Terumah – Page 14 – Peninim on the Torah

“And shittim wood.” (25:5)

Rashi cites the Midrash that explains how Bnei Yisrael were able to secure shittim wood in the desert. These trees did not grow all over the wilderness. Yaakov Avinu had brought these cedars to Egypt. He “saw” that one day his descendants would leave Egypt and build a Mishkan which would require this type of wood for its construction. Let us take a moment to think about Yaakov’s foresight. He prepared for his children’s spiritual future. What about their material/physical existence? What did he provide for them? Nothing! Indeed, Bnei Yisrael are lauded for following Hashem into the desert, trusting…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5757

“And they shall make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them.” (25:8)

The Midrash tells us that when Moshe was commanded to build a Sanctuary for Hashem, he trembled and asked, “How can a man make a house for G-d if even the heavens cannot contain You?” Hashem responded, “I do not ask them to make anything commensurate with My capacity. I ask of them only that they build in accordance with their own capacity.” The words of the Midrash, are ojf hpk, “according to their own unique abilities.” They must attain their own potential – theirs and not another’s! When Hashem asked Moshe to sacrifice upon the Mizbayach, Moshe asked, “If…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5757

“And they shall make an ark of shittim wood… and you shall plate it with pure gold, from inside and out shall you plate.” (25:10,11)

In the Talmud Yuma 72b Chazal emphasize that one must cultivate an inner purity. They derive this from the Aron Ha’Kodesh, the symbol of Torah. It was to be plated with pure gold, inside and out. Chazal infer from this pasuk that “any talmid chacham, Torah scholar, whose inner essence is not in consonance with his outward purity/appearance can not justifiably be considered a talmid chacham. One must be “tocho k’baro,” maintain a symmetry between his essence and the image he projects. All too often, we focus upon our external image and the impression we make upon others, while we…

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Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5756

“This is the portion that you shall take from them: gold, silver and copper … Shoham stones and stones for the settings, for the Eiphod and the Choshen.” (25:3,7)

Various means may be employed to establish the value of a given item. Obviously, not all items have the same value to everyone. Supply and demand increase or decrease the market value of most items. The Torah has its own unique measuring stick for determining the value of an object. Let us explain: The Ohr Ha’Chaim Ha’kadosh questions the sequence for enumerating the various gifts to the Mishkan. The Torah’s arrangement seems to imply that the most valuable item is cited first, followed by the other gifts in order of their decreasing value. After all, the Torah first enumerates the…

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Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5756

“Within the rings of the Aron shall remain the poles, they may never be removed from it.” (25:15)

Rashi adds one word, okugk, forever, which according to Horav Yitzchak Goldwasser, Shlita, implies a profound thought. The badim, carrying poles of the Aron Ha’Kodesh, were never to be removed from the Aron. Thus, the badim were an integral part of the Aron. The Leviim who carried the Aron by “the badim” were carrying the actual Aron. There is no distinction between the Aron and its badim; they are one and the same. We may add to this thought. Badim serve as a metaphor for the supporters of the Torah. They can never separate themselves from the Torah which they…

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Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5756

“And I shall speak with you from atop the cover… that is on the ark of the testimonial tablets… and you shall make a table of shittim (acacia) wood.” (25:22,23)

In a novel exposition, a number of commentators explain the juxtaposition of the Shulchan to the Aron in the following manner. The Shulchan attests to an individual’s integrity and worthiness for Olam Haba. The Shulchan is the symbol of prosperity. It represents the demand upon every Jew to share his material abundance with those less fortunate than he. The Shulchan testifies that its owner has fulfilled his obligation to others. Rabbeinu Bachya cites a custom that was performed by a number of pious individuals in France. They would have their table taken apart in order to build their aron, coffin….

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Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5756

“You shall make a table.. you shall cover it with pure gold and you shall make for it a gold crown all around.” (25:23,24)

Rashi contends that the gold crown which surrounded the Shulchan was above the misgeres, molding. In contrast, the crown surrounding the Aron was part of the actual box that projected upward, encircling the top of the Aron. The crown of the Shulchan is called the keser malchus, crown of monarchy. The Shulchan was the medium through which the blessing of nourishment flowed to the world. The golden rim surrounding the upper edge of the Shulchan symbolized the loftiest position of material power in Klal Yisrael — the crown of monarchy. The Aron which contained the Luchos symbolized the Torah, and…

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Sruly Schnair In Terumah, 5756

“You shall make a Menorah of pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah be made… see and make, according to their form which you are shown on the mountain.” (25:31,40)

The various forms of the Menorah were to be hammered out from one large ingot of gold. The Midrash teaches that Moshe had great difficulty visualizing the exact appearance of the Menorah. In response, Hashem showed him a Menorah made of fire. Moshe was still concerned regarding his ability to make the Menorah to Hashem’s specifications. Hashem told Moshe to cast the ingot into a fire, and a completed Menorah emerged. The Menorah, therefore, was actually created without human intervention. The Maharal suggests that Moshe fashioned the Menorah, but when he cast it into the fire as part of the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5755

“And this is the donation you shall take from them, gold, silver and copper.” (25:3)

In the Midrash, Chazal infer that these three metals represent the three Patriarchs. Gold is symbolic of Avraham Avinu in that he was tested like gold in the fiery furnace. Silver alludes to Yitzchak Avinu, who was purified on the altar in the same manner that silver is refined. Copper, which in Hebrew is “nechoshes,” brings Yaakov to mind. Lavan was referring to Yaakov when he said, “nichashti,” I have observed the signs that Hashem has blessed me for your sake” (Bereishis 30:27). This Midrash begs elucidation. First, what relationship is there between the Patriarchs and the various metals used…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5755

“And you shall make a candelabra of pure gold, hammered out shall the candelabra be made.” (25:31)

Chazal teach us that the menorah was the only vessel which was “mikshah,” hammered out. Its various parts were “drawn out” from an original mass of gold by means of the beating of a hammer. The commentators, each in his own inimitable style, suggest rationales for the distinct technical deviation in the shaping of the menorah. We suggest the following reason. In his commentary on Avos 4:17, the Maharal explains the Mishnah which states: There are three crowns, the crown of Torah, the crown of Kehunah, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a shem tov, good name,…

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“And shittim wood.” (25:5)

“And they shall make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them.” (25:8)

“And they shall make an ark of shittim wood… and you shall plate it with pure gold, from inside and out shall you plate.” (25:10,11)

“This is the portion that you shall take from them: gold, silver and copper … Shoham stones and stones for the settings, for the Eiphod and the Choshen.” (25:3,7)

“Within the rings of the Aron shall remain the poles, they may never be removed from it.” (25:15)

“And I shall speak with you from atop the cover… that is on the ark of the testimonial tablets… and you shall make a table of shittim (acacia) wood.” (25:22,23)

“You shall make a table.. you shall cover it with pure gold and you shall make for it a gold crown all around.” (25:23,24)

“You shall make a Menorah of pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah be made… see and make, according to their form which you are shown on the mountain.” (25:31,40)

“And this is the donation you shall take from them, gold, silver and copper.” (25:3)

“And you shall make a candelabra of pure gold, hammered out shall the candelabra be made.” (25:31)

YEARS

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