41 ■ 11 ■ PF 4 1 Today The Average Person Spends... The Presence Of God Should Infuse Our Lives Shabbat Terumah: Exodus 25:1-27:19; Kings 5:26-6:13. 2400 MINUTES A WEEK SLEEPING • 900 MINUTES A WEEK WATCHING 'TELEVISION 840 MINUTES A WEEK EATING MEALS 540 MINUTES A WEEK IN THE BATHROOM 180 MINUTES A WEEK EXERCISING ji 2400 MINUTES A WEEK WORKING 360 MINUTES A WEEK COMMUTING — WE NEED JUST A FEW MINUTES! THE JEWISH NEWS )UST A FEW MINUTES GIVE YOU ALL THE IMPORTANT LOCAL INFORMATION AND NEWS DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX ONCE A WEEK. Save 30% off the newsstand price by responding today. Receive 52 issues of The Jewish News plus five issues of STYLE magazine for only $46 ($63 out-of-state). Yes, I'd like my own subscription to The Jewish News. ❑ Payment enclosed. ❑ Please bill me. ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa ❑ Charge to my City Signature (required) State Zip Phone My Name Gift Card Message My Address City Name Address Exp. Card ❑ I'd like to send a subscription as a gift to: Zip State New subscribers only Phone Please send all payments along with this coupon to: The Jewish News, P.O. Box 2267, Southfield, MI 48037-2267. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. For faster service call 810 354 6620 and charge it to your Visa or MasterCard between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm. - 34 - AD395 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