Parasha Terumah
Exodus 25:1-27:19

By: Dani'el Rendelman

Did you know that even the most difficult areas of mathematics could be mastered by simply learning and applying specific formulas?

Algebra, trigonometry, and higher math are worked through using basic arithmetic skills in a designated order.  The formulas used in these more-involved math areas simply mandate the order in which certain actions should be taken to solve the problem.  For example:

Here’s another formula to consider:

You can’t solve any extreme equations through using the above expression, but it may help you to understand this week’s Torah portion better. 

Our Torah reading is called “Terumah” and recounts the instructions for building the mikdash (tabernacle.) “Terumah” is the Hebrew word that is often translated “offering” in Shemot 25:2.  “Yahweh said to Moshe, “Tell the Yisraelites to bring me an offering (terumah). You are to receive the terumah for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.”  Terumah literally means “offering, donation, best part, a present sacrifice, tribute and heave offering.” 

This terumah (the first building fund?) was to be used to put together the mikdash of Yahweh.  Through voluntary gifts and human hands, the dwelling place of Yahweh was to be fashioned.  It was to be made exactly as specified by the Almighty.  There was not to be even a slight deviation from the original pattern shown to Moshe.  “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.  Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you,” said Yahweh Adonai in Shemot (Exodus) 25:8-9. The following verses, indeed the rest of sefer Shemot detail the building of and the work in the portable dwelling of Yahweh.

In years past Yisra’el was forced to build the store cities of the Egyptians, but now they were to freely and lovingly construct the house of Yahweh.  This beit (house) was to be a labor of love not a building of slave labor. The construction of the mikdash was done by adding two key variables that would combine to equal the place of Yahweh’s habitation. Remember our equation:

Man’s desire

As stated above in Shemot 25:1-2, the mikdash was constructed totally of free-will offerings.  Most English Bibles state that this terumah was “given” but the Hebrew literally reads that the offering was “taken.”  This fact of mistranslation illustrates the difference between the Hebraic mindset of charitable donations and the Western or Greek mindset of giving. Just read the Jewish Stone’s Tanakh translation, “Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying, “Speak to the children of Yisra’el and let them take for Me a terumah, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My terumah,” Shemot 25:1 & 2. The word that is often mistranslated “as give” is the Hebrew term “laqach” which literally means to “take, accept, bring, carry away, fetch, seize, and take away.” What’s the difference between giving and taking?

Our well-learned sage, Rashi, has taught that the obvious implication of this verse is that Yisra’el was to “take” some of their possessions and “give” them to the collection.  Yet a person can only give what is truly theirs in the first place. To the Hebrew, it should be understood that man actually has nothing.  Whatever we do have – money, talents, children, belongings -  is actually Yahweh’s.  “The earth is Yahweh’s and everything in it,” Tehillim (Psalm) 24:1. You can’t give to a ministry or to the poor because nothing is really yours to give in the first place. Yahweh graciously gives man stewardship and dominion over the earth.  In reality we are just custodians, all we do is shuffle His world around.

To make this point, just read the items that Yisraelite ex-slaves were to give for the building of the mishkan: “These are the terumah you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece,” Shemot 25:3-7.  How many ex-slaves do you know of that have these kind of possessions?  Well, the grand resources used for the mishkan were the plunder Yisrael received as they left Mitzrayim! “And the children of Yisra’el did according to the word of Moshe; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment,” Shemot 12:35.  The Yisraelites “borrowed” from the Egyptians the majestic possessions that Yahweh “lent” Egypt.

Notice that Yahweh did not make Yisra’el give the terumah. No, Yahweh commanded that each person should give generously as their heart led them.  Desire was to lead Yisra’el into establishing the mishkan. True terumah is taken from a grateful heart, responding to the need.  Terumah starts with a heartfelt and sincere desire to take back to Yahweh what He has given man.  The Hebrews brought so much material to Moshe for the mishkan that Moshe had to order the terumah to be stopped.  “They received from Moshe all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning…Then Moshe gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work,” Shemot 36:1-6.

Exact Obedience

As great as desire is, it is not enough to bring about Yahweh’s dwelling place.  Suppose for a moment that Yisra’el brought the terumah, laid it at Moshe’s feet and that’s all that happened.  Just having or giving the supplies, or the elements to make the mishkan were just not enough. Those raw materials, in and of themselves, did not constitute the mishkan.  But, when they were fashioned exactly as Yah commanded then the blessing of His presence came.  Our desire to please Yahweh might be heartfelt and sincere.  Yet desire must be accompanied with corresponding actions.

Just any old building would not please Yahweh. The Almighty showed Moshe exactly how the tabernacle was to be made.  Very specific materials were to be used.  Generics wouldn’t do, shortcuts wouldn’t suffice, and alterations to Yahweh’s plan wouldn’t be allowed.  Four times in this week’s Parasha Yahweh told Moshe to build the mikdash exactly as he was commanded.  Certain items were to be fashioned of pure gold while colored fabrics and linens were also used. Exact measurements required exact measuring by skilled workers.  The mikdash was to be made “according to the pattern”

It all adds up

Math teachers will tell you that equations located on opposite sides of the equal sign must be equal.  They cannot be different.

It takes both man’s heartfelt devotion AND his obedience to create the sanctuary of Yahweh.  The emotional sincere desire of a believer should be coupled with deliberate and exact submission to Yahweh’s will.  Faith must be paired with works to do some holy math! Obedience is just not enough, nor is belief. If you have one without the other then you will always come up short.  But, put the two together, add desire plus obedience, and you’ll experience a visitation of the divine every time.  “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead,” Ya’acov 2:26. 

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