Take Me, Please…

A relationship can go two ways. G-d, by giving us the Torah has also given Himself to us. Through Torah we take G-d. TERUMAH TERUMAH

Give or Take?

When the A-mighty asked for contributions for the construction of the Mishkan, the portable Sanctuary in the desert, the request was phrased in a rather peculiar way. Instead of saying “Speak to the Children of Israel that they should give Me a contribution,” it states: “Speak to the children of Israel that they will take for Me a contribution.”

Commentators point out that in truth one does not give G-d anything to G-d, because it is all His in the first place. It is only a question as to where we place G-d’s resources. We can keep them for ourselves and utilize them for our own needs, or we can “take” some of what we possess and give it away to other needy individuals and causes.

TERUMAH

Moreover, even when we do use the G-d given resources for our own benefit, we can still “take” it “for G-d.” This means that even when we eat, sleep, work or engage in any other “selfish” pursuit; we can do it for a higher purpose. When we are in possession of all our material, emotional and spiritual needs, we can better serve G-d by learning more Torah with greater clarity, observing the commandments with more excellence and helping others more effectively.

“By all means,” G-d tells us, “take whatever you have to take in order to live and prosper,” but take it with Me in mind.”

Taking Me Through Torah

The “Take for Me” ideal can be understood on yet one more level. The word the Torah employs for contribution — and the name of this week’s Parsha — is Terumah. The Midrash notes that this word is actually a composite of the word Torah and the letter mem, which is numerically equivalent to the number 40, alluding to the number of days Moses was on the mountain to receive the TERUMAH Torah from G-d.

By employing the word Terumah — with its allusion to the word Torah and the process through which it was given to Moses — the Torah wishes to underscore the unparalleled character of Torah, even in comparison with other spiritual and religious functions. When one studies Torah, Divine wisdom, they actually have the ability to “take” and “capture” G-d in a way that cannot be matched even by performing a Mitzvah. As the Zohar translates the opening words of this parsha “And they shall take for Me Terumah-a contribution,” in a novel way. “They will take Me by studying Torah (“Terumah=Torah mem, the Torah that was given in forty days).

To understand the difference between Torah study and all other spiritual pursuits, R. Schneur Zalman in his classic work Tanya explains as follows:

Torah Transcends Spirituality

Since G-d is absolutely one and indivisible, He cannot be viewed as a composite of His TERUMAH attributes. In Maimonides words, “G-d and His wisdom are inseparable.” Torah as the embodiment of G-d’s wisdom is therefore actually one with G-d Himself. Thus, when we study Torah, and it is integrated and absorbed into our minds, while our mind is simultaneously submerged in the knowledge of Torah as we delve into the subject matter, one is totally united with G-d’s wisdom, which, as stated, is inseparable from G-d Himself.

Accordingly, Torah study engenders an unparalleled measure of unity with G-d. While we can connect to G-d by performing a Mitzvah, which translates as commandment or attachment, we can only achieve total unity with G-d by delving into and digesting the Divine wisdom contained in Torah.

But, even this unity achieved by way of Torah study depends on the degree to which our minds are capable of truly absorbing and assimilating this knowledge. All the distractions that we experience, can compromise the degree of unity that our Torah study generates. Thus, Maimonides writes, that our prophets and Sages yearned TERUMAH for the Days of Moshiach, not for political or material gain, but because it will provide us with an opportunity to study Torah unhampered. Indeed, Maimonides concludes his magnum opus with Isaiah’s description of the Messianic Age as a time when all of us will be submerged in an ocean of knowledge. Only then will the highest degree of unity through Torah study be fully realized.

TERUMAH

TERUMAH

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Terumah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.