Parsha Terumah D'Var Torah

Parasha Terumah- D’Var Torah

Shabbat Saturday, February 15, 2013

Barry Fineman

 Kechol asher ani mar'eh otcha et tavnit haMishkan ve'et tavnit kol-kelav vechen ta'asu.

And G-D said to Moses:  “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”

The people were to build and erect a Tabernacle, or in hebrew, “Mishkan”.   Allow me to elaborate in meaning; “The English word "tabernacle" is derived from the Latin tabernāculum meaning "tent" or "hut", which in ancient Roman religion was a ritual structure.

The word sanctuary is also used for the Biblical tabernacle, as well as the phrase the "tent of meeting". The Hebrew word mishkan implies "dwell", "rest", or "to live in", referring to the "[In-dwelling] Presence of G-d". (Source Wikipedia.com)

To make this happen, Moses and the Israelites were asked by G-D to build a structure, a Tabernacle, a place of worship.  G-d asked of them to donate their possessions, and of their time. This can be viewed as the very first time that The Jewish people practiced the Mitzvah of Tzedaka, that of charity. Our Talmudic teachings say,  ...”Give a 10^th, so that you shall increase your wealth.”  So when a person gives charity/Tzedaka, he is actually also becoming the recipient, as he benefits from the Mitzvah of Giving! 

I’ve raised funds by committee, for various causes, and it’s not an easy task.  I can absolutely make calls and ask for funds/monies/endowments for the project at hand, but the real task is not just finding ‘donor potentials’, it’s finding and uncovering those persons who are willing, able, and properly prepared to honestly and soulfully to dedicate themselves to the difficult and sometimes thankless task of the actual fundraising itself ! 

Every year, we get that ‘call’ on Super Sunday from a Federation employee or volunteer, asking us for a donation, or please match last year’s giving.   Some of us see the caller ID, and gladly pick up the phone and make the donation and the job of the caller rather simple!

Each year when I have given my annual Tzedaka to Federation, I hear from the caller on the phone, “Barry, Thank you, it’s such a Mitzvah!”

This parsha really shows all of us, the Mitzvah is reciprocated- When a person gives charity, he is actually taking for himself, and the one who receives it, becomes the giver, since he is the vehicle through which this reciprocal support system honestly takes place.

A great lesson!  Mitzvahs Galore.  Somebody is devoting their time, their efforts, their support, and doing the work; The One who answers the phone is facilitating the Caller’s mitzvah. Is my donation, or yours, a mitzvah?  Of Course! Next time, before they say, “Thank You for the Mitzvah”, I’ll chime in, and say, “Thank YOU for the Mitzvah of volunteering!”

There are and were millions of people affected by Mother Nature’s catastrophes, such as Hurricanes Katrina, Isaac, and Sandy.  Absolutely devastating!!  It took months, years to put together the pieces of Katrina semi-back, and now, most recently, Sandy on the Eastern Coast.  Be it the Red Cross, the US armed forces, Local Fire, Police men and women, local and national government, Hospital workers (in front and behind the scenes), Veterinarians, Churches and Synagogues…. They ALL offered services, and had courageous men and women work endless hours and still working, as I deliver this to you. These men and women truly are our heroes; they have shown us what The Mitzvah of Giving is all about! 

We all should be so very Thankful for these people, the folks that help on Super Sunday, or those that tirelessly work 24/7 to help hurricane victims.

These acts of Mitzvot make me think of building and supporting our own Mishkan (Temple/Shul); it takes money to build, to maintain, AND (it’s a BIG AND) without the Mitzvah of Shabbat services, and many other services and teachings, and simchas (celebrations) with in these walls of ours, we would be missing the Greatest Mitzvah of all- Our reverence, our love, our relationship, and our faith to G-D.

The Sabbath is holy, and within our own walls, our very own ‘Mishkan’, we are here celebrating a Mitzvah!

Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom!