TERUMAH – “Contribution”

The seventh portion of the Book of Exodus, opens with G-d’s command for the Jewish People to contribute (Terumah, in Hebrew) toward the construction of the Tabernacle. This He began by listing the materials needed, for its construction, as well as defining its purpose.

They must make me a Sanctuary, so that I may dwell in their midst……(25:8)

Not “in its midst” but “in their midst”: G-d told us to make a sanctuary so He may dwell within us. There are three types of sanctuaries included in this commandment: The physical Tabernacle that the Jews built in the desert; the personal inner sanctuary that each of us must construct out of our lives and our sphere of influence in the world; and finally, the world at large, which we must transform into God’s home.

In all three cases, the task is possible only because we are simply revealing the hidden, true nature of reality. The world at large and everything in it exists only because of the Divine energy pulsing within them. So making the world into a place where Divinity is revealed is simply a matter of removing the obstruction that hide this reality. Similarly, the essence of every one of us, is our Divine soul.

So making our lives into a Tabernacle for G-d, is nothing more than allowing our inner essence to shine through the excess material baggage that we have accumulated during our journey through life.

Have a wonderful week followed by a meaningful and peaceful Shabbat