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The Presence Of God
Should Infuse Our Lives
Shabbat Terumah: Exodus 25:1-27:19;
Kings 5:26-6:13.
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I
erumah is an example of tangible but ephemeral things
the saying "God is in the such as life events. We would do
details," for it consists of well to heed the words of
the detailed instructions Terumah during those life
to Moshe on how to build the events.
For example, if we are plan-
mishkan — the portable sanc-
tuary carried through the desert. ning a bar or bat mitzvah or
Many find the sedrah boring wedding, let us think about the
or irrelevant, and those who spiritual significance of the
seek spirituality often find little event and the holiness, as well
to rave about. However, this se- as the party or reception and the
drah can be extremely powerful clothing we will wear. Let us put
if only we pay attention and ap- effort into making sure that our
children understand the
ply the central teaching
importance of letting
to our lives.
God into their lives as
The first teaching is
they become bar or bat
to give willingly of our-
mitzvah and how they
selves and our posses-
can connect with God
sions. In Chapter 25,
through tzedakah and
God seeks an offering
sat
g'milut chassadim, such
"from every person
LEONARD
as visiting an old age
whose heart makes
home or working in a
WANETIK
him willing ... " the pur-
food bank providing for
SPECIAL TO THE
pose of which was to
the poor.
JEWISH NEWS
gather the materials so
Let us transmit the
the people could make
for God "a sanctuary so that I details of being a Jew in daily
life as much as we transmit the
may dwell among them."
We can read the verse as in- details of the party.
In like manner, one preparing
cluding two commandments.
The first is to bring material for a wedding may consider the
goods as an offering. This is clas- traditional practices of fasting
sic tzedakah — things such as before a wedding and contem-
money which are given for the plating how God will have an
support of the synagogue, the impact on the relationship. One
should recall that marriage in
poor and other worthy causes.
The second commandment is Judaism is referred to as kid-
a requirement that the heart be dushin — a holy event, a spiri-
willing. This can be read not tual event. It should be
only as a surrender of the indi- approached with a sense of the
vidual to God's purpose, but also divine. The bride and groom
to include things which come should attempt to include
"from the heart" and do not in- thoughts of others in their rush
volve monetary or material pos- to prepare for an event which so
sessions. This includes g'milut heavily focuses on them.
If one focuses on the party and
chassadim, acts of loving kind-
ness. Our sages teach that on the clothing, then one is fo-
tzedakah has limits, both as to cusing on the external structure,
a minimum and a maximum. if you will, without considering
But g'milut chassadim has no its holiness. It is a focus which
distorts the very words of
limit.
The second striking teaching Terumah, let alone its meaning.
is that the mishkan was not the We are to build no house, plan
place where God lived. The no event or function unless God
Torah does not say "I will dwell dwells among us. Unless God is
in it." Rather, the Torah says "I in details, infuses details with
will dwell among them." Here holiness and abides over all, our
was a God who did not have a lives suffer an emptiness.
We can have fun. We can
singular place, but a God who
lived among the people and in- make the society columns. But
unless foundations for these
fused them with holiness.
We build many structures events are solid, the mishkan,
during our lives. Some are phys- which is our lives, is empty,
ical structures, such as a home bereft of God.
So these are the lessons from
or office building. Others are
Terumah. First, give willingly,
both of money and time. Second,
Leonard Wanetik is a member of
make sure that God is repre-
B'nai Moshe and author of
sented in everything you do. For
Sedra Study for Everybody, a
God has made it clear that He is
Torah commentary for
willing to be there if only we will
laypeople.
let Him in. 0