spirit

torah portion

Sharing
Our Gifts

P

arshat Terumah gives us
detailed instructions for fash-
ioning the Mishkan — the
Tent of Meeting during the years of
wandering in the wilderness. As it
says in Exodus 25:9, “K’chol asher ani
mareh otcha eit tavnit haMishkan
v’eit tavnit kol keilav v’chen ta’asu —
Exactly as I show you — the pattern
of the Tabernacle and the
pattern of all its furnishings
lawyers, secretaries or Uber
— so shall you make it.”
drivers. Others of us bring
Medieval Kabbalist and
our ability to befriend oth-
scholar Nachmanides
ers, to make others feel com-
asked why, if the directions
fortable, to uplift those who
were that precise, did King
are feeling down or to enter-
Solomon not follow them
tain each other with jokes
when he built the (First)
and stories. Still others are
Rabbi Aura
Temple, thousands of years
gifted with enthusiasm and
Ahuvia
after Moses lived?
the ability to mobilize others
Hassidic master Levi
around a cause. Whatever
Yitzchak, who lived at the
our gifts, we elevate them
dawn of modernity in the
when we share them for the
latter half of the 18th cen-
sake of the greater good.
tury, answered with a Talmudic say-
Let us rest assured that our offer-
ing, “D’ein shnei nevi’im mitnabim
ings hold an important place in our
b’signon echad — No two prophets
community. As God says to Moses in
prophesy in exactly the same way.”
Parshat Terumah, “Take My offering
(bT Sanh 89a).
from everyone whose heart compels
In other words, just as each
him/her to give.” (Exodus 25:2)
prophet heard the word of God in
In other words, God seems to
be directing Moses to be radically
his own unique way and according
accepting of what people feel com-
to the circumstances of his his-
pelled to give. “Accept their gifts with-
toric moment, so, too, do each of us
out judgment,” God appears to imply.
(Solomon included) hear and inter-
There is a gift hidden in each
pret Torah in our own unique way.
of us, which we elevate when we
When it comes to building sacred
choose to share of ourselves with
spac e together, each of us must find
others. Maybe we sometimes hold
our own way. A Mishkan is a space
back a little, fearing that what we
where we feel and experience God’s
have to offer won’t be accepted.
presence together, with community.
Parshat Terumah offers us reassur-
In Torah days, that space was built
with dolphin skins, gems, wool, gold ance, however.
Go ahead and offer what is in your
and silver. In Solomon’s day, it was
heart to share. Because that is what
built of stone and sweat.
true community is made of. May our
And today? We build sacred
contributions help to create sacred
space by sharing of ourselves.
space for our community to experi-
Communities build themselves out
ence God’s presence. •
of the offerings of the people. Each
of us has gifts as unique as we are
Aura Ahuvia is a rabbi at Congregation Shir
— some of us bring our expertise as
Tikvah in Troy.
silversmiths, woodworkers, doctors,

Parshat Terumah:

Exodus 25:1-27:19;

I Kings 5:26-6:13.

PURIM EXTRAVAGANZA IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY,
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BRETT MOUNTAIN

February 28, 2018

Purim Afterglow
for Adults

Win an Amazon Echo!

Call the Purim Hotline at
248.357.5544 ext. 46
and leave your details no later than
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
to be entered. Winner will be
announced during the Megillah reading.
Must be present to win.

28

February 15 • 2018

jn

8:00

Adult Purim
refreshments &
entertainment
p.m.
with
mentalist

Marc
Salem