Parshas Terumah Divrei Torah and Insights 5780

בּ"ה

Parshas Terumah

Interestingly, the contribution of the Terumah (portion) comes right after Parshas Mishpatim, which deals a lot with laws of damages, monetary matters, etc.. The Beis HaLevi {HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik of Brisk zt”l} explains that this teaches us that one must first make sure that their money is absolutely clean of any kind of dishonesty, and only once that is ascertained should they give charity and other contributions from it. There is no value to a donation that came from money acquired in a way forbidden by the Torah.

(Beis HaLevi al HaTorah, beginning of Terumah)

In another connection to Parshas Mishpatim, the Midrash says that since Bnei Yisroel proclaimed Naaseh V’Nishma, right afterwards Hashem asked them to give the donations for the Mishkan. Why would this be so?

HaRav Eliyahu Schlesinger shlit”a explains that of course, Bnei Yisroel meant what they said wholeheartedly. But still, they only said in words that they would do and accept Hashem’s Commandments. And sometimes, we might say something grandiose, but when it comes down to action, we don’t carry it out, or at least not to the same degree. So after Klal Yisroel accepted in speech to listen to Him, Hashem immediately gave them something to put it into action.1

(Eileh HaDevarim, beginning of Terumah)

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1 I am not sure if I heard/saw these additions or they are my own little thoughts, but perhaps we may bring Rav Schlesinger’s insight further: The Terumah, as we are taught, was not a command -- therefore, it was the greatest test to see if Klal Yisroel would put their dedication into action. Because they could easily try to make an excuse that this was not a real Command, and so it was alright if they bowed out, as it were -- and especially given that it involved giving contributions from their possessions, which, by nature, a lot of people find somewhat difficult to part with.

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‘And they shall take for Me a portion (תרומה)’ (Shemos 25:2)

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The commentators note that the proper wording in this case would have seemed to be ‘and they shall give for Me. . .”. Why the expression of taking?

HaRav Shlomo Ganzfried zt”l (among others) elucidates that, as we know, the Mishkan, its vessels, and all that they provided were extremely beneficial to Klal Yisroel in many different ways. Therefore, what Bnei Yisroel contributed for the Mishkan and everything in it really was not just donating, but also taking, as it brought amazing bounty upon them!

(Sefer Apiryon, first comment on Terumah)

In a different vein, HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l explains that Bnei Yisroel were supposed to donate with the knowledge that this silver, gold, etc. of theirs really is Hashem’s, and that He merely entrusted it to them. Thus, it was almost as if they were taking something from Hashem for Him!

(Darash Moshe on 25:2)

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‘And they shall take for Me a portion (תרומה)’ (Shemos 25:2)

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The word תרומה, HaRav Shlomo Yosef Zevin zt”l points out, seems to come from the root word רום -- to raise up. The significance of this is that we were given a special power -- to be able to raise up and elevate physical, mundane things, into something holy. All the contributions for the Mishkan and all its vessels were from very physical things. But when they were utilized for a higher, holy purpose, they were sanctified and raised up.

(LaTorah ViLaMoadim on 25:2)

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‘From every man whose heart motivates him, you shall take My Portion.’ (Shemos 25:2)

The question is asked; why was the donating to the Mishkan a voluntary thing; why was it not made an order or a command? Answers the Avnei Nezer {the Sochochover Rebbe -- HaRav Avraham Borenstein zt”l}; the Mishkan was something that brought closeness with Hashem; and in order to feel that closeness and love, we must have a burning desire to do so. It cannot be forced. And so, contributing to the Mishkan was a voluntary thing -- people had to have a burning desire to do so.

Adds my Rebbe, HaRav Binyomin Goldstein shlit”a, beautifully: In the absence of a Mishkan or Beis HaMikdash, we are told (see below) that we must make our hearts into a Sanctuary for Hashem. But this cannot be done without the desire to serve Hashem -- the passion and feeling. If someone has a burning desire to bring Hashem into their heart; nothing can stand in their way. However, if the desire for closeness is not there, it is essentially impossible to make the Sanctuary for Hashem. We can “go through the motions” of keeping the Commandments -- but if the desire of the heart is not there, then the task of building an inner-Sanctuary for Hashem cannot be accomplished.

(From one of Rav Goldstein shlit”a’s Dvar Torahs)

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‘And this is the portion. . . Gold, and silver, and copper. . .’ (Shemos 25:3)

The Maggid of Dubno, HaRav Yaakov Krantz zt”l comments that surely, Hashem did not choose that we should contribute fine items like these because He loves such things, Chas v’Shalom. Rather, He chose them because He knows that we love those things. They are precious in our eyes. And when a person gives as a contribution something that is very dear to them and they love, they also give with it some of that love. And that love is what Hashem desired -- because one of the choicest and most precious things in His eyes is our love. And on such a foundation of love, a dwelling place for the Shechinah could be built.

(Ohel Yaakov, first comment on Terumah)

Similarly, HaRav Aharon Levin zt”l says that, obviously, these items themselves are not necessarily so important to Hashem. What is important to Him, however, is that we contributed them. Our good will. We took things that are usually very precious to people, and we donated them -- showing that the Word of Hashem is more precious to us than any expensive or precious object. And that show of love is so great and honored in His eyes.

(HaDrash Vi’HaIyun, vol. 2 #206)

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In another explanation, HaRav Yaakov Neiman zt”l suggests that the reason Hashem wanted the contributions to be from these items was to symbolize and show us that the purpose of the Mishkan was not only to bring holiness and the resting of the Shechinah inside it itself, but to spread the holiness to every aspect of our lives -- even the mundane. We must elevate even our daily physical acts to become holy, as well, by performing them all in accordance with the laws of the Torah, and with the proper intentions.

(Darkei Mussar 25:2; see above from Rav Zevin zt”l on v. 2)

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‘And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst.’ (Shemos 25:8)

Our Gedolim note that Hashem does not say ‘in its midst’, but rather ‘in their midst.’ This teaches us that Hashem dwells within all of our midsts’. However, they explain further, we must make ourselves a Mikdash (Sanctuary) for Him in which to dwell. . .

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HaRav Yisroel Moshe Fried shlit”a uses this concept to explain the significance of Parshas Terumah following right after the weeks of Shovavim have finished. People often take to heart the message of Teshuva and improving their ways during the weeks of Shovavim, and try to become holier people. But unfortunately, a lot of times, this stops once these weeks end.2 Therefore, comes along Parshas Terumah, which discusses very exalted matters, and the topic of building a Mikdash for Hashem -- which, as the Zohar states, teaches that we must sanctify ourselves to become a worthy “vessel” for the Shechinah to dwell in (see above) -- and reminds us to stay on track even now, during regular weeks.

(Yam Simcha p. 190)

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Another lesson: Rashi zt”l explains our verse to mean “And they shall make for My Name of house of sanctity.” Rebbe Menachem Kalish zt”l, the second Amshinover Rebbe, interprets this to teach us that we must strive to bring holiness into our own houses, making sure that our family life is with sanctity. That is a Mikdash.

(Brought in Maayanah shel Torah; Shemos p. 116)

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2 The same thing unfortunately happens a lot after Elul and the Aseres Y’mei Teshuva.

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‘And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst.’ (Shemos 25:8)

In Pesikta, we find that when Hashem said this, Moshe Rabbeinu asked how it was possible to make a house for Him -- is it not written that the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens cannot support Him? Hashem answered that He merely was asking them to do what they were able to, and therefore, something the size of the Mishkan would suffice.

We see from here, says the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, that Hashem does not ask of us the impossible. He only tells us to do something that we can do. We must just do what is incumbent on us, i.e. all that we are capable, and then we will get assistance from Above.

(Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah 25:8)

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‘Like all that I show you -- the form of the Mishkan and the form of all its vessels -- and so shall they do.’ (Shemos 25:9)

“So shall they do” -- this applies to future generations (Rashi zt”l from Chazal). The Sfas Emes zt”l points out that this implies that we can indeed cause the building of the third Beis HaMikdash!

(Sfas Emes; vol. 2, Terumah 5640)

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‘And they shall make an Aron’ (Shemos 25:10)

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Why with all the other things made in the Mishkan, Hashem says ‘and you shall make’; but with the Aron, He says ‘and they shall make’? Says Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Shalom zt”l: HaKadosh Baruch Hu said; “Let everyone come and engage in the Aron,3 in order that they will all merit [a share in] the Torah.”

(Midrash Shemos Rabbah Ch. 34)

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3 See Ramban zt”l, who gives three explanations for what everyone did: Either they all donated a single golden vessel for it; or they helped Betzalel make it a tiny bit, or they should have the intention to do such.

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‘And they shall make an Aron. . . two-and-a-half cubits its length, and a cubit-and-a-half its width, and a cubit-and-a-half its height.’ (Shemos 25:10)

The Meforshim note that all the measurements of the Aron (which housed the Luchos) are in halves, and derive several wonderful messages from this:

1) ----- Baal HaTurim zt”l: Even a Torah scholar must be “broken”, as it were, and lowly in their own eyes. I.e. they must be humble, and not haughty.

2) ----- Kli Yakar zt”l: A person must always think to themselves and feel that they are lacking in complete wisdom, and they need to fill that hole. They still have a ways to go, and they aren’t just “at the top”. (See also Pardes Yosef).

3) ----- HaRav Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l: Only one part of the Torah -- the Written Torah -- was in the Aron. But there is a second part -- the Oral Torah -- that was not in there, and without it, the Written Torah is not complete. (Oznayim LaTorah here).

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‘And you shall coat it with pure gold -- from the inside and from the outside you shall coat it’ (Shemos 25:11)

The Gemara (Yoma 72b) derives from here that any Torah scholar whose inside is not like his outside -- i.e. he is not genuine -- is not a true Torah scholar.

We can’t just act as if we are great around others, but in reality leave ourselves as lowly as we were before. We must strive to be truly good -- both on the outside, and on the inside.

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The Beis HaLevi zt”l takes a different tact: Those who support Torah scholars must make sure that they not only have enough inside the house, for example, what to eat, but also that they have enough “on the outside”, i.e. enough to have nice, presentable external things -- such as fine clothing, etc. to be pleasant in the eyes of society, so that they will be given the proper respect and honor.

(Beis HaLevi al HaTorah here)

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‘And you shall make a Menorah of pure gold’ (Shemos 25:31)

The Torah tells us that all the Menorah’s branches, flowers, cups, etc. must all be made out of one single piece of hammered gold.

Now, as we are taught, the light of the Menorah represents the light of Torah. This thus teaches us, expounds the Chofetz Chaim zt”l, that the entire Torah, both the Written and Oral Torah, everything Chazal have taught and transmitted to us based on Oral tradition, and all the Halachos down to their fine details are all one single unit. They were all told to Moshe Rabbeinu at Har Sinai by Hashem Himself.

(Chofetz Chaim al HaTorah p. 88)

Another thing we learn from this, says the Chofetz Chaim -- that even the Menorah’s base was made from the same piece of gold -- is that in the World to Come, the supporters of Torah will be together with the learners of Torah, who benefited from their support.

(Ibid.)

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‘And you shall make two Cherubim of gold’ (Shemos 25:18)

The Cherubim were to be on the Kapores (Aron-cover). And Chazal (Sukkah 5) teach us that the Cherubim had the face of a little child.

The Chida {HaRav Chaim Yosef Dovid Azulai zt”l} explains from this that we must bear the Yoke of Torah like small children -- simply, and always like we are just beginning.

(Nachal Kedomim Terumah #8)

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‘And you shall make the planks (קרשׁים) for the Mishkan’ (Shemos 26:15)

The word for plank, קרשׁ, notes the Noam Elimelech zt”l, has the same letters as the word שקר, falsehood. We learn from this that we must try to completely break our trait of falsehood to its root, and we must strengthen ourselves in the opposite trait -- i.e. truth -- just like the word קרשׁ is just about the opposite of שקר. And through this, we will come to be like a קרשׁ for the Mishkan, meaning, a chariot for the Shechinah!

(Noam Elimelech here)

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~ Maasim Tovim ~

The Sanzer Rav, Rebbe Chaim Halberstam zt”l, lived to give. He especially loved the fundamental Mitzvah of giving, and he had a burning desire to give everything he could to charity.

Rav Chaim had the custom of giving all the money he possessed to tzedakah (charity) every day. One day, after he had already given away all of his money, someone came to him with a very pressing need. The Rav’s powerful desire to give was urging him to help, but what could he do? He had nothing left.

Suddenly, his face lit up. He left the room, and soon he returned holding something precious. Although he had no money, he could still give this needy person one of his few possessions -- his beautiful silver Kiddush cup.

(From my Rebbe, HaRav Daniel Yaakov Travis shlit”a)

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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!

Torah, Mussar, Chassidus, Stories, and More! - בּ"ה

Friday, February 28, 2020