Parashat Trumah

Teruma 5768/2008

This week’s parsha contains a detailed description of the Menorah, the candlestick that was to burn continuously in the Tabernacle and then was to be transferred to the Temple on its completion.

 The first thing we are told is that the Menorah is to made of one sheet of beaten gold. There are to be six branches – three on each side – and a central shaft. The cups were to be in the shape of opened almond-blossoms. Thus, the seven branches were made from a single piece of metal, perhaps symbolizing the idea of the seven days of the week as a unified whole with Shabbat in the centre.

 Apparently, this candelabra was magnificent and the light that emanated from it might have been reminiscent of the Divine light that people perceived during the Revelation at Sinai.

Avivah Zornberg takes us in a different direction. She points out that the previous two parshiot described the mystic encounter with the Divine; this week’s parsha brings us back to the material world. The tabernacle and its vessels were palpable - a jarring contrast to the Divine encounter just experienced. The idea of building a home for G’d from metals, woods, skins, wools, oils and stones was almost banal.

 This is Rashi’s view. For him, the building project represents the implementation of the covenant that the Jewish people had just sealed, to obey even the most minute commandment. Following precise building plans was exactly what we needed to do to demonstrate that we understood the concept of obedience.

 Other scholars differ in their interpretation. Ramban takes almost the opposite view. He sees the building of the Tabernacle as a way of taking Sinai with us. As the Jewish people proceeded through the desert, they would carry with them the experience of Sinai and would have a constant reminder, particularly through the light emanating from the Menorah, of that overwhelming Divine encounter.

Teruma 5767/2007

This week's parsha is 'Terumah', which literally means 'contribution' or 'donation'.

After the previous two weeks' readings on the giving of the Ten Commandments and the other laws in the Torah, we now receive the instructions to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the structure in which the Tablets of the Law will be transported from Mt Sinai into the Promised Land. There are three important messages from the parsha that I will mention here (of course there are others).

1. There were two sets of Tablets - the ones Moses breaks when he sees the Golden Calf. Both sets are carried in the Mishkan. For the Jewish people, even something that is broken that was once holy, remains holy. We are fastidious about burying the body, which is holy even after death, and we even bury spoiled holy books and Torah scrolls, because their physical decline does not remove their holiness.

2. The story in the Torah is not chronological. The chapter that should have followed last week's is the story of the Golden Calf. However, the Torah delays that story which is actually a shameful episode in our history and chooses to tell the positive story first. This is a good lesson about always remembering the good and trying to minimise people's mistakes by forgiving them even before  they happen.

3.The name of the parsha gives us the most important message of all. We are told that 'everyone whose heart moves him' should donate to the building of the Tabernacle and then we are told 'all the people' did. So was the contribution voluntary or compulsory? The commentators answer by saying that it was both. If people see that a project is worthwhile and for their benefit as well as for the benefit of present and future generations, they will voluntarily contribute. Moses asks for voluntary donations; he is rewarded by a full response by the community. That is presented as an ideal. People should be educated to see the value in contributing for the public good. If they are taught that way, it will be their pleasure to participate in communal projects.