do all day?” The girl began to pace back and forth in the room like a caged tiger.
“My work computer’s off too,” their mother said. “So I guess we’re all just going to enjoy a nice ‘stay at home’ day together.”
Kim and Andy looked at her and then at each other, neither of them having any idea how a day like this could be anything to possibly ‘enjoy.’ But with no other choice they grudgingly followed their mother into the kitchen.
At first they were all frowns, but soon things started looking up.
“Wow, that’s cool. I never knew you could make popcorn in a pot like that.” Andy said, listening to the rat-a-tat of the kernels ricocheting off the pot’s cover.
“The hot cocoa’s almost done, too,” Kim said, stirring the milk, sugar and cocoa powder like her mom showed her how to do.
“…And that’s how they lived happily ever after,” their mother said, flipping closed the big storybook in the warm, orangey glow of the log-lit fireplace that neither of the kids could remember ever seeing actually being used before.
“Read us another one,” begged Andy, wide-eyed.
“Yeah,” Kim echoed, lying on the cozy carpet next to her mom. “Then let’s play another game, okay?”
“Okay,” their mother smiled, reading. “Once there was a frolicky, fun-loving dolphin…” Suddenly the lights went on; the various blips and beeps of reenergized appliances chirped throughout the house like a field of crickets.
“See, the power’s back on,” their mother said. She turned to Kim. “You probably want to go use your computer now, right?”
“Uh … I guess. But really I’d rather…”
“Rather go to one of your friends?” her mom nodded. “Well, I can hear the snowplows outside. Maybe I’ll able to drive you somewhere soon…”
“Um, no. What I meant,” Kim said, surprising even herself, “is I’d really rather stay sitting right here with you and Andy and hearing the rest of the story … together.”
Discussion Questions
Ages 3-5
Q. How did Kim feel at first about staying home?
A. She was upset and afraid she’d be bored and unhappy.
Q. How did she feel in the end?
A. She really enjoyed spending some cozy, quiet time with her family.
Ages 6-9
Q. What life-lesson do you think Kim learned that day?
A. She’d felt that the only way to have a good time was to be on the move, going out with friends, etc. She’d dreaded being ‘stuck’ at home, but discovered that being home and spending time with her family had more to offer than she thought.
Q. Why do you think Kim and her family had a better time together that day than they usually did?
A. People can get so swept up in the rush of their individual daily activities, friends, work, etc. that they aren’t able to focus on their home life together and can almost come to see it as a burden. The snowstorm and power outage took away a lot of other options, so the family could spend quiet, undistracted time together and found out how great it felt.
Ages 10 and Up
Q. What do you think makes a ‘house’ a ‘home’?
A. It had to do with people, and priorities. If we realize that our family is more than just people we happen to live with, but can be our closest source of support and companionship — and we make it our priority to invest in that relationship — we will likely soon see that our home and family give us something we can’t get anywhere else.
Q. What practical steps can we take in this direction?
A. Scheduled ‘family at home’ times together make a big difference. Family meals together are great times to bond. Many use the weekly Shabbat for exactly this purpose. One or more unrushed family meals together, sharing songs and stories — minimized outside distractions, and a general ‘time out’ from life’s hectic pace to get to know — and grow with each other, in a warm, loving way.
Quote of the Week
“We do not see things as they are — we see things as we are” — the Talmud
Joke of the Week
Yaakov and Gali were teaching their five-year-old son Moishe how to make brachot, blessings, before he ate. He was having some trouble, so his mother told him that if he can’t remember what to say, he can just say, “Thank you, Hashem, for this delicious food.”
One evening, however, Moishie’s mother noticed that he thanked Hashem for the birds, the trees, each of his friends, and asked God to watch over his family and help. Moishie’s mother thought it was so cute and heartfelt.
But after Moishie took a spoonful of soup, he gasped, then dropped his spoon into the bowl. “I should have said a longer prayer,” he said. “My food is still too hot.”
Shabbat Shalom!
Staff: Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi Shmuel Greenwald, Mimi David, Shelley Dean, Caren Goldstein
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