Terumah – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

And they shall take for Me a terumah/tithing/portion from every man whose heart motivates him, you shall take My portion. (25:2)

As mentioned earlier, the question on this pasuk is: Why does the Torah use the word v’yikchu, rather than v’yitnu? Would it not have been more correct had the Torah asked them to give a donation? After all, is this not what they were being asked to do? Horav Shlomo Wolbe, zl, explains this by applying the well-known Chazal in Meseches Kiddushin (7a) concerning the obligation that (in order to make a kinyan, halachic acquisition) the man must give the woman either a perutah, penny, or shavah perutah, value of a penny. By accepting the money, she becomes makneh, gives…

Home -> 5778 -> Terumah

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

Roberto Szerer In Terumah, 5778

You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of shittim (Acacia) wood, standing erect. (26:15)

The Midrash observes that atzei shittim refers to wood derived from a tree that does not bear fruit. Chazal explain that, if in the future, a person would want to build a house of wood from a fruit-bearing tree, he would be prevented from doing so by applying a simple logic. If the King of Kings, Hashem, to Whom everything in this world belongs, said that His Mishkan should only be built from wood from a type that does not bear fruit, how can a human being make a different decision? We derive from here that whatever we do, regardless…

Home -> 5778 -> Terumah

מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל

Roberto Szerer In Terumah, 5778

Mekabeitz nidchei amo Yisrael. Who gathers together the dispersed of His nation Yisrael?

Each and every Jew has spiritual potential. These spiritual energies or sparks of holiness, nitzozos, are mischanelled when we do not use our spiritual potential properly. Thus, we are unable to experience the full experience of life due to a limited supply of spiritual energy. We pray to Hashem that He gathers our personal sparks and brings back all of the spiritual energies to their proper potential. Similarly, when Adam HaRishon sinned, he caused the tzinoros hashpaah, Heavenly channels of holiness, to shatter, thereby spreading sparks of holiness throughout the world, where they are not imprisoned inside klipos ha’tumah, shells…

Home -> 5777 -> Terumah

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5777

And have them take for Me a terumah offering. From every man whose heart impels him to generosity, you shall take My terumah offering. (25:2)

Rashi writes that the words, v’yikchu li, “and take for Me,” indicate that the contributors for the Mishkan must be dedicated lishmah, exclusively for Hashem’s Name. From the fact that the Torah follows up the v’yikchu li with asher yidvenu libo, whose heart impels him to generosity, we may suggest that the determining factor in li, “for me,” is that it is motivated by the heart. The heart is the seat of one’s emotions and, thus, expresses his truthful feelings. Nidvas ha’lev, a contribution from the bottom of one’s heart, is an honest contribution. The concept of lishmah was a…

Home -> 5777 -> Terumah

ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5777

They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them. (25:8)

The Alshich HaKadosh, zl, notes the use of the word, b’socham, in them, rather than b’socho, in it. This teaches that every Jew must serve as a veritable Mishkan, Sanctuary, for Hashem. Every Jew is a mikdash me’at, miniature sanctuary. This should be our self-view, and likewise, the way we look at others. While one can accept this idea concerning gedolei Yisrael, individuals who truly represent Kavod Shomayim, the glory of Heaven, what about the ordinary person? Is the ordinary person also a mikdash me’at? First, the term “ordinary” is too general a term. I refer rather to someone who…

Home -> 5777 -> Terumah

ככל אשר אני מראה אותך את תבנית המשכן...וכן תעשו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5777

Like everything that I show you, the form of the Mishkan…and so shall you do. (25:9)

Rashi comments, v’chein taasu – l’doros; “And so shall you do” – for generations. This means that, if for some reason it was necessary to make more vessels for the Mishkan, or later for the Bais HaMikdash, the form should be similar to the original vessels used in the Mishkan. Alternatively, the Nefesh HaChaim explains the tzivui, command, of l’doros, for ensuing generations, based upon a statement of the Gaon, zl, m’Vilna who posits that the entire Bais HaMikdash was redolent with a sweet fragrance emanating from the Torah housed in the Aron HaKodesh, situated in the Kodesh HaKedoshim, Holy…

Home -> 5777 -> Terumah

מקשה תיעשה המנורה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5777

Hammered out shall the Menorah be made. (25:31)

The Menorah consisted of a number of shapes and forms, all of which were hammered out from one large ingot of gold. Nothing was made separately and attached. The Midrash relates that Moshe Rebbeinu had great difficulty in creating the Menorah. He could not visualize the finished product. Hashem went as far as to show him a Menorah made of fire. Still, Moshe felt uncertain concerning making the Menorah in accordance with Hashem’s plan. It was then that Hashem instructed Moshe to fling the ingot into a fire, such that a completed Menorah miraculously emerged. In other words, the Menorah…

Home -> -> Terumah

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah

“You shall place in the Aron the Testimonial – tablets that I shall give you.” (25:16)

In the Talmud Megillah 10b, Chazal relate that the Aron Ha’kodesh was not included in the measurements of the Bais HaMikdash. Due to its spiritual nature, it did not occupy any physical space. The Kodshei Ha’kodoshim measured twenty amos by twenty amos. The Aron had twenty amos of space on each side of it. Now, where did the Aron stand? This proves that the Aron miraculously took up no space. One would think that if such a miracle was done for the Aron which was solely a repository for the Torah and the Luchos, then the Torah and Luchos which…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו וצפית אתו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

They shall make an Ark of shittim wood, two and a half cubits its length; a cubit and a half its width; and a cubit and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from within and from without shall you cover it. (25:10, 11)

The construction of the Mishkan — its various components and accompanying vessels — is replete with symbolism. The materials used for the Mishkan, its very measurements, and the manner of constructing its components are a source for much exposition by the various commentators. While we are not on the level of comprehending the mystical aspects and secrets involved in this holy edifice, there is great practical application to be derived from what we are able to understand. The Chafetz Chaim explains the half-measurements of the Aron as alluding to the reality that no human being can claim to have achieved…

Home -> 5776 -> Terumah

והיו הכרובים פורשי כנפים למעלה... ופניהם איש אל אחיו אל הכפורת יהיו פני הכרובים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Terumah, 5776

The Keruvim shall be with wings spread upward… with their faces toward one another; toward the Cover shall be the faces of the Keruvim. (25:20)

In his commentary to the Torah, the Abarbanel writes that the phrase, “The Keruvim shall be with wings and spread upward,” alludes to the idea that all Jews should be focused on Heaven. A person’s mind determines his goals and objectives. His thoughts should be motivated; his values should concentrate on spiritual growth. If one is stimulated towards nurturing his spiritual dimension, he can be certain that everything else in life that matters– ethics, morals — will develop on a positive note. When one’s values are distorted, the distortion takes its toll on everything else in his life, leaving him…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Terumah ->

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

And they shall take for Me a terumah/tithing/portion from every man whose heart motivates him, you shall take My portion. (25:2)

ועשית את הקרשים למשכן עצי שטים עמדים

You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of shittim (Acacia) wood, standing erect. (26:15)

מקבץ נדחי עמו ישראל

Mekabeitz nidchei amo Yisrael. Who gathers together the dispersed of His nation Yisrael?

ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו תקחו את תרומתי

And have them take for Me a terumah offering. From every man whose heart impels him to generosity, you shall take My terumah offering. (25:2)

ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם

They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them. (25:8)

ככל אשר אני מראה אותך את תבנית המשכן...וכן תעשו

Like everything that I show you, the form of the Mishkan…and so shall you do. (25:9)

מקשה תיעשה המנורה

Hammered out shall the Menorah be made. (25:31)

“You shall place in the Aron the Testimonial – tablets that I shall give you.” (25:16)

ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו וצפית אתו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו

They shall make an Ark of shittim wood, two and a half cubits its length; a cubit and a half its width; and a cubit and a half its height. You shall cover it with pure gold, from within and from without shall you cover it. (25:10, 11)

והיו הכרובים פורשי כנפים למעלה... ופניהם איש אל אחיו אל הכפורת יהיו פני הכרובים

The Keruvim shall be with wings spread upward… with their faces toward one another; toward the Cover shall be the faces of the Keruvim. (25:20)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!