Parshat Truma

And you shall make a lamp stand of pure gold,

hammered work it shall be made,

its base and its shaft, its cups, its calyxes and its blossoms,

shall be from that work.

(Shemot 25:31)

 

Hammered work it shall be made - It shall not be made of links nor shall he make its shaft and its cups piece by piece and afterwards soldered together as the goldsmiths do... but all should come from a single piece and he shall beat with the hammer and cut with the appropriate tools and separate one from the other.

(Rashi, ibid., ibid.)

 

The rationale for the lamp stand (menorah) and it's it burning lamps is self-explanatory - it is the light which it spreads. And the rationale for the light, we would think, is also self-explanatory - it is the symbol of knowledge. Say, then, that the menorah represents the spirit and knowledge, and this [conclusion is reached] especially because of the menorah's location in front of the Ark of the Covenant of God's Torah, facing the table. These two, the menorah and the table - the latter representing physical well-being, are ostensibly the entirety of the life of the Israelite nation, a life founded in God's Torah and whose main principle is devotion to the existence of God's Torah... It seems to us that one is to understand the light in the Temple as symbolic of the spirit¸ in both its aspects; the theoretical and the practical, the aspects of awareness and of volition, of knowledge and of the force which motivates action... the light which emanates from the menorah, then, symbolizes the spirit of the knowledge and the actions which the Shekhina induces. What, then, is the significance of the menorah in relation to the light which emanates from it? We recall the external form of the menorah and we immediately note that its shape - its base and its shaft, its cups, its calyxes and its blossoms, its branches with their cups like almond blossoms - is like the shape of a tree, which grows up from its roots, ascending to become the carrier of this light... the tree which symbolizes the awareness and the act of the truthful and the good, this is the golden tree... and it stands in its complete fullness, from root to flower - a single mass which does not come apart and is not made of links, but is, from beginning to end, a perfect unity.

(Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, ibid., ibid., translated from a Hebrew translation)

 

 

Generosity and the shekhina

Ariel Rathaus

In memory of my father and mentor

Menachem Mendel ben Mosheh z"l

Died on 27 Shevat 5755

And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to the Israelites, that they take Me a donation from every man, as his heart may urge him you shall take My donation. (Shemot 25:1-2)

And they shall make Me a Tabernacle,that I may abide in their midst. (ibid. ibid. 8)

The above passages which open Parashat Terumah are not adjacent, but the midrash scans them with a single exegetic view and combines them. In Shemot Rabba we read:

Said the Holy One Blessed Be He to Israel: I sold you My Torah; I, as it were, was sold together with it, as is written: "That they take Me a donation". This may be compared to a king who had an only daughter. Came one of the kings and took her. He wished to go to his land and take along his wife. He said to him: "My daughter whom I gave to you, is an only child; I cannot separate from her, but to tell you "Do not take her" I cannot, because she is your wife. But do me this favor, wherever you go, have a little chamber ready for me that I may dwell with you, for I cannot leave my daughter". So said the Holy one to Israel: I gave you the Torah, I cannot leave it, to tell "Do not take it" I cannot; but wherever you go, make for me a chamber that I may dwell within, as is written: "And they shall make me a Tabernacle". (Teruma, Chap 33:1)

This midrash opens with "That they take me a donation", and concludes with "And they shall make me a Tabernacle", and the two passages merge into a single fascinating midrash. The darshan (explicator) is unafraid to humanize; he presents deep theological ideas with illustrative creativity, sans trepidation and inhibition. Not only does he employ the usual characters of the 'drama' of legend (king, king's daughter, king's son-in-law), but he also creates an extreme metaphoric image bordering on profanation of the holy: the Lord, as it were, is "sold" to Yisrael along with the Torah, and now the Children of Israel must provide the father of the bride with a small room in which to dwell wherever they sojourn. It is superfluous to note that the first passage is interpreted with daring creativity; according to the darshan, "and they shall take Me a donation" means that they will take Me as a donation" (not that the Children of Israel are asked to give a donation to the Lord, but rather that He be given as a donation to the Children of Israel!). As for "and they shall make me a Tabernacle" the darshan seems to interpret the passage as referring not only to the sanctuary in which sacrifices were offered, but also to the post-destruction houses of study and houses of prayer, to the "mikdash me'at" (' diminished sanctity") that every Jewish community established in its place of exile.

The midrash reveals with impressive literary form the ideal connection between "and they shall take Me a donation" and "they shall make Me a sanctuary", thereby opening gates for additional commentary based on this tie, even beyond the specific ideas which the text wishes to impart. Therefore, I shall attempt to follow in the darshan's steps and, at the same time, suggest an alternate reading which places the connection between the two passages in a different light.

In order to explain the nature of this connection we must stress the uniqueness of that donation [terumah] that serves as the title of our parasha. We recall that the donation was to be taken "from every man as his heart may urge him". Perhaps it is in these words, in particular, "as his heart may urge him" from the first passage, that lie the key to our understanding of the second passage, that speaks of the dwelling of the Shekhina in Israel ("and I shall abide in their midst"). The identifying aspect of that donation, which was to facilitate the erection of the tabernacle, was the totally voluntary participation of all Israel, without any pressure or coercion. Rabbi Yitzchak Abarbanel emphasizes this clearly in his commentary on the Torah:

This passage includes the following messages: First - they should not think that the leaders and heads of the congregation alone, with their own means, should perform the work of the tabernacle, but every man according to the urges of his heart, small and great included, if his heart so urges, shall they take from him a donation. Secondly - No man shall be forced to donate in this appeal, but 'according to the urges of his heart' - they shall take that which he willingly gives, not by force. Third - no man shall be asked to make a donation, but they, without being so requested, shall of their own volition bring their donation. (Abarbanel Shemot, Teruma, 25:1-2)

The giving of the donation was to be conducted on a totally egalitarian basis, its validity contingent upon its being general, not of any particular sector or class; great and small alike were asked to contribute, not only the leaders (and one might add: men and women, as indicated by the passage in Parashat VaYakhel " And the men came with the women, all whose heart urged them, they brought brooches and earrings and rings, etc" (Shemot 35:23). This and more: Abarbanel emphasizes that the offering of the donation was an expression of freedom, of individual choice, of true generosity bursting forth from the depths of the soul, for actually the command was not to approach people and solicit contributions, but rather to depend upon their willingness to give "without question." It is to this amazing freedom of the act of giving, resulting from true inner motivation, that the "Sefat Emmet" refers in his exposition of the first Mishna of Tractate Shekalim:

On the first of Adar, announcement is made regarding the shekalim and on the kilayim (mixed species)" (the donation of shekalim which was customary during the days of the Second Temple was used for the purchase of public offerings, and was a kind of continuation of the shekalim donated towards the erection of the Mishkan). The acceptance of the teruma commandment, the true willingness to give the shekalim to the Tabernacle - says the 'Sefat Emmet" - make one a free man; through it "Man expands from the place of distress [Alternate translation - "from the straits" - Trans.] The Sefat Emmet homiletically interprets 'kilayim' [mixed species] as deriving from "kele" - imprisonment; one is liberated from his personal prison by his generosity, by his willingness to give (On parashat "Shekalim", 5636 and elsewhere).

Without doubt, this liberation through giving also bestows upon man an increasing sense of religious maturity. One who contributes of his free will towards the erection of the sanctuary and towards the sacrificial needs, has taken personal responsibility for his spiritual life, chosen to participate in its conduct, has left the prison of his egoism and his isolation in order to join others, with the goal of constructing the foundations upon which their shared society will rest. The teruma may be intended for holy use, but its significance was also human-social. The Children of Israel joined together to achieve a goal which no individual could have achieved alone.

From all the above we conclude that generosity [In Hebrew original, "nidvat libow' - giving of the heart] is the basis, the requisite condition for the induction of the Shekhina ("I shall dwell amidst them"). For the Shekhina to dwell in Israel, the Children of Israel must open their hearts to each other, and desire to build their sanctuary together-- and, of course, they must open their hearts to their Father in Heaven. Torah may have been received under duress, as per the midrash about God forcefully imposing Torah "upon them like an [inverted] cask", but Shekhina - which is experienced by man as the sense of God's proximity on earth - can dwell only if man opens himself to God of his free volition, only if "his heart so urges" him to prepare himself for such an encounter. How beautiful the words of Gaon of Vilna's short homiletic exposition in this respect:

And they shall make me a mikdash [sanctuary] and I shall dwell within them" - meaning, within Israel, as is written: "Talpiyot ['Turrets' -  an epithet for the Temple] - a 'tel' [elevation] which all piyot [mouths] face". Because the dwelling of the Shekhina was within the heart of Israel. It is just that they need a single place where all the hearts can gather together. Therefore did he choose a choice location in the Land, there He intended that the Shekhina rest in Israel. (Humash HaGra, Terumah, Shemot 25:2)

Dr. Ariel Rathaus, literary researcher and translator, teaches in the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

 

 

Giving - equally and humbly

Here is another explanation why the first two contributions (terumot) are ordered specifically in God's name, whereas the third is not. Wherever we find humility and submission among mortals, there we find the secret might of Holy One, who dwells among the oppressed and the meek; but wherever there is the slightest hint of pride, the Holy One refuses to bestow his name. Therefore, the first two contributions, which were given equally by all, for "The rich are not to pay more, and the poor are not to pay less", and no one can boast "My contribution is greater than yours", these God attributed to himself:

1. The first is preceded by "And they may take Me - to my Name. We have already explained, at the beginning of Parashat Miketz, and on the verse "Every place where I call my name to be recalled I will come to you and bless you," (Shemot 20:21) -  every letter of His great name points to humility.

2. The second contribution is termed "my contribution".

Similarly, the use to which the contributions were put offers the same message. Just as all contributions were equal, forestalling any boasting, so were the boards - all of equal length. They were at the bottom of the entire edifice, a trodden threshold, foundations of the entire building . "Those who fashion them shall become like them" - just as the givers were equal in their contributions, none having excuse for pride over his fellow, so were these boards acquired by the contributions, symbolic of humility, for humility is the foundation of the building upon which the entire House of Israel is established. They are called adanim - which hint at mastery and rule [Trans. note: adan means board; adon means master], because whoever makes of himself a trodden threshold below, is appointed master above, for whoever lowers himself, the Holy One raises him us and makes him the foundation and support for the entire building, just like these boards which were foundation and support for all the edifice. And so the nasi - (highest official) is so called such because he carries the others, for they all depend on him [Trans. note: The Hebrew for "high official" and "carry" share a common root].

(Kli Yakar, Shemot, 25:1)

 

Cherubim - They had the form of a child's face.

(Rashi, Shemot 25:18)

 

"And you shall make two cherubim... with their face one to another..." - like two companions who discuss words of Torah.

(Baal HaTurim, ibid.)

 

Life, death, and holiness are in the power of the tongue

The sin of language is one of speech, not of thought. It [the priest's robe] had pomegranates and bells [on the hem] -  which made sounds -  to atone for the tongue which is in the mouth, similar to the clapper inside the bell, and the atonement for speech is that one no longer break his pledge and should speak only of holy matters, as is written: "And his voice will be heard when he enters the sanctuary, and he will not die" , because "lashon ha-ra" -  slanderous speech -  kills three (Arachin 15),From this we derive that one who is careful not to speak slanderously will be spared death, as in the story of the vendor who used to announce "Who wants to buy the elixir of life, etc." (Kli Yakar, Shemot 28:31)

 

 

The connection of wisdom to peace

"And the Lord gave wisdom to Shelomo as He had promised him, and there was peace between Shelomo and Hiram".

(From the Haphtara for Parashat Teruma, I Kings, 5:26)

 

Teaching us that Shelomo's great wisdom was the reason for the peace between Hiram and Shelomo, for Hiram loved him because of his wisdom.

(Ralbag, ibid.)

 

Charity is greater than all of the sacrifices

There is a positive commandment to give charity in accordance with one's ability. One should be extremely careful about it -  more so than with any other positive commandment -  because it can lead to blood shed if one does not give it immediately and the poor man dies, as in the incident involving Ben Zoma. We have been commanded several times regarding it as a positive commandment, and it also involves the prohibition not to ignore it, as it is said: You shall not harden your heart, and you shall not close your hand from your needy brother. Anyone who ignores it is considered worthless and similar to an idolater, and anyone who is careful about it demonstrates that he is of the seed blessed by the Lord, for it is written, For I have known him because he commands his sons and his household after him, that they should keep the way of the Lord to perform righteousness [tzedaka -  which also means "charity"] and justice. The throne of Israel is founded and the true religion stands only through charity, for it is said: You shall be established in tzedaka (Isaiah 54). Only through charity will Israel will be redeemed, for it says: Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through tzedaka, and it says, Keep justice and practice tzedaka, for My salvation is near to come, and My benevolence to be revealed. And charity is greater than all of the sacrifices, since Rabbi Eliezer said: charity is greater than all of the sacrifices, for it is written, Performing tzedaka and justice is preferred by God to a sacrifice. Rabbi Eliezer said: Anyone who performs tzedaka and justice, it is as if he filled the world with loving-kindness, for it is said: Lover of tzedaka and justice, the Lord's loving-kindness fills the earth.

(Tur Yoreh De'ah 247)

 

Study as a sublimated and updated substitute for concrete action

Do not let it enter your heads for one moment, that these descriptions of the Tabernacle and its appurtenances, the priestly garment and sacrifices, the laws of purity and those dependent on the soil and all the rest of the ordinances practiced in antiquity have no relevance for us today in exile. What use, you may well ask, does it serve us to study them today?

My answer is this: Everything recorded in the Torah is designed to provide us with a permanent source of inspiration and Divine wisdom, to perfect our souls therewith. This is the message of the text (Devarim 29:8): You shall preserve the words of this covenant and do them in order that you may be discerning in all that you do. Our Sages explained (Sifrei, Re'eh, Rashi on Devarim 4:6): You shall preserve -  this refers to the Mishnah (Oral Tradition): You shall do -  in its primary sense of actual doing. The doing consists in the study of the text and deriving of the spiritual lessons to be learnt there from by student and scholar, whether during the time they were actually performed or afterwards (when they were no longer in vogue).

Thus our study and explication of the symbolism of the Tabernacle and its furniture today is as relevant now as it was then when they were in full use. In the same way the sacrificial rites are not obsolete even though their actual physical performance is not feasible. For their spiritual lessons remain fresh. Through them man can learn humility before God, in accordance with the text (Psalms 51:19): The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit.

(From Abarbanel's Commentary, towards the end of parashat Trumah, as quoted by Prof. Nehama Leibowitz in her Studies in Shemot pp. 504-5, Aryeh Newman, translator)

 

 

 

 

 

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