Parshat Teruma; Exodus 25:1-27:19 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
Once Israel had the core of its being through the giving laws of society, then ours story switches to building a symbolic core. Parshat Terumah begins the instruction to build God’s dwelling place among the people—the Ohel Moed—the Tent of Meeting.
The portable desert tabernacle the will be the great forerunner of the Temple in Jerusalem, will be a grand project for this new people. It will bring them together. This building project will force the Israelites to work together, to provide a common goal and a common future. It will elevate the mundane work of building into a sacred vocation, dedicated to the service of the One God who freed them from Egypt and gave them the Ten Commandments. The building project will be a celebration of life, specifically the lifeblood of the people Israel and their relationship with the Divine. Which is diametrically opposite to the way that all their hard labor and building projects in Egypt often was about the Pharaoh and his ego need to glorify himself.
Most importantly, this actual materials needed to build this modest but beautiful dwelling place for the Divine will be brought willingly as voluntary offerings by the people. “And God 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. (Ex. 25:1)”
This kind of giving, a free will offering is a most meaningful gift. It doesnÂ’t come through guilt or coercion. It doesnÂ’t come through competition but comes from the deepest recesses of the soul.
Interestingly enough, the gifts that are brought, yarn and crimson, blue and purple dyes, linen and gold, silver and copper, skins and wood, come at such an enormous rate, that Moses must halt the giving.
Today as Jewish institutions often struggle to survive and meet their financial needs it is important for all of us to continue to make free will offerings. Not just tzedakah, required giving, but terumah—voluntary giving must be relied upon to support our community. Synagogues, Jewish Centers, Jewish community agencies cannot do it alone on dues. The good and holy work they do require deep support from all of us.
Increasingly Jewish philanthropic money is going out of the Jewish community. Studies show that Jewish giving to Jewish causes is down. While Jewish giving to art and civic institutions like hospitals, museums, and secular agencies rise. While our significant giving, our free will offerings and yes, our tzedakah should be used to support a host of worthwhile endeavors, who will care for our own community if we do not do so first?
The gifts that come to the Jewish community from the deep recesses of the heart and soul make a huge difference. That kind of giving is different for each and every person—but what we can learn from the kinds of gifts offered by the Israelites for the terumah offering, is that these gifts are sacrificial gifts, meaningful gifts, significant gifts. For each person that significant gift is measured differently. For the person of substantial means she has the ability to give greater sums, and for a person of more modest means he might not have the capacity to give at such large levels. But for each person they can give significantly—meaningful gifts that reach the deepest levels of soulfulness.
In this way we can still bring the voluntary gifts ---as written in this week’s portion—“gifts for Me from every person whose hearts so moves him.”
Posted by Lee at February 9, 2005 12:47 PM
