Looking at the parsha through the lens of the middah of Achrayut / Responsibility / אחריות
Highlights
The people of Israel are asked to contribute items to the building of the Mishkan / Sanctuary / Tabernacle
The Israelite community was asked to make voluntary donations for the Mishkan, different from the half-shekel commanded in the previous portion of Mishpatim.
Metals: Gold, Silver, Copper and materials for the curtains.
Moses is given detailed instructions by God for the construction of this dwelling
The ark of Testimony was in the Mishkan’s inner chamber, containing the Aseret Hadibrot (Ten Commandments).
Instructions for the keruvim [cherubim].
The outer chamber contained the 7-branched menorah and the ‘show-bread’ table
The walls of the Mishkan were wooden boards, the holding sockets, silver, while the roof was made of more permeable material
In front of the Mishkan was the copper-plated altar
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts; you shall accept gifts for Me from every person whose heart so moves him.
The traditional translation narrows our understanding of what is occuring here. The Hebrew "vayikhu-li" means to "take to me" not bring to me. Is there a difference between "taking an offering to me" and 'bringing me gifts'? How does that change the meaning? There is a deeper message here.
What does it mean that each person was asked to "take" gifts if one's heart was willing (was moved). What can we derive from this?
The Hebrew word "Terumah" תְּרוּמָ֑ה connotes "uplifting" and "elevation". רום = height, altitude. תְּרוּמָה (n-f) heb
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- contribution, offering
- any offering (of grain, money, etc.). an offering to God
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תְּרוּמָה f. (b. h.; רוּם) 1) removal. Yoma 22ᵃ, a. fr. תְּרוּמַת הדשן the removal of the ashes from the altar (v. Lev. VI, 3).
- contribution, offering
Everett Fox: Speak to the Children of Israel, that they may take me a raised-contribution; from every man whose heart makes-him-willing, you are to take my contribution.
[THAT THEY TAKE FOR ME.] The words ve-yikchu li (that they take for Me) is similar to the form surah elai (turn in to me) (Jud. 4:18). Surah elai means turn from your place and come to me. Ve-yikchu li has a similar connotation. It means let him take from what he owns and give it to me. The same is true of Fetch me (kechi li), I pray thee, a little water (I Kings 17:10).
In Terumah we see two different words used: Mikdash and Mishkan (also, Tent of Meeting, Ohel Moed). Or HaChaim [25:8] explains that the מקדש Mikdash is the general description for a dwelling of God that is a commandment for all generations, while משכן Mishkan is the specific dwelling for God to be built in the מדבר wilderness.
(3) And these are the gifts that you shall accept from them: gold, silver, and copper; (4) blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats’ hair; (5) tanned ram skins, dolphin skins, and acacia wood; (6) oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the aromatic incense; (7) lapis lazuli and other stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.
מאת כל איש, G’d commanded that the procedure should not be like the imposition of every man’s contribution for the public charity fund which was treated as a tax. Contributions were to be accepted only from volunteers.
When keeping this in mind we can answer the enigma posed by the words כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו, “each person according to how his heart moves him.” These words form the link between the generous thought and the generous deed. By making a voluntary contribution, i.e. the size of the contribution is completely voluntary, it is not a tax as the half shekel in Exodus 30,13, the Presence of G’d on earth will become so much more manifest.
The words: וזאת התרומה, may be understood as if the Torah had written: וזאת ההתרוממות, “and this will constitute the “exaltation, elevation.” The examples of the materials that were to be denoted are symbolic of how lofty and generous thoughts are to be translated into “lofty” and generous deeds.
The offerings ranged in value and gave every person an opportunity to contribute. In what ways would the middah of responsibility be relevant here?
וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
People tend to place a higher value on things they build or create themselves...and while our parsha demonstrated this thousands of years ago, in 2011 this concept was expanded upon in a book called The Ikea Effect: When Labor Leads to Love [Michael I. Norton, Daniel Mochon, and Dan Ariely, Harvard University Press).
Rabbi Moshe Alshich’s commentary on Exodus 25,8 in which G’d instructs the Jewish people through their leader Moses to build for Him a Tabernacle, (residence) on earth in their midst, was not intended to imply that this signaled G’d’s move from the celestial regions to earth, is well known. The purpose of the Tabernacle is to signal that the principal Presence of G’d was to be on earth, i.e. amongst the Jewish people, as is clear from the words: ושכנתי בתוכם, “I shall take up residence amongst them;” the operative word in that line is the word בתוכם, which ought to be translated as “within them,” within the hearts and minds of the Israelites, as opposed to G’d’s presence being confined to a Temple.
The Aron is singled out as the only item in the mishkan that was commanded in the plural: ועשו .This is indicative of the nature of Torah. The entity of Torah cannot exist without the entirety of Klal Yisrael involved. He points out further that the details of its building are in the singular. Torah can be honed and developed by individuals, but Torah as a concept belongs to Klal Yisrael ~NCSY Parsha Terumah Sheet
And so should you make [it]. Hashem’s presence would dwell among them only by means of the Tabernacle. This was a step down from what He had promised them before the sin of the Calf, “In every place that I permit My Name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you” (20:21).
This is what man is all about; this is the purpose of his creation and of the creation of all the worlds, higher and lower--that there be made for G-d a dwelling in the lower realms. ~Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
(ט) כְּכֹ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ מַרְאֶ֣ה אוֹתְךָ֔ אֵ֚ת תַּבְנִ֣ית הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת תַּבְנִ֣ית כׇּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְכֵ֖ן תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃ {ס} (י) וְעָשׂ֥וּ אֲר֖וֹן עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים אַמָּתַ֨יִם וָחֵ֜צִי אׇרְכּ֗וֹ וְאַמָּ֤ה וָחֵ֙צִי֙ רׇחְבּ֔וֹ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי קֹמָתֽוֹ׃ (יא) וְצִפִּיתָ֤ אֹתוֹ֙ זָהָ֣ב טָה֔וֹר מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ תְּצַפֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ עָלָ֛יו זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃ (יב) וְיָצַ֣קְתָּ לּ֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו וּשְׁתֵּ֣י טַבָּעֹ֗ת עַל־צַלְעוֹ֙ הָֽאֶחָ֔ת וּשְׁתֵּי֙ טַבָּעֹ֔ת עַל־צַלְע֖וֹ הַשֵּׁנִֽית׃ (יג) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ בַדֵּ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם זָהָֽב׃ (יד) וְהֵֽבֵאתָ֤ אֶת־הַבַּדִּים֙ בַּטַּבָּעֹ֔ת עַ֖ל צַלְעֹ֣ת הָאָרֹ֑ן לָשֵׂ֥את אֶת־הָאָרֹ֖ן בָּהֶֽם׃ (טו) בְּטַבְּעֹת֙ הָאָרֹ֔ן יִהְי֖וּ הַבַּדִּ֑ים לֹ֥א יָסֻ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (טז) וְנָתַתָּ֖ אֶל־הָאָרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ (יז) וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ כַפֹּ֖רֶת זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר אַמָּתַ֤יִם וָחֵ֙צִי֙ אׇרְכָּ֔הּ וְאַמָּ֥ה וָחֵ֖צִי רׇחְבָּֽהּ׃
(9) Exactly as I show you—the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings—so shall you make it. (10) They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. (11) Overlay it with pure gold—overlay it inside and out—and make upon it a gold molding round about. (12) Cast four gold rings for it, to be attached to its four feet, two rings on one of its side walls and two on the other. (13) Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold; (14) then insert the poles into the rings on the side walls of the ark, for carrying the ark. (15) The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark: they shall not be removed from it. (16) And deposit in the Ark [the tablets of] the Pact which I will give you. (17) You shall make a cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
Acacia wood is durable, long-lasting, dense...rot and insect-resistant. It does resist moisture, but it is not waterproof. It is sustainable. Acacia trees are fast-growing and can be harvested in a way that is sustainable. Acacia has a gorgeous color from yellow to deep mahogany. The varied grain and knots are beloved by many for its rustic quality. Acacia wood is easy to maintain over time. https://www.homedit.com/acacia-wood/
Wood represents growth, while stone represents permanence. The Torah was given on tablets of stone to indicate the unwavering nature of Torah. But then, why does the Aron contain wood? It cannot be symbolic of the Torah, rather, it is symbolic of the Jew, who through learning and internalizing Torah can grow into a more elevated person.
Our instructions were to make an impermanent dwelling in the wilderness, that needed dismantling and setting up in every single location. What are the implications of that process?
Every created entity has a spark of G-dliness within it, a pinpoint of divinity that constitutes its "soul", its spiritual function and design. When we utilize something to serve the Creator, we penetrate its shell of mundanity, revealing and realizing its divine essence. Thus we elevate these "sparks", reuniting them with their Source. ~ from the Chassidic Masters
The materials donated for the Mishkan correspond to the components of the human being. "Gold" is the soul; "silver," the body; "copper," the voice; "blue," the veins; "purple," the flesh; "red," the blood; "flax," the intestines; "goat hair," the hair; "ram skins dyed red," the skin of the face; "tachash skins," the scalp; "shittim wood," the bones; "oil for lighting," the eyes; "spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense," the nose, mouth and palate; "shoham stones and gemstones for setting," the kidneys and the heart.
Rabbi Shmuel said: The materials donated for the Mishkan correspond to the heavens. "Gold" is the sun; "silver," the moon; "copper," the western horizon at sunset; "blue," the sky; "purple," the clouds; "red," the rainbow; "flax," the seraphim; "goat," the constellation of capricorn; "ram skins dyed red," thunder; "tachash skins," lightening; "shittim wood," shooting stars; "oil for lighting," the seven planets; "spices for the anointing oil and for the incense," dew and rain; "shoham stones and gemstones for setting"--hail and snow. Said G-d: "My dwelling is in the heavens; if you make Me a Sanctuary on earth, I shall dwell in it." ~Midrash HaGadol
וְנוֹעַדְתִּ֣י לְךָ֮ שָׁם֒ וְדִבַּרְתִּ֨י אִתְּךָ֜ מֵעַ֣ל הַכַּפֹּ֗רֶת מִבֵּין֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־אֲר֣וֹן הָעֵדֻ֑ת אֵ֣ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֧ר אֲצַוֶּ֛ה אוֹתְךָ֖ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
There I will meet with you, and I will impart to you—from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on top of the Ark of the Pact—all that I will command you concerning the Israelite people.
"...when we would be at odds with G-d and He with us, these two would face away from one another, back to back. But when the two of us would be in harmony, the temple priests would open the curtains and show us the two figurines entwined in embrace. And they would say, “See how cherished you are by your G-d.” ~Rabbi Matmon
There is something to be discovered in this human-divine relationship, it seems, beyond words and beyond discrete commandments. The revelation from between the keruvim would be one of content, no doubt. But it would also be a revelation of an ineffable, inexpressible presence. This divine communication would represent that most vulnerable and intimate of all communications: the raw, unmediated exposure of one self to another. Inside the embrace of the angel-humans, God would quietly make Godself known. V’noaditi lecha sham
Rabbi Dr. Erin Leib Smokler, comment on Terumah.
making forty silver sockets under the twenty planks, two sockets under the one plank for its two tenons and two sockets under each following plank for its two tenons;
7. Now, Supernal Pleasantness flows continuously. Nevertheless, one must have a vessel with which to receive the influx of Supernal Pleasantness. And know! the vessel with which to receive flames of love from Supernal Pleasantness is forged through charity. For charity is the generosity of the heart, as it is written (Exodus 25:2), “from every person, as his heart urges him, you shall take My donation.” Generosity is that the heart is open and benevolent. As a result, the pathways of the heart open and become a vessel for receiving the flames of love drawn from Supernal Pleasantness, as mentioned above.
'ושכנתי בתוכם ככל אשר אני מראה אותך וגו, “I will dwell among them permanently in order to receive their prayers and their sacrificial offerings in a manner similar to the way I displayed My presence at the mountain.” Henceforth My presence will be manifest between the two cherubs on the lid of the Holy Ark as part of the overall structure called the Tabernacle. [I will paraphrase from here on in. Ed.]The author perceives of different degrees of holiness, just as the kabbalists perceive holiness in the extra terrestrial world as consisting of spiritually progressively higher different levels. The outer structure known as תבנית המקדש, “the format,” visual image, lead up to the cherubs in the innermost part of that structure. The very concept of the Tabernacle leads the intelligent viewer to conclude that hidden deep within it, G’d’s presence, שכינה must be manifest. The prophet Isaiah 6,2 phrased this as the שרפים עומדין ממעל לו, the types of angels of a rank known as “Seraphim” were in attendance above G’d’s throne. This was the closest to G’d’s essence that the prophets were shown in their visions. The terrestrial Tabernacle, if viewed as parallel to G’d’s throne in the celestial domains, contained different sections of progressively higher levels of sanctity which progressively restricted the type of people allowed to approach those levels. The Torah itself, for which the Holy Ark served as repository, was in an ark constructed of wood but overlaid with gold on the inside and on the outside, to reflect the saying of our sages in Yuma 72 that every Torah scholar whose external appearance did not reflect his internal stature is not a Torah scholar at all. The levels of sanctity in the Tabernacle, beginning already with the courtyard around it, were not sealed off from one another, but, on the contrary, were connected to one another all the way to the innermost sanctuary to demonstrate that sanctity is attainable progressively. On top of the physical box containing the spiritual teaching, the Torah, there was placed a lid also made from pure gold which symbolised the image of G’d. [in the sense that man was created in the image of G.d.] This lid was not linked, attached, to the ark itself at all. The detached nature of this “lid, כפורת,” symbolised that at a certain level of holiness there is no longer a physical bond with the human body, with the terrestrial domain, a domain which is essentially mortal, i.e. requiring regeneration from time to time. The description of the cherubs on top of the כפורת facing each other (verse 20) symbolises the interaction of the spiritual message contained in the Torah and its transmission to the human being studying it. The cherubs themselves are described as facing the lid, i.e. facing the Torah that is beneath that lid. As a result of such an attitude to Torah, i.e. looking to it for inspiration, the cherubs are then described as spreading their wings in an upward direction, as if reflecting that they had received spiritual inspiration enabling them to fly. This description of the cherubs’ posture reflects what Solomon described in Proverbs 15,24 אורח חיים למעלה למשכיל, “for an intelligent man the path of life is upward.” As a result of our relating to Torah in the manner described, we will merit what Isaiah 66,2 describes as ואל זה אביט, when he refers to the prerequisite character traits necessary to merit Divine inspiration.
(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי:
(14) He [also] used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when?
ה. יֵשׁ כּחַ בְּיַד הַיָּחִיד לִפְרק על שָׁמַיִם, וְאֵין בְּיַד הָרַבִּים לִפְרק על שָׁמַיִם.
An individual has the ability to throw off the yoke of Heaven; a community does not.
~Sefer HaMiddot, Fear of God, Yirah Part II:5
The Gemara asks: And with regard to all of the other transgressions in the Torah, is punishment not exacted from the entire world? But isn’t it written: “And they shall stumble one upon another” (Leviticus 26:37)? This verse is homiletically interpreted to mean that they shall stumble spiritually, one due to the iniquity of another, which teaches that the entire Jewish people are considered guarantors for one another. Apparently, any transgression makes the entire world liable to be punished.
I am required to support the entire world, as the verse says (Proverbs 10:25), “The righteous are the foundation of the world… I am responsible for everything that happens in the world because I was created to fix the world. Even if others neglect their duty, as each person is required to fix the world, I must act as if there is nobody else beside me [to do it].
~Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler writing about himself, as quoted in Michtav M’Eliyahu, volume 3, p. 292