Weekly Parashah
Terumah 5781
“Speak to the Children of Israel and they will take for Me Terumah from every person whose heart makes him/her willing, you shall take My Terumah.”(Esodus 25:2)
These opening words of this week’s Parashah are giving us so many teachings and gifts. First of all, God speaks to Moses and tells Moses to “Speak to the Children of Israel”. We are worthy of God’s speaking to us, is the first thing I notice this year. If you want a self-esteem builder, use this-God believes in the worthiness and has the love and connection to continue to speak to us each and every day, multiple times a day! Even though the Israelites moaned and groaned after the Red Sea and will continue to moan and groan, God still considers us worthy of hearing God’s words and teachings. For us, here and now, reading this drosh and the Parashah itself, God has the same belief in our worthiness and continues to show us the same love as God did to the Children of Israel. I revel in this love and acceptance of God and use it to bolster my daily living as well as provide me with solace when others try to demean me. How are you accepting this connection and love from God and using it to build your self-esteem, connection with others, and building/rebuilding the bridges you need in your life?
Asking the people to “take for Me Terumah” seems so weird to say. Yet, it makes sense on so many levels. God may be telling people to take from another person as a way of helping that person give. Some people hate to give and they like to take, so this may be God’s way of saying; ‘you take from someone else and then someone else is going to take from you’. It may be, as Rabbi Twerski, z”l, says: “we should be able to take when it is necessary”. We have to learn to take the help we need at any given moment. It also could be a call to take something that one loves and let go of it to help build something that will serve everyone. Most people love their money, their stuff-asking them to take some of their material means and use it to serve God and others could be a hard ask. As someone who has, in the past, solicited donations for people, I know how hard this is for them. “Take for me” is what keeps me giving myself, asking other people to help a cause and receiving help when I am in need of spiritual and emotional sustenance. I take from myself to serve another(s) in order to keep what I have, a life of joy and gratitude. I am so grateful to those who I can take from when needed and those who I can help when I take from myself to serve. What have you taken from yourself this week to serve God and another(s)? What help have you taken from God and another(s)?
The last gift for this year from this verse is: “whose heart is willing shall you take My Terumah.”
What a brilliant statement! When we give out of envy, anger, embarrassment, shame, ego, etc. it is not truly giving. When we give to build a Holy Space, a home for God, we should give from a place of willingness, joy, hope and love as I understand this phrase. Terumah was to support the Tabernacle and the Priesthood, so it went just for God, just for a space for people to meet, learn, pray and serve God. Why do we need to be mad about giving? Why do we need to embarrass, shame, appeal to their egos, in order to get people to donate? Because they don’t understand the joy of giving free-will offerings. This joy overwhelms me each month that one of my monthly donations shows up. I am so grateful to give 10+% to God and to another(s). I give with joy and gladness because I am taking money that I received from God and using God’s gifts to me and recycling it and putting it back into God’s ecosystem so someone else has the same opportunities that I have had and continue to enjoy. Given these truths, how can I not be willing and joyful to help God and another(s) build Holy Spaces! What are your stories of joy and willingness to donate to serve another(s) and God? Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Mark