Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 2 Adar 1, 5784
Parsha Terumah: (Exodus 25:1 – 27:19)
First Portion: Exodus 25:1 – 25:16

Happy Sunday! We are reading this weeks’ Parsha – Terumah which means “contribution.”  As we enter the double month of Adar, we celebrate all the repair and rebirth of the past 11 months, and then just enjoy the fruit over the next two moon cycles. And. I believe we are called to consider – how will we use this NEW knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to “contribute” to our community? What are we going to build?

A year ago (see below) I was struggling as only 2 of my six kids were engaged with me.  This year, four are engaging, with the other two moving in the direction of the foundation I have been working on this past year.

The foundation laid – that I have been working on – is the foundation of love, compassion, and empathy.  And that starts within me!

Let’s dig into today’s portion! When we left off, Moses was up on the mountain with Hashem. The people were IN! They were excited to do what Hashem said. Let’s go:

1The Lord spoke to Moses saying:

2Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.

The first thing is Hashem wants us to be generous. And. There was not a “set amount.” Hashem just told Moses to take an offering and ask people to give from their heart. And. Hashem had some asks:

3And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper;

4blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen and goat hair;

5ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood;

6oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;

7shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen.

Why? Why was Hashem specific?

Because – we are learning – to ASK for what we NEED. Let’s add this:

• Grief
• Anxiety
• Dignity
• Compassion
• Sovereignty
• Safety
• Emotional Authority
• Sovereignty affirmed
• Doubt
• ASK FOR WHAT WE NEED

As we engage here – as we navigate the wilderness. There will be doubt. And. We can ask for what we need.

This is revolutionary. “I don’t need anything from ANYONE!” Is generally what our culture teaches us.  I am responsible for MY needs. Asking someone to meet my needs? That is NEEDY.

Um. Hashem isn’t needy. And. He is asking for what He needs.

How safe do we feel asking for what we NEED?  This is the takeaway.  Let’s see WHY Hashem needed these items:

8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst

9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do.

10They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.

11And you shall overlay it with pure gold; from inside and from outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make upon it a golden crown all around.

12And you shall cast four golden rings for it, and you shall place them upon its four corners, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.

13And you shall make poles of acacia wood and you shall overlay them with gold.

14And you shall bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.

15The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it.

16And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you.

Hashem needed these items because He wanted the people to build a CONTAINER. A Vessel. For the Torah.

Remember:

Moses HEARD the Torah from Hashem

Moses SPOKE the Torah.

Moses WROTE the Torah.

Moses READ the Torah to the people.

But now?

Hashem was GIVING the Torah to Moses. In concrete form. (Stone tablets).

And. That needed a special container to hold it. Because it was SACRED.

So now – I am reflecting on; what do we hold SACRED in our lives?

How would we know?

For me what is sacred? What I spend my time on/with. What I spend my money on/with.  Those are great indicators of what I hold sacred.

What do you hold sacred?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 28 Shevat, 5783

Reading this weeks Parsha – Terumah which means “contribution.” I’m reflecting on my contributions in the relationships around me. Focusing and reflecting on my purpose in each relationship (and those are different in each relationship) has helped me expand my understanding of who I am and the roles I serve.

I really resonate with the “building” idea from the portion. What am I building? I’m starting a new relationship? Or re-establishing a former connection? What foundation am I building that will set me (and them) up for future success.

Some of you know that right now, only two of my six kids are engaging with me. I’ve been reflecting on how I can build a foundation for the other four so that when they come back into my life, I can have love, compassion, and empathy be the foundation upon which our new relationship dynamics will be built on.

The work I’m doing on myself in this season is more important than taking actions to “get them back.” I need to build something secure. Before I can return to contributing to their lives.

Those are my thoughts. What about yours?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 28 Shevat, 5782

It’s Sunday, the first day of the week! And that means a new Parsha! We have Parsha Terumah this week. Terumah means “contribution.” The Parsha will talk about the construction of the tabernacle, but I’m reflecting on the word “Terumah” and focusing inward as I consider how I am “contributing” to Jewish life, and the community around me. We should all reflect on how we are contributing to our purpose!

The Parsha starts out with God speaking to Moses; telling Moses to speak to the children of Israel and have them dedicate to Hashem a contribution. He tells Moses “take My offering from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity. These are the types of contribution that you shall collect from them.”

Now the first thing that jumps out at me is the idea that giving was not compulsory. It was from a space of generosity. I’m reflecting on how our faith should be from this same place. Our worship should be from the same space.

Rabbi Menachem Schneerson wrote this;

“The contributions to the Tabernacle had two dimensions:
(a) the act of donation-which removed the contribution from the owner’s private possession, the realm of the mundane; and
(b) the act of collection-which elevated the contribution to become the sacred property of the Tabernacle.

This represents two modes of worship:

(a) refraining from evil-by which you remove undesirable habits and actions from yourself; and

(b) doing good- through which you elevate this world towards the perfection for which it was originally intended.

In practice, the act of donation did not have to be accompanied by holy intentions, whereas the act of collection did. The lesson here is that when you refrain from doing bad, the purity of your intentions is not of paramount importance; but when you do good deeds and commandments, thereby making a “home” for God in this world, pure intentions are of the utmost importance.”

I’m really reflecting on the idea of resisting “bad” and doing “good.” Motives aren’t important in resisting doing bad; but they are when doing good. Hmmmmm.

Next, Hashem gives Moses specific things to collect from the people; Gold, Silver, and Copper; turquoise, purple, and crimson wool, linen and goats hair, rams skin dyed red, multicolored tahash skins, acacia wood; oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and incense fumes, Shoham stones and filling stones for the apron and for the breastplate.

Something I notice; there were obviously rich Jews in the camps. To have all of this material meant people were prospering. I reflect on how having material items isn’t necessarily bad; provided they are used for Godly purposes.

Next we learn about the ark and how it’s to be built:

Acacia wood 2.5 cubits in its length, 1.5 cubits high, 1.5 cubits wide.

Acacia wood is something we are seeing here. Rashi Writes that Jacob saw prophetically that the Jewish people were destined to build a tabernacle in the desert, so he brought acacia trees to Egypt and planted them. He told his children to take the trees with them when they left Egypt. Interesting!

Once they built the ark, they were to coat it with pure gold; inside and out with a gold edge all around. They were to make four gold rings and put them on the four corners. Then make poles of acacia wood, coating them with gold.

Once the poles were inserted into the rings, they were to never be removed.

They were to place the tablets of Testimony inside the ark.

As I reflect on this process; it seems to me that Hashem is communicating that how we build things is as important as the things themselves. Our journey is important – the destination is too. We often focus on the destination; we want the ark to be built, we want the tabernacle to be built. But it takes time.

Some interesting thoughts on this new Parsha. What about you? What are your thoughts?